I don't like to overpraise anything, but this one is one I cannot say enough about. The script is so tight that you feel as if you are watching a play. It all happens in real time. It grabs you from the first five minutes and doesn't let up. Personally I find a story about a person who is stuck in an addiction to be very painful. It is true here, too. I so pity Fonda's family being victims of his gambling addiction. It is a smart looking movie but it is not elaborate. I think if it had been it might have taken away from the power. The first half belongs to Fonda. What an actor. This is the Fonda of The Wrong Man and Twelve Angry Men territory. Half way Woodward most take over and how she does. This script is loaded with wit and meanness. No one will be disappointed in either. I remember seeing this movie on TV at about ten years old, and went crazy about it. Never saw it again until probably 40 years later and then I realized that at ten my understanding of the greatest of movies was already formed.

This is an ironic and sarcastic comedy Western with extraordinary roster of character actor , centering in poker game , a marathon in city of Laredo . This is picture set in the old west , a tale that adds comedy , emotion , and a rich sense of humor to make the picture a funny and entertaining flick . It tells the story of a poker game which is deemed the most important in the West for the amount of money bets , personality and social highlight of the players (Jason Robards , Kevin McCarthy , John Qualen , Robert Middleton) , and for its long tradition , sixteen years ; as they regularly meet once year in the location , date and time agreed . Rule of the game is the following : you must sit in from the beginning and it's the wildest poker game in the west . The event raises great expectations and the winner becomes a folk hero of legend . There arrives a traveler (Henry Fonda) who bets more money than he can afford in the poker game , and unusual events follow , as he fails to overcome his penchant for gambling . Then , his wife (Joanne Woodward) , a strong woman , ready to defend her rights until the end .This enjoyable film contains humor , irony , tongue-in-check and results to be an agreeable caper plenty of close-ups and irrelevancies . The script of the film is an ironic and sarcastic story with an all-star-cast giving magnificent acting who make up the yarn , including a neat surprise final , too . The dialogue is amusing , short and accurate , with artful twists free of traps and full of surprises . The combination of suspense and humor is perfectly achieved : both factors are complementary . This movie was initially written for television as "Big Deal in Laredo", in fact , this started life as a 48 minute teleplay by screen-writer Sidney Carroll . Director Fielder Cook manages to recreate a powerful story , told with great austerity , but that keeps us interested until the ending . ¨Big Hand for a Little Lady¨ and ¨The Sting¨ (1973) are both movies about swindling big shot gamblers who were used to swindling unsuspecting players ; these two movies are also connected by the actors who starred in them . The film has a top-notch cast , as Joanne Woodward as the ¨Little Lady¨ who uses her feminine shrewdness to scoop the pot , Henry Fonda as her husband shows modest and emotional attitude , and plunges us into a dramatic character which threatens all our hopes . And with them , Jason Robards , Kevin McCarthy , John Qualen , Paul Ford , Robert Middleton , Burgess Meredith , all of them manage to give the best result to a bemusing flick . Furthermore , brief apparitions from James Griffith , Virginia Gregg , Milton Selzer , and veteran Mae Clarke . This film provides the final film of Charles Bickford , and ending screen appearance of comedian Chester Conklin, who had appeared in about 300 movies from 1913 .Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Lee Garmes . Atmospheric and appropriate musical score by David Raskin who previously composed the classic soundtrack for ¨Laura¨ . The motion picture was well written and directed by Fielder Cook , he was an usual filmmaker for TV , in fact , several of his 1970s productions were originally televised on the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" and occasionally for cinema such as ¨Patterns¨, ¨Seize the day¨ , ¨Eagle in a Cage¨ and this ¨A big hand for the Little lady¨. .

An unusual western with no villains, gunfights, barroom brawls etc. Nice to see a western with regular people. Kids who see westerns must think that the west was really wild in every town. Simple plot of meek husband and wife and child who come to town in the midst of a popular once a year poker game going on. They get mixed up in it with lots of fun and twists. Great cast with the always reliable Henry Fonda and Joanne Woodward and a super supporting cast. The young boy playing their son had great expressive eyes and was ideal in his role. Some might figure out what's going on, but don't think too hard. Just sit back, relax and enjoy what you see. Nice DVD transfer as well. Would have been nice to have included a commentary by Woodward as she is the only surviving cast member I believe. For a big time delight see this BIG HAND FOR THE LITTLE LADY.

I recall seeing the TV version of this when I was a kid. In that version, the "son" was revealed to be an adult performer from a circus. In the movie, the son is clearly identified as a child but there is still a comment from Henry Fonda that they need to return him to the circus. That never makes sense to me. Without the plot twist that he is an adult, what does the circus have to do with anything? And why would the child be handling the cash? That only makes sense if he is actually an adult. Has anybody else wondered about this plot point, or am I over-analyzing? (Also, is there a cast list for the TV version or has that been lost? I don't find it on IMDb. In my memory, the "son" was played by the same young actor in both versions... but it's been too long for me to be certain of that.)