The Gambler and the Lady (1952) User Reviews

Elements of film noir in a melodrama

[Handlinghandel · 6/10 · 10 February 2008]

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.

A Gamble with modest returns

[FilmFlaneur · 6/10 · 16 May 2009]

In 1950, American producer Robert Lippert formed a business alliance with Hammer studios. Under the agreement, Lippert would provide American acting talent - frequently shop-worn stars or just supporting actors who fancied a profitable trip out of the country - while Hammer would supply the rest of the cast and the production facilities. Together they would split the profits. Famous for his concern with the bottom line, Lippert produced over 140 films between 1946 and 1955, characteristically genre pieces such as I Shot Jesse James or Rocketship XM. For the British deal, most of the films were noir-ish thrillers - and include this title.

Dane Clark, who appeared in several of these productions, plays the doomed gambler in question: a self made man, running a profitable London set up into which rudely intrudes his aspirational love life and the aggressive ambitions of some Italian gangster interlopers. His social climbing ultimately proves the straw that breaks the camel's back. Many of the British noirs interestingly import class considerations into the dramatic mix, concerns that are usually absent in the American model, and they are seen most strongly in this title. The gambler's end is ultimately determined by the suckering in of social mobility as much as the machinations of fate - but not before there is some effective sniping at the rudeness and untrustworthiness of the British ruling classes. Clark cuts a suitably doomed and somewhat pathetic figure as he struggle to gain acceptance.

noir-like drama from Hammer films

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 20 April 2013]

There were lots of movies like "The Gambler and the Lady" back in the '50s: low-budget British noir-like films, sometimes detective stories, starring an American second or third-stringer, with the rest of the cast British. Often they're quite entertaining.

"The Gambler and the Lady" is one such film from 1952, produced by Hammer Film, and stars Dane Clark, Kathleen Byron, Naomi Chance, and Anthony Forwood. Forwood, by the way, was a very handsome man who was married to Glynis Johns and then became Dirk Bogarde's partner and manager for 30-plus years.

Clark plays Jim Forster, an American running an illegal gambling houses in England. The story is told in flashback - when the film begins, we see Forster being hit by a car.

Forster, a little rough around the edges, is a social climber, and in fact is taking lessons in social niceties so he can rub elbows with the mucky-mucks. He is dating a dancer at his club, Pat (Byron), who seems to want to get more serious than Forster. One night, she loses her temper at him and he walks out and won't have anything to do with her again.

At his club, he meets Lady Willens (Chance), and though her brother (Forwood) who bounced a check at Forster's club is against him, she starts to see him. Pat becomes jealous and attempts to warn her off.

That's on the personal end. On the professional end, some thug-types want to take over his clubs. When Lady Willens' father talks about a mining deal that promises to be lucrative, Forster thinks he's found a way into the social strata and out of illegal gambling.

Dane Clark had a very prolific 45-year career which, once the '50s hit, was mostly in television. He started out in films as an ersatz John Garfield but never hit those heights. He is well cast in this. Naomi Chance was effective and beautiful as the society woman; she did a lot of this type of movie during her career. The patrician-looking Kathleen Byron (who appeared in "Saving Private Ryan") made a good shrew. Interestingly, all of the lead actors had long, very active careers.

Hammer Films are low budget, yes, but they usually are atmospheric, as this one was, and entertaining. They attempted to copy the American films done by, say, RKO in the '40s, and while not entirely successful, you may enjoy this one.

An excellent low-budget British noir-ish film.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 12 January 2013]

Like many European films of the 1950s and 60s, the folks who made "The Gambler and the Lady" imported an American star to give the film more box office power. While Dane Clark was not a huge name in Hollywood, he was very recognizable back in 1952 and already had a reputation as an excellent tough-guy in films.

The film begins with Clark owning a successful gambling house in England. You soon learn that he's trying hard to fit in with society but this is difficult, at times, for him since he is, down deep, a tough palooka. Time and again, he needs to fight the impulse to slug people as it will undo all the culture and refinement he's been adopting since relocating to this country. Now, after meeting a woman of high breeding, he has dreams of selling out and becoming respectable. This need is so strong that for once in his life, he makes himself very vulnerable. What happens next? See this nifty little film for yourself.

So why did I describe this film as being 'noir-ish'? Well, it has many of the qualities you find in an example of film noir--such as the dame, great tough-guy dialog, a downbeat ending and a hero who has a shady past. But, it also lacks the great lighting and camera-work you'd expect to see in American or French noir--making it, perhaps, noir-lite! This is not a complaint--just an observation about the film's style. But, it IS very good for a low-budget B movie--short, well-paced and full of nice acting. Well worth seeing.

Dull Dane Clark Misses a Lovely Chance!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 17 April 2009]

The good folk at IMDb don't seem to be aware that "Patrick Jenkins" is a pseudonym for Pat Jackson who also helped out around this period on "Scotland Yard Inspector", "Bad Blonde" and "The Saint's Return". Anyway, one can understand the wish for anonymity, as "The Gambler and the Lady" is not terribly interesting. True, the script has all the makings for classic film noir, but it doesn't come off, mainly because it wastes too much time on the dull Dane Clark character and his equally dull buddy, and fails to develop Kathleen Byron's role. Some attempts at humor are also misplaced. True, the climactic action has a bit of impact -- unbelievable though it is -- but by that time our interest has dissipated past the point of no return.

He reached for an Ace, but grabbed the Deuce...

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 26 February 2013]

I diagnose this low-budget British crime drama as film noir. Symptoms: A social climbing gangster; Rackateers determined to muck their way into a share of his profits; a vindictive ex-lover out for blood; An ingénue from snobbish high society with a few hidden cards up her own sleeve. Prognosis: Can't be cured of diagnosis, but can be prolonged by re-discovery of a film noir sleeper.

American diamond in the rough Dane Clark falls under the spell of British high society, dumping his co-dependent lover (Kathleen Byron) for the seemingly gentler Naomi Chance. Her snobby brother gets him involved in a phony stock scheme while a racketeer tries to muscle in. Chance gets an earful from the nasty Byron but turns the tables on her in a wonderfully vicious scene. Exciting from the start, this little known film noir grabs you and does not let go, moving practically at the speed of light.

You think that Lizabeth Scott, Gloria Grahame, Martha Vickers and Jan Sterling had the ball on low society tramps? Wait until you meet Ms. Byron who is not somebody who takes no lightly. And Chance isn't some namby pamby ingénue, either. She can give as good as she gets. Clark is given an extremely well developed character to play, and you find yourself liking him even if you really should avoid him like the plague.

Typically weak attempt by the Hammer studio to replicate American crime films; climax is mildly exciting

[J. Spurlin · 28 July 2010]

A social-climbing American (Dane Clark) with a business in illegal gambling falls in love with a blue blood (Naomi Chance), but gangsters and a jealous ex-girlfriend (Kathleen Byron) stand in the way of happiness.

"The Gambler and the Lady" is a typically weak attempt by the Hammer studio to replicate American crime films. A mildly exciting climax (part of which is shown at the beginning) is the only thing that livens up this dull affair. I would have liked to see more of Percy Marmont, who was so good as Col. Burgoyne in Alfred Hitchcock's "Young and Innocent." Here he only gets a brief part as Chance's father.

Hollywood imitator

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 9 February 2022]

THE GAMBLER AND THE LADY (1952) is one of Hammer's earlier noirs, so heavily based on Hollywood films from the 1940s that it feels more American than British. Short-but-powerful Brooklyn native Dane Clark plays a guy running a gambling syndicate who gets involved with a beautiful aristocrat while at the same time tackling some thugs muscling in on his territory. Familiar stuff for sure, but this is quite a crisp and well-paced thriller, with some decent menace, solid character work, and a wraparound structure that reminded me of CARLITO'S WAY. Kathleen Byron and Eric Pohlmann are among the supporting players.

One Dollar and the Jack of Spades.

[hitchcockthelegend · 5/10 · 29 August 2013]

The Gambler and the Lady is directed by Patrick Jenkins and Sam Newfield, the latter of which also writing the screenplay. It stars Dane Clark, Kathleen Byron, Naomi Chance, Meredith Edwards, Anthony Forwood and Eric Pohlmann. Music is by Ivor Stanley and cinematography by Walter J. Harvey.

Clark plays Jim Forster, an ex-con and reformed alcoholic who is trying to climb the social ladder by way of his thriving gambling business. But all that is threatened when new gangsters on the scene want in on the action. Not only that but he also has a jealous ex-girlfriend to contend with just as he meets and falls for the blue blooded Lady Susan Willens (Chance).

On the page it sounds terrific, a real chance for some noir nirvana, while the opening to the film is a cracker, with a moody night time cobbled street scene punctured by a hit and run collision. Yet the piece never rises above the routine crime thriller that it is, while visually it's flat and uninteresting.

Out of Hammer Film Productions, there's an attempt at class distinction to drive the narrative forward, but it never really develops into something resembling dramatic worth. A shame because Jim Forster is an interesting enough character, he has done time for manslaughter, has anger issues but now he hates the rough stuff, even admonishing his staff for handing out bumps to bad debtors. And the women love him as well. Yet it's all so lethargically played that come the finale, the culmination of the dangled carrot at the beginning, you will struggle to care anyway. 5/10

Evil Over Lords.

[southdavid · 6/10 · 7 November 2022]

After being unable to find the last couple films covered by the "House of Hammer" podcast, Youtube finally came up trumps again with this 1952 crime thriller "The Gambler and the Lady". Whilst I ultimately found this one to be a bit inconsequential, I can't say I didn't enjoy the ride whilst we were on it.

An American gangster, Jim Forster (Dane Clark) has set up a small gambling establishment in London. He looks to leave the violence of his past behind and harbours dreams of interacting with the higher echelons of English society. His entry point to this is Lord Peter Willens (Anthony Forwood) - who introduced Forster to his friends and his sister Susan (Naomi Chance), whom quickly becomes his friend. Forster's problems begin though when an Italian mob, who have no qualms about using violence, approach to buy him out.

So, whilst the film was panning out, I quite enjoyed it. I thought Dane Clark was an engaging lead, and another in a long line of American guest starring in these pictures as Hammer made their ties with American studios, this time with Robert Lippert's studio. It's almost a comedy of manners in the early part, as the American employs an elderly woman to teach him dinner etiquette, whist his long-term friends look on bemused. Indeed, the scene when Forster is openly mocked by The Willens friends is straight out of any "fish out of water" comedy you may care to see.

It changes when the Italians arrived and becomes more much of a Gangster thriller before the settling of a couple of old grudges brings us to the conclusion. I have to admit, I was a bit underwhelmed by that conclusion. I felt it could have gone for a touch more tragic, or much happier and been OK, but it almost downplays its own ending.

So a good central performance and a decent film, up until that slightly soft ending.

A Shot in the Dark Alley

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 28 March 2015]

After he is apparently shot and hit by a car, we meet shady Dane Clark (as Jim Forster). An American in London, Mr. Clark operates a successful gambling casino. Clark served three years in prison because he got "crazy drunk" and beat a man to death. He would like to be accepted in polite society, but Clark still has a temper. He also talks like a Warner Brothers movie gangster, which doesn't help in "manners school." Clark decides to end his affair with common nightclub dancer Kathleen Byron (as Pat) and get intimate with classy socialite Naomi Chance (as Susan Willens). Underworld types give Clark a hard time...

Writer Sam Newfield delivers some interesting characters here, especially upper-crust Anthony Forwood (as Peter Willens), who could be a con-man, and mean-looking henchman Meredith Edwards (as Dave Davies), who has a devilish haircut. Still, the production is weak. The women should be more interesting, but are late and sketchy. It would have been nice to see more of both Ms. Byron and Ms. Chance. Byron could easily have been in more of the early scenes, to establish her upfront as Clark's precarious moll. The opening turns out to be a teaser; later in the film, we get see who wanted Clark dead. Sadly, you may not care.

***** The Gambler and the Lady (12/26/52) Sam Newfield ~ Dane Clark, Naomi Chance, Anthony Forwood, Meredith Edwards

British noir: an American gambler tries to become an English gentleman

[clanciai · 8/10 · 3 July 2022]

Although never likeable, Dane Clark always makes interesting roles, usually on the back side of society and on something of a decline. This is typical: he is a gambler who has struck some luck and got a lot of money, running a successful night-club engaging some attractive dancing artists, Kathleen Byron being one, and she as always is the main attraction here: whenever she is in to something, it is worth following her developments. Her part here is not great, she doesn't have much to say besides some temper eruptions of jealousy and grief, as a jilted lady, but her contributions make the picture. The other lady is Naomi Chance, who is quite charming, nice and attractive, while her society is what attracts Dane Clark to put all his wages on one horse and losing it all, including his best and only friend. It's a tragedy with fatal consequences, there is even a regular shoot-out, and only Kathleen Byron gets out of it spot free.

Very entertaining noir-esque film from Hammer.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 23 April 2023]

American actor Dane Clark ("Destination Tokyo") plays Jim Forster, who runs a small-time gambling operation in England (as well as other enterprises). Aware of his quick temper and eager to put his drinking days behind him, Jim ultimately sows the seeds for his own demise by being too eager to be a part of English high society. This colors much of what he does, including developing an interest in the proper young Lady Susan Willens (Naomi Chance, "The Trials of Oscar Wilde").

"The Gambler and the Lady" is a good, straightforward little drama made during the years when Hammer Studios (at this time, known as Exclusive Pictures) was dipping its toes into film noir and noir-type features. It is the main characters' own desperate need to deny his own background and be thought of as "respectable" that leads to his downfall. And tough-guy actor Clark (a recognizable lead and supporting actor during this era, if never really a "star") is an appropriate choice for our protagonist. He does a very fine job.

The solid supporting cast also includes Kathleen Byron ("Black Narcissus") as Jims' vindictive ex-girlfriend, Meredith Edwards ("The Lavender Hill Mob"), Anthony Forwood ("Knights of the Round Table"), Eric Pohlmann ("Mogambo"), Mona Washbourne ("The Collector"), George Pastell ("The Stranglers of Bombay"), and Martin Benson ("Goldfinger").

"The Gambler and the Lady" is one of those films that, while no classic, fills up 72 minutes quite well and remains engrossing throughout.

Seven out of 10.

It's a Gamble with Minimal Payoff

[daoldiges · 5/10 · 4 January 2024]

American ex-con and illegal gambling boss has jumped the pond over the England to escape his tainted past and get accepted into society. Played by Dane Cook he's an alright guy but for me lacks the charisma that would have two dames fighting over him. The female co-leads played by Bryon and Chance are individually kind of interesting characters but the struggle between them is never really developed, outside on one juicy, near catfight scene, they are both wasted in this uninspired script. Too much time is wasted on the relationships between Cook and his two sidekicks, who are both completely uninteresting and don't add all that much to the film. It's a shame because all the elements are here for something much more that what is delivered.