Any Number Can Play (1949)

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Richard Brooks (writer)
Edward Harris Heth (novel)

Release Date:

15 July 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Gambling-house owner finds himself estranged from his wife and son. |

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Gambling | Beautiful Woman | Based On Novel

Cast

Clark Gable	...	Charley Enley Kyng
Alexis Smith	...	Lon Kyng
Wendell Corey	...	Robbin Elcott
Audrey Totter	...	Alice Elcott
Frank Morgan	...	Jim Kurstyn
Mary Astor	...	Ada
Lewis Stone	...	Ben Gavery Snelerr
Barry Sullivan	...	Tycoon
Marjorie Rambeau	...	Sarah Calbern
Edgar Buchanan	...	Ed
Leon Ames	...	Dr. Palmer
Mickey Knox	...	Pete Senta
Richard Rober	...	Lew 'Angie' Debretti
William Conrad	...	Frank Sistina
Darryl Hickman	...	Paul Enley Kyng

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The rights to the property cost $50,000.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Private Screenings: Child Stars" (2006)

Good acting, but not very compelling

Clark Gable's immediate post-wear films were the weakest of any of the returning stars. For one thing, his wife had died; for another, unlike many of the other actors, he was in his forties. "Any Number Can Play" is a good example of the kind of movie he made. In it, he plays the owner of a gambling house who has developed angina pectoris and is advised to give it all up for a more peaceful life. His son hates him, one of his employees is stealing from him, and a gambler gets on a roll that threatens to bankrupt the house.

The stars - Gable, Alexis Smith, Audrey Totter, Darryl Hickman, Marjorie Rambeau, Wendell Corey, Frank Morgan, William Conrad et al. are not at fault, but the script of "Any Number Can Play" is. It's difficult to pin down what the film is actually about - one waits for a definitive clue either in the gambling house or at home. Is it about a dysfunctional family, a sick man, or the activities of a gambling establishment? Hard to tell, as the director, Mervyn LeRoy, seems to focus the film in all three directions.

Nevertheless, there are some exciting scenes, particularly Frank Morgan's gambling run. The acting is uniformly excellent, although Audrey Totter is wasted - she plays Alexis Smith's sister - and Mary Astor has what amounts to a cameo. Marjorie Rambeau stands out as a dowager who gambles at the club. Gable, however, is not just the nominal star but the true one. Ruggedly handsome with that beautiful smile, he is wonderful as the world-weary but compassionate Charley. He had such a great presence and charm - fortunately, the quality of his post-war films was to improve.

Dull patches but probably worth seeing for the acting.