The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) is a crime drama by John Cassavetes — watch it online on iFILM. Ben Gazzara plays Cosmo Vittelli, a Los Angeles strip-club owner who gambles compulsively, lives on style and credit, and genuinely believes he answers to no one.

One bad night at an underground card table leaves Cosmo owing the mob more than he can pay. They offer a way out: eliminate a rival bookie they want gone. He takes the deal. The job immediately goes wrong, and Cosmo realises he was set up from the start. Cassavetes shot largely without a fixed script, working in his signature improvisational mode; Seymour Cassel and Timothy Carey round out the cast in roles that linger long after the film ends.

Two cuts exist: the original 135-minute version and a tighter 108-minute re-edit released in 1978. Neither version trades in car chases or shootouts — the tension comes entirely from watching a man slowly understand the depth of the hole he has dug for himself. For noir fans who want character over spectacle, this is one of Cassavetes' most controlled and unnerving works. Stream The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) online on iFILM.