In the American Old West, card sharp Bret Maverick is on his way to a major poker tournament aboard a paddle steamer, but first he needs to raise the entry fee. He turns to his skill at cards, a series of small cons and an uneasy partnership with the clever con artist Annabelle Bransford and the veteran lawman Zane Cooper, who is more capable than he looks. The journey becomes a run of close calls, bargains and deceptions, and Maverick must keep improvising to stay in the game. The film blends sharp dialogue with the playful trickery typical of the adventure Western.

How it was made

Directed by Richard Donner, the film adapts the television series of the same name that ran from 1957 to 1962, in which James Garner had played Bret Maverick. William Goldman wrote the screenplay, and Donner and Bruce Davey produced through Icon Productions. Filming took place from August to December 1993. Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner, Alfred Molina and James Coburn lead the cast, joined by many Western actors and country music stars in brief roles, including Danny Glover, who revisits a joke tied to Donner's Lethal Weapon series. Randy Newman composed the score, Vilmos Zsigmond shot the film and Stuart Baird edited it.

Reception and legacy

Warner Bros. released the film in theaters on May 20, 1994. It was both a critical and commercial success, grossing about 183 million dollars worldwide against a budget of 75 million. It received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and Randy Newman's song won an ASCAP award in 1995. Today it is remembered as a light, affectionate Western comedy that reworks a classic television series and its conventions for a new generation of viewers.