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House of Games ()

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A psychiatrist comes to the aid of a compulsive gambler and is led by a smooth-talking grifter into the shadowy but compelling world of stings, scams, and con men.
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Photos and Videos

91 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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Margaret Ford
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Mike
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Joey
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Dr. Littauer
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The Businessman
Willo Hausman ...
Girl with Book
Karen Kohlhaas ...
Prison Ward Patient
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Billy Hahn (as Steve Goldstein)
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Bartender (House of Games)
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George (Vegas Man)
G. Roy Levin ...
Poker Player
Bob Lumbra ...
Poker Player
Andy Potok ...
Poker Player
Allen Soule ...
Poker Player
Ben Blakeman ...
Bartender (Charlie's Tavern)
Scott Zigler ...
Western Union Clerk
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Sgt. Moran (as W.H. Macy)
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Hotel Desk Clerk
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Mr. Dean
Johnny 'Sugarbear' Willis ...
Hotel Doorman (as Sugarbear Willis)
Josh Conescu ...
Garage Attendant
Julie Mendenhall ...
Late Student
Rachel Cline ...
Student
Patricia Wolff ...
Patient (Ford's Office)
Paul Walsh ...
Man in Restaurant
Roberta Maguire ...
Restaurant Hostess
Jacqueline de La Chaume ...
Woman with Lighter
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Pedestrian (uncredited)

Directed by

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David Mamet

Written by

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David Mamet ... (screenplay)
 
Jonathan Katz ... (story) &
David Mamet ... (story)

Produced by

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Michael Hausman ... producer

Music by

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Alaric Jans

Cinematography by

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Juan Ruiz Anchía ... director of photography (as Juan Ruiz Anchia)

Editing by

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Trudy Ship

Editorial Department

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Peter B. Ellis ... apprentice editor
K.F. Ligammari ... apprentice editor
Colleen Sharp ... apprentice editor
Barbara Tulliver ... assistant editor

Casting By

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Cyrena Hausman

Production Design by

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Michael Merritt

Set Decoration by

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Derek R. Hill ... (as Derek Hill)

Costume Design by

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Nan Cibula

Makeup Department

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Laurent Delouya ... hair stylist: Mr. Mantegna
Erin Lyons ... hair stylist
Gregory Villamil ... hair stylist: Ms. Crouse
Pamela S. Westmore ... makeup artist (as Pamela Westmore)

Production Management

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Lee R. Mayes ... unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Ned Dowd ... first assistant director
Michael Hausman ... second assistant director

Art Department

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Jeff Balsmeyer ... storyboard artist (as Jeffrey Balsmeyer)
Valerie Ross ... property assistant
Samara Schaffer ... property master
J. Grey Smith ... leadman (as Grey Smith)
Jeffrey P. Soderberg ... set dresser (as Jeff Soderberg)

Sound Department

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Douglas Axtell ... boom operator
Suki Buchman ... assistant sound editor (as Susan Buchman)
Anthony J. Ciccolini III ... supervising sound editor (as Anthony John Ciccolini III)
Pam DeMetruis-Thomas ... assistant sound editor (as Pam DeMetruis)
Kathleen Earle Killeen ... assistant sound editor (as Kathy Killeen)
Thomas A. Gulino ... sound editor
John Pritchett ... sound mixer
Marc S. Shaw ... adr editor
Gail Showalter ... assistant sound editor
Jeffrey Stern ... sound editor
Jacqueline Tager ... assistant sound editor (as Jacqui Tager)
Dick Vorisek ... sound re-recording supervisor
Marko A. Costanzo ... foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by

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Robert G. Willard ... special effects: Special Effects Unlimited (as Robert Willard)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Michael F. Barrow ... gaffer (as Michael Barrow) / grip equipment (as Michael Barrow) / lighting equipment (as Michael Barrow)
Martin Bosworth ... grip (as Marty Bosworth)
Chris Centrella ... key dolly grip
Henry Cline ... second assistant camera
Geoffrey Coburn ... electrician
Robert Diehl ... electrician
Bill Flick ... grip
Lars Larson ... grip
Mark Lorge ... electrician
Hugh McCallum ... best boy grip
Robert McClure ... electrician (as Robbie McClure)
John Merriman ... best boy electric
George Mooradian ... first assistant camera
Lorey Sebastian ... still photographer
Michael Sudmeier ... electrician
Greg White-Wiegand ... electrician
Quintin Woo ... electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Candace Blake ... wardrobe assistant
Dawn Johnson ... costumer
Sally Roberts ... wardrobe assistant / assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Location Management

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Ron Lynch ... location manager

Music Department

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Suzana Peric ... music editor

Script and Continuity Department

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Christine Wilson ... script supervisor

Transportation Department

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Gregory W. Anderson ... driver (as Gregory Anderson)
Jerry Jackson ... transportation coordinator
Jon McCarthy ... driver (as Jon R. McCarthy)
David Milchen ... driver captain

Additional Crew

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Alexa Albert ... production assistant
Rachel Cline ... assistant to producer
Liz Dixon ... coach / consultant
Peter Hutcheson ... production assistant
Kevin Hyman ... production accountant
Ricky Jay ... consultant: confidence games
Richard Lorenzana ... financial representative
Susan McBrine ... caterer: Mac B's (as Susan MacBrine)
Ivan Passer Jr. ... production assistant
P.J. Pettiette ... dailies courier
Deborah Pritchett ... production office coordinator
Cathy Sarkowsky ... production office coordinator
Sheila Thompson ... craft service
Lynn Wegenka ... key production assistant
Patricia Wolff ... production assistant
Scott Zigler ... production assistant
Randall Balsmeyer ... title designer (uncredited)
Jonathan Sheinberg ... Head of Production Orion Pictures (uncredited)
Susan Lee Smith ... publicist (uncredited)
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

A famous psychologist, Margaret Ford, decides to try to help one of her patients get out of a gambling debt. She visits the bar where Mike, to whom the debt is owed, runs poker games. He convinces her to help him in a game: her assignment is to look for "tells", or give-away body language. What seems easy to her becomes much more complex. Written by John J. Magee

Plot Keywords
Taglines Nothing is as it seems. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • The Tell (United States)
  • House of Cards (United States)
  • Engrenages (France)
  • Casa de juegos (Spain)
  • La casa del juego (Spain)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 102 min
Official Sites
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Opening Weekend United States $116,677, 18 Oct 1987

Did You Know?

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Trivia Ricky Jay was a sleight-of-hand artist and an acknowledged authority on the art of the con. In an NPR interview, Jay related that when David Mamet needed a short-change scam to be explained in the movie, he asked Jay for details of an authentic short-change hustle. However, Jay did not want to betray the confidence of the hustlers he knew who still used various short-change cons for their "livelihood". The envelope switch seen in the final film is an original switch invented by Jay specially for the film. Later, it was reported that an amateur thief had been caught attempting to use the switch as he had learned it from the film. See more »
Goofs Margaret Ford takes her smokes from a package of unfiltered "stubby" Camels, but the actual cigarettes she uses are longer (probably Pall Malls) so they'll "read" better on screen. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Surrender/Someone to Watch Over Me/Dancers/House of Games/Maurice (1987). See more »
Soundtracks Fugue See more »
Quotes Joey: The bitch is a booster.
Mike: The bitch is a born thief, man.
Mr. Dean: So, you had her made from the jump?
Mike: I'm tellin' ya. A ton of fuckin' bricks! Show me some REAL con-men.
Joey: Yeah, we showed her some con-men.
Mike: We showed her some DINOSAUR con-men. Some old style.
Joey: Yes, sir.
Mike: Years from now, they're gonna have to go to a museum to see a frame like this.
Joey: That's right.
Mr. Dean: Took her money and screwed her, too.
Mike: A small price to pay.
See more »
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