What is "ace in the hole"

n. (context idiomatic US informal English) A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.

Ace in the Hole (aka The Big Carnival) is a 1951 American film noir starring Kirk Douglas as a cynical, disgraced reporter who stops at nothing to try to regain a job on a major newspaper.

It marked a series of firsts for auteur Billy Wilder: it was the first time he was involved in a project as a writer, producer, and director; his first film following his breakup with long-time writing partner Charles Brackett, with whom he had collaborated on The Lost Weekend and Sunset Boulevard, among others; and his first film to be a critical and commercial failure.

The story is a biting examination of the seedy relationship between the press, the news it reports and the manner in which it reports it. The film also shows how a gullible public can be manipulated by the press. Without consulting Wilder, Paramount Pictures executive Y. Frank Freeman changed the title to The Big Carnival just prior to its release. Early television broadcasts retained that title, but when aired by Turner Classic Movies—and when released on DVD by The Criterion Collection in July 2007—it reverted to Ace in the Hole.

Ace in the Hole may refer to:

"Ace in the Hole" is a popular song composed by Cole Porter. The song was written expressly for Porter's musical Let's Face It! which debuted at New York City's Imperial Theatre on 29 October 1941. In the original production, "Ace in the Hole" was performed by Mary Jane Walsh (as Winnie Potter) and Nanette Fabray (as Jean Blanchard). The song was one of the hits of the show throughout its 547 performances on Broadway and its 1943 movie adaptation.

Ace in the Hole is the fifth animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on June 22, 1942, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures..

"Ace in the Hole" the title of a song written by Dennis Adkins, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. George's touring band is called "The Ace in the Hole Band." It was released in July 1989 as the third single from his album Beyond the Blue Neon. It became his 18th #1 single as well as his 11th in a row.