Gambler's Choice (1944)

Director:

Frank McDonald

Writers:

James Edward Grant (story)
Irving Reis (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 April 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

ROUGH...TOUGH...TERRIFIC...with life betting on the turn of a card!

Cast

Chester Morris	...	Ross Hadley
Nancy Kelly	...	Mary Hayes / Vi Parker
Russell Hayden	...	Mike McGlennon
Lee Patrick	...	Fay Lawrence
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Ulysses S. Rogers
Sheldon Leonard	...	Chappie Wilson
Lyle Talbot	...	Yellow Gloves Weldon
Maxine Lewis	...	Bonnie D'Arcy
Tom Dugan	...	Benny
Charles Arnt	...	John McGrady
Billy Nelson	...	Danny May
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bert Roach	...	Bob

Runtime:

66 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved

Company:

Pine-Thomas Productions

Soundtrack:

The Sidewalks of New York

The Dollar Bills

Pine and Thomas were known around Paramount as 'The Dollar Bills' because they were both named William and they could turn out a watchable second feature that would turn a nice profit on the cheap. For a decade or so they prospered, giving B talent a chance to shine in decently-written movies with good production values.

Here Chester Morris, Nancy Kelly and Lyle Talbot -- a decade past their primes -- are enjoyable in the sort of movie that W.S. Van Dyke used to direct people in a decade earlier -- MANHATTAN MELODRAMA and SAN FRANCISCO, where the two male leads grew up together, one became a gambler -- usually played by Clark Gable -- and the other became a priest or a lawyer -- that could be Spencer Tracy or William Powell -- and they both love the same girl, of course. And that's the beginning, middle and end, with, of course, an interesting run of good character actors, of which Hollywood had a plethora in the 1940s. So don't expect anything startlingly original, but do expect a pleasant ninety minutes.