Ava Gardner, Walter Huston, Melvyn Douglas, Ethel Barrymore, who not would want to see them together in a film. The screenplay written by Christopher Ishwood, based loosely on Dostoyevski's book, "The Gambler", but with elements of some of his other books thrown in.
I think this film is an improvement on Dostoyevski's book, "The Gambler", written to pay of the authors gaming debts. Besides the cast and dialogue, there's the philosophy of gambling. In the film, the spa of Weisbaden is also a casino and the author who visits the place (based on Dostoyevski) is after a woman he met on the train. But she is a symbol of Lady Luck, ready to give or take with equal measure.
Even Gregory Peck, usually such a log, is pretty good as the writer who turns to gambling to pay the debts of the woman he's mad about. At last, Peck goes to the casino to win back his love. This is the best part of the film, as Peck wins, he understands the sensual pleasure of winning large sums, and the feeling of invinceability it gives you. No film on gambling is better. The only false note is when the casino owner gives back some money that the writer loses.
Ava Gardener was in her prime at that time and she never looked or acted better than in this film. Walter Huston is good as the mountebank General, Ethyl Barymore his rich mother. Great film from the Golden Age.
I think this film is an improvement on Dostoyevski's book, "The Gambler", written to pay of the authors gaming debts. Besides the cast and dialogue, there's the philosophy of gambling. In the film, the spa of Weisbaden is also a casino and the author who visits the place (based on Dostoyevski) is after a woman he met on the train. But she is a symbol of Lady Luck, ready to give or take with equal measure.
Even Gregory Peck, usually such a log, is pretty good as the writer who turns to gambling to pay the debts of the woman he's mad about. At last, Peck goes to the casino to win back his love. This is the best part of the film, as Peck wins, he understands the sensual pleasure of winning large sums, and the feeling of invinceability it gives you. No film on gambling is better. The only false note is when the casino owner gives back some money that the writer loses.
Ava Gardener was in her prime at that time and she never looked or acted better than in this film. Walter Huston is good as the mountebank General, Ethyl Barymore his rich mother. Great film from the Golden Age.