California Split (1974) Movie Trailer

Plot Summary: ‘California Split’ directed by Robert Altman, revolves around two gamblers Charlie Waters (Elliott Gould) and Bill Denny (George Segal), bonding through their mutual love for gambling. Charlie is a witty, clever gambler while Bill is an amateur who works in a magazine.

As the film progresses Charlie and Bill bond over the roulette tables and Bill slowly gets hooked to gambling and runs into debt with his bookie (Joseph Walsh). Towards the climax, Bill pawns some of his possessions and pools his money with Charlie’s and enters a poker game against the former world champion Amarillo Slim. He wins $82,000 that night. But a sudden realization at the craps table makes him stop. He tells Charlie that he is giving up gambling as he has lost the enthusiasm for it . The film ends with Bill and Charlie splitting the winning money and parting their ways.

Quotes from California Split

Bill Denny: Goddamnit, lady, you don’t throw oranges on an escalator!

Bill Denny: Everybody’s named Barbara.

Charlie Waters: The tongue of the great blue whale weighs more than a full-grown African elephant.

Charlie Waters: If it takes a watermelon five minutes to water. How long does it take a sweetpea to pee? As long as it takes a pair of dice to crap.