The Gamblers

The central appeal of a caper film isn’t so much the caper itself but the planning that goes into it.  So kudos to writer-director Ron Winston for crafting a film that’s all about setting the stage, with the courage to draw the curtain during the main event.  The Gamblers (1970) success depends sleight of hand and misdirection, not only for its characters but the audience as well; to make you look the fool, but applaud its technique all the same. 

While aboard a cruise of the Adriatic rival gamblers hatches a scheme to fleece a foreign businessman during a rigged game of poker.  Rooney (Don Gordon) has a fail-safe system while Cozzier and Broadfoot (Pierre Olaf and Kenneth Griffith respectively) have access to the mark, including his history as a recovering compulsive gambler.  The wild card is Candace (Suzy Kendall), a beautiful tourist who inserts herself into the plot at the most inopportune moments.  Their plan relies on false identities, casual coincidences and a good amount of luck.  But the question is once the cards are on the table who will take the fall?

 

Films like Oceans 11 are tailor-made for the movies.  But realistically a grifter wouldn’t get very far with matinee idol looks.  Perhaps that’s why The Gamblers is populated with all-purpose character actors, most notably Don Gordon who turned up so often in ‘70s and ‘80s TV shows he could show up for Thanksgiving dinner and not get a second look.  It’s a blast to watch him work the room, stealing sugar packets and pinching every penny to ensure his investment pays off.  Suzy Kendall, who would hit it big with The Bird with the Crystal Plumage that same year, is a gorgeous question mark that keeps the audience guessing.

 

Mainly a TV director, Winston doesn’t add much in the way of visual interest, but he knows how to move the pieces around the board.  The tone is similar to Topkapi (1964), another exotic port of call caper film that leans on humor and out of touch racial stereotypes.  But as the script antes up with each act, the payoff is as unexpected as it is satisfying.  The Gamblers has kept a low-profile the past 53 years…here’s hoping it finally hits it big.

 

VCI Entertainment’s Blu-ray is a fine-looking affair (no cheap transfer, this) and includes a commentary track by film historian Robert Kelley. 

 

  

 

 

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