This is an old time
comedy gambling caper movie that stands the test of time very well. Its
freshness is due to a combination of factors; first the ways of gamblers
don't seem to have changed much in 50+ years and second the co-lead is a
woman who ends up running a gambling joint in Vegas, highly liberating stuff
for the war decade and still exceptional today.
Robert Young
heartily plays an inteligent gambler who is prepared to give up his way of life
to "get a job I suppose" as a condition of marriage to his knew love.
Barbara Hale plays his soon to be wife. When the man gives up a sure thing on a
rigged horse race she decides he's reformed enough to marry immediately, which
they do the instant they arrive in Las Vegas. (you might well ask why they
chose that destination, I think it was because of the easy marriage thing)
In an amusing
scene, Robert Young induces a weak Craps player to lose all his money,
where-upon he sets about getting the losers dough back for him. His new wife
catches him and files immediately for divorce. From this point onwards the film
revolves around Young trying to get her back with the help of all his friends,
which he is unaware of. Hale on the other hand is determined to go against his
wishes and gets heavily into gambling herself.
This is fun and
there is no sensationalising of gambling, infact there is a side-crack at the
Hollywood slant on the gambling breed. Non gamblers score~6/10. |
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