The Big Gamble (1931)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Fred Niblo

Writers:

Octavus Roy Cohen (story) (novel "The Iron Chalice")
Walter DeLeon (writer)

Release Date:

27 September 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Unable to repay a substantial gambling debt to mob boss North, Alan Beckwith concocts a last-ditch scheme...

Plot Keywords:

Gambling | Remake | Based On Novel

Cast

William Boyd	...	Alan Beckwith (as Bill Boyd)
James Gleason	...	Fred 'Squint' Dugan
Warner Oland	...	Andrew North
Dorothy Sebastian	...	Beverly Ames Beckwith
Zasu Pitts	...	Nora Dugan
June MacCloy	...	Mae Robbins
William Collier Jr.	...	Johnnie Ames
Ralph Ince	...	Webb
Geneva Mitchell	...	Trixie, North's Companion

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Company:

RKO Pathé Pictures

Quotes:

Nora Dugan: I didn't mean to be protruding, but we've got to go.

Movie Connections:

Remake of Red Dice (1926)

Far from perfect script, but saved by a taut and exciting finale

The film begins with William Boyd (later known to the world as Hopalong Cassiday) meeting Warner Oland in a restaurant. It seems that Boyd owes gangster Oland $5000 and instead of paying him back, he has an intriguing proposition--he'll kill himself and make it look like an accident to that Oland gets his money. Oland likes the idea but isn't interested in just a paltry five grand, so he modifies the idea. Since most policies won't pay off for the first year, Oland will arrange a sham marriage and support Boyd and his new bride for one year--then an "accident" will occur. And, to make sure that nothing happens to Boyd in the meantime (such as cold feet), Oland arranges to have gunman James Gleason follow him and make sure nothing happens during that year. Now too surprisingly, suicidal Boyd actually falls in love with this arranged wife and by now it's too late--Oland won't let him out of the deal.

This plot is very tough to believe and needlessly complicated. Arranging for a wife as well as Gleason seems a bit like overkill. Simply having Oland be the beneficiary seems to make far less sense--but, of course, this changes the plot and then there's no reason for Boyd to change his mind. Despite this rather substantial plot hole and a slow first half of the film, it all managed to pull itself together in the second half--and culminating with a very well-staged chase scene where you DON'T have cheap rear-projected shots and you have some very violent and realistic elements (making it perhaps the best car chase of the era). No cheap stock footage here or a crash that looks ridiculous--it's very well done and made my heart race.

Overall, this is a B-movie with some serious flaws, but provided you can just watch the film without questioning them, you'll be very pleasantly surprised by the end--nearly earning this film an 8. A good job of acting by all except Oland--whose delivery, unfortunately, isn't too much better than his Charlie Chan character in other films!