The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)

2h 15m · Released · TMDB ★ 7.0 (308)

Cosmo Vittelli, the proprietor of a sleazy, low-rent Hollywood cabaret, has a real affection for the women who strip in his peepshows and the staff who keep up his dingy establishment. He also has a major gambling problem that has gotten him in trouble before. When Cosmo loses big-time at an underground casino run by mobster Mort, he isn't able to pay up. Mort then offers Cosmo the chance to pay back his debt by knocking off a pesky, Mafia-protected bookie.

Director: John Cassavetes

Starring: Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel, Robert Phillips, Morgan Woodward, Al Ruban