Banning (film)

Starring Robert Wagner and Jill St. John with a supporting cast that includes Gene Hackman as a washed up, alcoholic golfer, this film, set in an extremely exclusive Arizona country club involves love, denial, avarice and gambling. Quincy Jones and Bob Russell were nominated for an oscar for the song, "The Eyes of Love."

Mike McDermot (Wagner) was a rising start on the PGA Tour until he was thrown off the for cheating. He was accused of offering to split the purse with a competitor, Jonathan Linus (Guy Stockwell) if that competitor deliberately missed a final putt. In fact, the competitor had approached him. When McDermot refused, Jonathan Linus approaches another pro, Tommy Del Gaddo, (played by Gene Hackman), who's glory days were behind him and they turned in Banning, accusing him of their crime.

Jonathan Linus retries from the PGA Tour, marries into a rich family, his wife played by Susan Clark, is the daughter of a wealthy business man in Arizona and through their money are key principles (President and General Manager) in a very exclusive golf club, the El Presidente. Tommy De Gaddo becomes the head pro at club as reward for supporting Jonathan Linus in winning the Eastern Open. Mike McDermot, now Mike Banning arrives, threatens to expose them in their new affluence, and is given the assistant pro's job to quiet him. Banning then proceeds to lure the club's high rollers to stage a high-wager golf tournament, a Calcutta, in which two-man teams are auctioned off. All the money is then put in a pot and split three ways between the teammates and their bidder. Banning must win this tournament to win enough money, $21,000, to pay off the mob who had bankrolled his trial on the PGA Tour. He is literally playing for his life (and that of his dentist who actually took out the loan).

Banning knows the club pro cheats. The club president also cheats. He plays high-stakes poker, appearing drunk on whiskey while actually drinking iced tea. Another local aristocrat, Angela Bar, played by Jill St. John, who has been trying to 'bed' Mike Banning wins the highly competitive bidding for Banning's team over the President's daughter, Cynthia Linus who has also been trying to 'bed' Banning. The president knew of Mike Banning's background and had his daughter bidding for him for what he was sure to be the winning team. Before play proceeds, Chris Patton (James Farentino) tells the organizing committee that Mike Banning is a former pro and Banning ends up giving up is handicap of 5 to play at scratch. He is informed that Chris provided the information and gets into a fight with him, almost killing him. Chris Patton withdraws from the tournament and is replaced by Jonathan Linus, now playing with his father-in-law, J. Pallister Young (Howard St. John, no relation to Jill St. John))

In the end we arrive at a sudden-death playoff, just as had happened in the ill-fated attempt to bribe Banning on the tour. On the 17th hole of sudden-death, with his life literally riding on his shot, Banning elects to try a near impossible shot over a tall stand of trees. He says "Give me the five wood, Walter. I'm going over the trees."

You'll have to watch the movie to see what happens, to Banning, his adversaries, and the "Tess Truehart" club manager, Carol Lindquist, also in love with Banning, played by Anjanette Comer.

The mob tough displays a curious skill during the scene in which he threatens Banning's life. He can stand 10 feet or so from a door and, in an underhanded motion, throw a key into a lock, every time.