The Gambler (1974)

Director:

Karel Reisz

Writer:

James Toback (written by)

Release Date:

October 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

For $10,000 they break your arms. For $20,000 they break your legs. Axel Freed owes $44,000.

Plot:

Alex Freed is a literature professor. He has the gambling vice. When he has lost all his money, he borrows from his girlfriend...

Plot Keywords:

Gambling | Professor | Point Shaving | Prostitute | New York

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

James Caan	...	Axel Freed
Paul Sorvino	...	Hips
Lauren Hutton	...	Billie
Morris Carnovsky	...	A.R. Lowenthal
Jacqueline Brookes	...	Naomi Freed
Burt Young	...	Carmine
Carmine Caridi	...	Jimmy
Vic Tayback	...	One
Steven Keats	...	Howie
London Lee	...	Monkey
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Las Vegas Gambler
James Woods	...	Bank Officer
Carl W. Crudup	...	Spencer
Allan Rich	...	Bernie
Stuart Margolin	...	Cowboy
Ric Mancini	...	Sal
Joel Wolfe	...	Moe
Raymond Serra	...	Benny
William Andrews	...	Basketball Coach
Joseph Attles	...	Singer in Park
Antonio Fargas	...	Pimp
Ernest Butler	...	Vernon
Sully Boyar	...	Uncle Hy
Gregory Rozakis	...	Joe
Starletta DuPois	...	Monique (as Starletta De Paur)
Lucille Patton	...	Ricky's Wife
Ed Kovens	...	Ricky
Baron Wilson	...	Basketball Janitor
Richard Foronjy	...	Donny
Frank Sivero	...	Donny's Driver
Frank Scioscia	...	Man in Park with Donny
Philip Sterling	...	Sidney
Patricia Fay	...	Bank Teller
Beatrice Winde	...	Hospital Receptionist
Leon Pinkney	...	Street Basketball Boy
Alisha Fontaine	...	Howie's Girl
Presley Caton	...	Monkey's Girl
Mitch Stein	...	College Announcer
Jonathan Kushner	...	College Announcer (as Jonathan Koshner)
Charles Polk	...	Harlem Bartender
Dick Schaap	...	Television Announcer
Chick Hearn	...	Radio Announcer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs	...	Street Basketball Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
Karel Reisz

Writing credits
James Toback		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Chartoff	....	producer
Irwin Winkler	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding		(music scored by)

Cinematography by
Victor J. Kemper		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Roger Spottiswoode

Casting by
Cis Corman

Production Design by
Philip Rosenberg

Set Decoration by
Edward Stewart

Costume Design by
Albert Wolsky

Makeup Department
William A. Farley	....	hairdresser (as William Farley)
Robert Laden	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Hal W. Polaire	....	production manager (as Hal Polaire)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Thomas Lofaro	....	second assistant director (as Tom Lofaro)
Bruce S. Pustin	....	trainee assistant director
Ted Zachary	....	assistant director

Art Department
Connie Brink	....	standby props
George Maxfield	....	construction grip
Eugene Powell	....	scenic artist chargeman (as Gene Powell)
Jules Wollock	....	head carpenter

Sound Department
Derek Holding	....	dialogue editor
Dennis Maitland	....	sound mixer
Terry Rawlings	....	sound editor
Doug E. Turner	....	sound re-recordist (as Doug Turner)

Stunts
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Brown	....	assistant camera
James Finnerty	....	key grip
Leo Lebowitz	....	camera operator
Richard Quinlan	....	gaffer
Algernon Ramirez	....	second assistant camera
Jack Stager	....	still photographer
Brian Hamill	....	still photographer: special assignment (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
George Newman	....	wardrobe: men
Marilyn Putnam	....	wardrobe: women

Editorial Department
Sue Kingsley	....	assistant editor
Jim Rivera	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jerry Fielding	....	conductor

Other crew
Ronnie Caan	....	assistant to producer
Barbara De Fina	....	production office coordinator
Ellie Linas	....	location auditor
John Martin	....	basketball coach
Howard Newman	....	publicist
Tom O'Brien	....	teamster captain
Julia Tucker	....	script continuity
Ralph M. Leo	....	production accountant (uncredited)

Thanks
A.R. MacAndrew	....	acknowledgment: "Notes from Underground" by Dostoyevsky translated by

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1975) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1975) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• CIC-Taft Home Video
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1990) (Greece) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Cinemobile System  locations (as Cinemobile Systems, Inc.)
• De Lane Lea  sound re-recorded at (as De Lane Lea, London)
• New American Library  by permission: "Notes from Underground" by Dostoyevsky (as New American Library [Signet Classic])
• New Directions Publishing  by permission: "In the American Grain" by William Carlos Williams (as New Directions Publishing Corp)
• Pentagram  titles design
• Rank Film Laboratories  post production laboratory work (as Rank Film Laboratories Ltd.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

111 min | Finland:106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Australia:M | Iceland:16 | France:-12

Filming Locations:

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Quotes:

Hips:Listen, I'm gonna tell you something I never told a customer before. Personally, I never made a bet in my life. You know why? Because I've observed firsthand what with seeing the different kinds of people that are addicted to gambling - what we would call degenerates. I've noticed there's one thing that makes all of them the same. You know what that is?
Axel Freed:Yes. They're all looking to lose.
Hips:You mean you know that!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Classics from the Vault: Great Performances That Oscar Ignored (#2.5)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Symphony No. 1 in D

The only thing thats standing between your skull and a baseball bat is my word

**SPOILERS** Terribly depressing character study of a degenerate gambler who's luck hit rock bottom with him getting into the hole for $44,000.00 to the mob who's been bankrolling his action.

James Caan in one of his most memorable roles as Axel Freed a collage English professor, at the prestigious Fordham University in New York City, who's gambling his life away in his almost suicidal attempt to make the big score. Axel is not a total loser in the movie, he does have his share of big hits in the film, but like almost all gamblers he plays to lose more then to win by going against his better judgment, it makes things more challenging and exciting that way for him. It's when he bets and ends up broke that Alex has to go to local mob Shylock's to get cash, to continue his insane betting, that has him at the brink of having his arms legs and head disjointed and broken or busted.

Because of the subject matter as well as the fine acting from Mr. Caan and the rest of the cast the movie really grabs you and leaves you feeling almost as depressed and despondent as Axel is in it. You really feel for the man since he has an almost incurable disease, compulsive gambling, thats slowly turning this very likable and friendly person into an uncontrollable monster.

Axel is not only destroying himself but his widowed mom Naomie Freed, Jacqueline Brooks. Naomie cashes out her life savings of almost $50,000.00 to pay off her sons debts to the mob. As soon as Axel gets the money his mother gave him to practically save his life and limbs he immediately gambles it away on a number of basketball games! This puts him into even more of a hole with the gangsters then he already was in. At the same time Alexs actions has his shocked girlfriend Billie ,Lauren Hutton, walk out on him in total disgust.

Walking aimlessly in the park Axel is grabbed by two mobsters and taken to a mob hideout in the city. Given one last chance to pay up or else they come up with what even Axel feels is something thats not worth his life to do. He's told to get one of his students Spencer, Carl W. Crudup, who's a top basketball player for the collage team to shave points in a big game that he's playing in that evening with Axel giving him $5,000.00 to do it. This act of corrupting an innocent person to save his hide for the troubles that he got himself into was the straw that broke the camels back for the now extremely tormented Axel and finally opened his eyes, to not only what he was doing to himself but to those around him as well.

With his debts now finally paid off and the mob off his back Axel instead of being relived becomes suicidal and at the end of the movie gambles with the most prized and valuable item in his possession: His Life.