The Great Sinner (1949)

A young writer goes to Wiesbaden to write about gambling and gamblers, only to ultimately become a compulsive gambler himself. Losing all his wealth, as well as his moral fibre, he commits ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Ladislas Fodor (screenplay), Christopher Isherwood (screenplay),

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Melvyn Douglas

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gregory Peck	...	Fedja
Ava Gardner	...	Pauline Ostrovsky
Melvyn Douglas	...	Armand de Glasse
Walter Huston	...	General Ostrovsky
Ethel Barrymore	...	Grandmother Ostrovsky
Frank Morgan	...	Aristide Pitard
Agnes Moorehead	...	Emma Getzel
Friedrich von Ledebur	...	Casino Secretary (as Frederick Ledebur)
Ludwig Donath	...	Doctor
Curt Bois	...	Jeweler / Money Lender
Ludwig Stössel	...	Hotel Manager
Ernö Verebes	...	Hotel Valet (as Erno Verebes)

Storyline

A young writer goes to Wiesbaden to write about gambling and gamblers, only to ultimately become a compulsive gambler himself. Losing all his wealth, as well as his moral fibre, he commits the ultimate degradation of robbing a church poor box in order to feed his compulsion.

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Plot Keywords:

gambler | gambling | compulsive gambler | writer | casino | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Gamblers

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Pauline Ostrovsky: Oh, you can count on my vanity. No matter what you say I'll regard it as a compliment.
Fedja: All right, if you insist. To one of the most corrupt women I've ever met.
Pauline Ostrovsky: Corrupt?
Fedja: Corrupt, confused, frustrated, and empty.
Pauline Ostrovsky: But in a charming sort of way, you'll admit.
Fedja: Well charm, my dear is your gambling capital. You toss it on the table like money, like everything else, even a dying grandmother.
Pauline Ostrovsky: When a man takes the trouble to be so rude to a woman, he is usually falling in love with her.
Fedja: You're not a ...
[...]

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Connections

Version of The Gambler (1997)

User Reviews

Weisbaden Follies

Well, if it has Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Melvyn Douglas, Walter Huston, Ethel Barrymore, Frank Morgan, and Agnes Moorehead, I'm there. But the fact is, this costume epic aims for the grandeur and tragedy of 19th century European literature without laying the groundwork. It's a listlessly plotted gambling melodrama, with Noble Writer Peck succumbing to the charms of Gambling Lady Gardner (and she was never more luscious), then reversing roles with her as he becomes addicted to the roulette wheel and she comes to her senses. Some lively bitch-dialogue from Christopher Isherwood helps, and the starry supporting cast contributes incisive miniatures; Barrymore, who pops in 90 minutes into the running time, is a special hoot, subtler and less grand than usual. But as so often happens in late-'40s Hollywood, the production values are stultifying, and a God-will-provide fadeout is tacked on to provide Moral Redemption where there logically should be none. It's a painless two hours, and good for stargazing -- but hardly the serious look at a decadent aristocracy it might have been.