The Gambler and the Lady (1952)

A social-climbing American with a business in illegal gambling falls in love with a blue blood, but gangsters and a jealous ex-girlfriend stand in the way of happiness.

Directors:

Patrick Jenkins, Sam Newfield

Writer:

Sam Newfield

Stars:

Dane Clark, Kathleen Byron, Naomi Chance

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dane Clark	...	Jim Forster
Kathleen Byron	...	Pat
Naomi Chance	...	Lady Susan Willens
Meredith Edwards	...	Dave Davies
Anthony Forwood	...	Lord Peter Willens
Eric Pohlmann	...	Arturo Colonna
Enzo Coticchia	...	Angelo Colonna
Julian Somers	...	Licasi - Club Manager
Anthony Ireland	...	Richard Farning
Thomas Gallagher	...	Sam
Max Bacon	...	Maxie
Mona Washbourne	...	Miss Minter
Jane Griffiths	...	Lady Jane Greer
Richard Shaw	...	Louis
George Pastell	...	Jacko Spina

Storyline

A greedy but successful professional gambler wants to join the British Establishment when he falls in love with a blue-blooded lady. But first he must mend his ways and then dump his nightclub singer girl friend. She's not so easy to get rid of, neither is his past.

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Plot Keywords:

gambler | gambling | illegal gambling | bounced check | pantomiming a cigarette | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 December 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jogo Perigoso

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Film Productions, Lippert Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Happy Birthday To You"
(uncredited)
Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill

User Reviews

Elements of film noir in a melodrama

There's plenty of crime in this Lippert picture. It opens with a well shot killing that is not clear till well into the movie. Dane Clark is the star. He was a staple of film noir. Here, we also see him in a top hat!

Yes, the subject is more class than crime. Clark is the gambler of the tile. (The female title character doesn't appear till almost half an hour into the movie.) He's an American but he wants to fit in in England. He's taking lessons in deportment from a caricature of a British lady.

He has a Scottish pal (Meredith Edwards) who is put forward as his butler. He longs to become accepted by nobility.

The supporting cast is good. The woman he falls for is not particularly charismatic but she's attractive. The more conventionally low-life types are plausible.

The dialog contains a lot of blatant exposition: "It's hard to believe that X years ago I was in Y with Z and while A B were ..."

It's well shot and holds the attention. But it's nothing to write (back) home about.