A top cast in a top flop movie.
Gregory Peck in a totally miserable film dealing with a man who wants to write about gambling and becomes a compulsive gambler himself. We had the same idea in the fabulous "Gentleman's Agreement," best picture Oscar winner of 2 years ago. That film had substance and heart. This is a complete mess.
The black and white film takes place in 1860's Wiesbaden, Germany. They should have said auf wiedersehn to this film to begin with.
Ava Gardner is absolutely awful in the role of Peck's love interest. Her father is played by compulsive gambler Walter Huston. He looks absolutely ridiculous in a white wig. Frank Morgan is in this junk as a math professor who commits suicide after losing a bundle. Later on, he revisits Peck in a nightmare dream and hands him a gun.
Agnes Moorehead is the pawn shop lady where everyone goes to after they have lost their shirt. She is ugly and nasty. The biggest joke is Ethel Barrymore, a hag who is the mother of Huston and grandma of Gardner. She is supposedly dying throughout this mess but suddenly shows up and gambles away until she dies at the table-after dropping millions!
It's amazing that acting talent like this could find themselves in such a mess. Peck smokes cigarettes bigger than his face. Melvyn Douglas owns the casino and loves Gardner. After Peck wins over $200,000 Douglas tricks him as he knows that he will come back for more.
This is a colossal bomb. How this ever got made is beyond me. The film should forever be in the green circular file.
The last scene is too much where Peck finds redemption after visiting a church. You need more than a Bing Crosby-Father O'Malley for this garbage. If this had been the fabulous "Kings of the Kingdom," I would have suggested that the keys should be thrown away.
Who wrote this stuff? The 3 Stooges?
Gregory Peck in a totally miserable film dealing with a man who wants to write about gambling and becomes a compulsive gambler himself. We had the same idea in the fabulous "Gentleman's Agreement," best picture Oscar winner of 2 years ago. That film had substance and heart. This is a complete mess.
The black and white film takes place in 1860's Wiesbaden, Germany. They should have said auf wiedersehn to this film to begin with.
Ava Gardner is absolutely awful in the role of Peck's love interest. Her father is played by compulsive gambler Walter Huston. He looks absolutely ridiculous in a white wig. Frank Morgan is in this junk as a math professor who commits suicide after losing a bundle. Later on, he revisits Peck in a nightmare dream and hands him a gun.
Agnes Moorehead is the pawn shop lady where everyone goes to after they have lost their shirt. She is ugly and nasty. The biggest joke is Ethel Barrymore, a hag who is the mother of Huston and grandma of Gardner. She is supposedly dying throughout this mess but suddenly shows up and gambles away until she dies at the table-after dropping millions!
It's amazing that acting talent like this could find themselves in such a mess. Peck smokes cigarettes bigger than his face. Melvyn Douglas owns the casino and loves Gardner. After Peck wins over $200,000 Douglas tricks him as he knows that he will come back for more.
This is a colossal bomb. How this ever got made is beyond me. The film should forever be in the green circular file.
The last scene is too much where Peck finds redemption after visiting a church. You need more than a Bing Crosby-Father O'Malley for this garbage. If this had been the fabulous "Kings of the Kingdom," I would have suggested that the keys should be thrown away.
Who wrote this stuff? The 3 Stooges?