The year is 1879. Gunfighters from the far reaches of the globe descend on the mining town of Religion, Arizona to compete in a legendary poker tournament.
Gunfighters and cardsharps from the far reaches of the globe descend on the mining town of Religion, Arizona to compete in a legendary poker tournament. Drawn to town by the gold prize, the players come to realize that in this game their very souls are at stake.—Anonymous
In 1879 Arizona, Harlem Gold wants to make everyone aware of his mining town called Religion which he thinks could be the greatest city in the West. To do this, he plans a poker tournament which will draw people from all around. The prize will be a valuable gold cross.
And they come from everywhere. Mr. James, who has an accent that sounds British, writes about the tournament for a newspaper and also plans to write a novel.
One man is from China and claims poker was invented there. There is an Arabian prince who brings his manservant. Waylin Smith is a half-Indian gunfighter who sees ghosts and communicates with them. Smith falls for the single mother of an adorable little girl whose name sounded like Danny and her sister.
One could say there are two magicians. McCabe uses skill and deception, and his photographic memory. And Anton Stice actually has powers. He may, in fact, be The Devil. In a flashback, he appeared to St. John in jail, when St. John was threatening to kill everyone in sight after he had been locked up for robbing banks. Stice offered him salvation (really?) and St. John came to spread God's word.
And then there is Salt Peter, the most colorful character in the movie. He claims to be from Vienna but has an American accent, and while he has health problems that require drugs, he may just be an addict.. And he seems gay but he denies being "homosexual" and is shown kissing a woman.
Already living in town is carpenter Bobby Shea, who falls for Bootstrap Bess, the Madam who people see to get a hotel room. She also takes care of the working girls, and you don't want to mess with them because Bess will make you regret it. Bess wants to open her own fine hotel. Southern Bill is the likable bartender. There is a marshal, but only one because that's all Harlem can afford. Later, he needs to be replaced.
Competitors are eliminated one by one, either by being defeated, or hurt, or killed, or by breaking the rules, including no cheating, no violence against other players, and guns must be surrendered to the sheriff (what sheriff? I thought this town only had a marshal?).
Excitement builds toward the end, and there are breaks in the action for romance, fights, and weird stuff. There is even a church service.
