Banning (1967) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A disgraced golfer navigates blackmail, gambling, and rivalry to clear his name and survive.

Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases

The Framed Prodigy

Mike McDermot refuses a match-fixing bribe, only to be framed by Jonathan Linus and lose his PGA career. Linus retires, marries into wealth, and takes control of an exclusive Arizona golf club.

Key Events

• Match-Fixing Refusal — Banning declines Linus's bribe to fix a match, sparking the central conflict. Characters: Mike Banning, Jonathan Linus Location: PGA Tour
• Linus's Betrayal — Linus frames Banning for cheating after approaching another pro instead. Characters: Jonathan Linus Location: PGA Tour
• Linus's New Life — Linus retires, marries into wealth, and secures control of an exclusive golf club. Characters: Jonathan Linus Location: Arizona

Blackmail and Bargains

Banning arrives at the club and threatens to expose Linus, earning him an assistant pro position. To survive his mob debts, he organizes a high-stakes Calcutta tournament, turning the club into a gambling arena.

Key Events

• Linus's New Life — Linus retires, marries into wealth, and secures control of an exclusive golf club. Characters: Jonathan Linus Location: Arizona
• Banning's Arrival — Banning arrives at the club and threatens to expose Linus's past crimes. Characters: Mike Banning Location: El Presidente
• Assistant Pro Role — Club management grants Banning a job to silence his blackmail threats. Characters: Mike Banning Location: El Presidente
• Calcutta Announcement — Banning organizes a high-stakes auction tournament to generate funds. Characters: Mike Banning Location: El Presidente

Exposure and Escalation

As the tournament approaches, Chris Patton exposes Banning's past, triggering a violent confrontation. Banning drops his handicap to play at full strength, while Angela Barr strategically bids for his partnership.

Key Events

• Calcutta Announcement — Banning organizes a high-stakes auction tournament to generate funds. Characters: Mike Banning Location: El Presidente
• Mob Debt Revealed — Banning must win $21,000 to pay off mob lenders who bankrolled his trial. Characters: Mike Banning Location: El Presidente
• President's Cheating — Banning observes the club president's poker cheating habits while feigning drunkenness. Characters: Mike Banning Location: El Presidente
• Angela's Bidding — Angela outbids others to secure Banning as her partner in the tournament. Characters: Mike Banning, Angela Barr Location: El Presidente
• Patton's Exposure — Patton reveals Banning's former pro status to the organizing committee. Characters: Chris Patton, Mike Banning Location: El Presidente
• Handicap Drop — Banning forfeits his handicap to play at full scratch skill level. Characters: Mike Banning Location: El Presidente
• Banning vs Patton Fight — Banning confronts Patton, nearly killing him in a violent physical altercation. Characters: Mike Banning, Chris Patton Location: El Presidente

Sudden Death Showdown

Patton withdraws and Linus replaces him, setting up a direct rivalry. The tournament culminates in a sudden-death playoff where Banning must make a miraculous shot to win the pot and save his life.

Key Events

• Banning vs Patton Fight — Banning confronts Patton, nearly killing him in a violent physical altercation. Characters: Mike Banning, Chris Patton Location: El Presidente
• Patton Withdraws — Patton steps down from the tournament due to the fight's consequences. Characters: Chris Patton Location: El Presidente
• Linus Replaces Patton — Linus is brought in to replace the withdrawn Patton on the committee's team. Characters: Jonathan Linus Location: El Presidente
• Tournament Begins — The high-stakes Calcutta tournament officially commences with all teams. Characters: Mike Banning, Angela Barr, Jonathan Linus Location: El Presidente
• Regulation Play — Teams compete fiercely through regulation rounds, leading to a dead heat. Characters: Mike Banning, Angela Barr, Jonathan Linus Location: El Presidente
• Playoff Decision — The tournament goes to a sudden-death playoff to determine the winner. Characters: Mike Banning, Jonathan Linus Location: El Presidente
• The 17th Hole — Banning faces a near-impossible shot over a tall stand of trees. Characters: Mike Banning Location: El Presidente
• Miraculous Shot — Banning makes the miraculous shot, winning the tournament and his life. Characters: Mike Banning Location: El Presidente
• Tournament Resolution — Banning wins the pot, securing his freedom and clearing his mob debt. Characters: Mike Banning, Angela Barr Location: El Presidente
• Linus's Defeat — Linus fails to match Banning's shot, ending his tournament run. Characters: Jonathan Linus Location: El Presidente
• Club Dynamics Shift — The tournament outcome alters the internal power structure of the club. Characters: Mike Banning, Jonathan Linus Location: El Presidente

Story Breakdown

• PGA Scandal Origin — The inciting incident where a refused bribe leads to a career-ruining frame-up.
  • Match-Fixing Refusal — Banning declines Linus's offer to manipulate a final putt.
  • Linus's Betrayal — Linus approaches another pro and files false cheating charges.
  • Career Ruin — Banning is expelled from the PGA Tour and forced to change his name.
• El Presidente Infiltration — Banning enters the exclusive club environment to survive and seek leverage.
  • Blackmail Threat — Banning threatens to expose Linus's past crimes to the club.
  • Assistant Pro Role — Management grants Banning a position to silence his threats.
  • Club Hierarchy — Linus and his father-in-law control the club as president and GM.
• Calcutta Tournament Setup — Banning designs a high-stakes auction tournament to generate critical funds.
  • Mob Debt Crisis — Banning must win $21,000 to pay off dangerous lenders.
  • Auction Mechanics — Two-man teams are auctioned off, with winnings split three ways.
  • Strategic Bidding — Angela Barr outbids rivals to secure Banning as her partner.
• Internal Club Conflicts — Tensions rise as past secrets surface and personal rivalries ignite.
  • Patton's Exposure — Chris Patton reveals Banning's former pro status to the committee.
  • Violent Confrontation — Banning nearly kills Patton in a physical altercation over the exposure.
  • Handicap Adjustment — Banning drops his handicap to play at full scratch skill level.
• Tournament Progression — The competition unfolds with shifting lineups and escalating stakes.
  • Regulation Rounds — Teams compete fiercely through standard tournament play.
  • Patton Withdrawal — Patton exits the event due to the fight's consequences.
  • Linus Replacement — Linus is brought in to fill Patton's spot on the committee team.
• Sudden-Death Climax — The tournament reaches its peak with a high-pressure playoff.
  • Playoff Pressure — The tournament goes to sudden death to break the tie.
  • The 17th Hole Shot — Banning faces a near-impossible shot over tall trees.
  • Victory and Resolution — Banning makes the miraculous shot, winning the pot and his life.
• Character Arcs — The narrative tracks the personal transformations of the core players.
  • Banning's Redemption — Banning overcomes scandal and debt through skill and courage.
  • Linus's Downfall — Linus's past crimes catch up to him, leading to tournament defeat.
  • Angela's Strategy — Angela leverages financial power and insight to secure a winning partnership.

Directed by

Ron Winston

Key Cast

• Robert Wagner — Mike Banning
• Anjanette Comer — Carol Lindquist
• Jill St. John — Angela Barr
• Guy Stockwell — Jonathan Linus
• James Farentino — Chris Patton