Two Dollar Bettor (1951)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Edward L. Cahn

Writer:

William Raynor (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 September 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Don't Be A Sucker ! The true story of a nice guy "taken" - but good !

Plot:

An honest bank employee gets hooked on horse racing, and starts to embezzle bank funds in an attempt to recoup his losses.

Plot Keywords:

Bookmaker | Racetrack | Family Relationships | Violence | Taxicab

Cast

Steve Brodie	...	Rick Bowers - aka Rick Slate
Marie Windsor	...	Mary Slate
John Litel	...	John Hewitt
Barbara Logan	...	Nancy Hewitt
Robert Sherwood	...	Phillip Adams
Barbara Bestar	...	Diane 'Dee' Hewitt
Walter Kingsford	...	Carleton P. Adams
Don Shelton	...	George Irwin
Kay Lavelle	...	Grandma Sarah Irwin (as Kay La Velle)
Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer	...	Chuck Nordlinger (as Carl Switzer)
Isabel Randolph	...	Margaret Adams
Ralph Reed	...	Teddy Cosgrove Phelps
Barbara Billingsley	...	Miss Pierson (as Barbara Billinsley)
Ralph Hodges	...	Chester Mitchell
Madelon Mitchell	...	Grace Shepard (as Madelon Mitchel)

Also Known As:

Beginner's Luck (UK)

Runtime:

USA:72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

General Service Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Jack Broder Productions Inc.

Soundtrack:

Querido

"Racer Madness".........An improbable mix of true noir and Leave It To Beaver naiveté that actually works!

Or..."Post Time for Topper". You won't see Ward, Wally or The Beaver. But you DO get to see Barbara Billingsly (June) as the fall guy's secretary. AND Carl (Alfalfa) Switzer as his younger daughter's dizzy boyfriend. This is the story of an honest, widowed family man and bank officer who becomes addicted to offtrack horse betting, loses large sums of money, and is lured deeper into the abyss by his bookie's vampish courier, Marie Windsor-----Filmland's best, sexiest, and probably most prolific villainess.

The rare contrast of authentic noir and sappy "back at the homestead" scenes provides for some unintentional humor, giving the movie the flavor of a high school dope-scare film from the 60s. However, this film isn't in the "so bad it's good" category. The performances and scripting are top notch, even though some of the melodramatic plot elements are quite implausible and even a bit ridiculous. Nevertheless, the film is effectively paced and truly suspenseful. Plenty of thrills....and a few giggles.

Highly entertaining