A back-alley craps game goes bad, and a woman is punched and left lying bruised on the ground. When she is wheeled into the hospital, a man accosts the seemingly indifferent doctor and asks why he is not immediately attending to her. After the doctor mumbles something about her being just another undesirable, the man identifies himself as the woman's husband and proceeds to relate her story in flashback to the physician. The film's rather bland title, "The Lady Gambles," gives the story away, although Robert Preston as David Boothe takes 99 minutes to relate the tale of his wife's descent into addictive gambling. In another fine performance, the incomparable Barbara Stanwyck portrays Joan Boothe, a woman torn between a loving husband, a possessive sister, and a handsome, but crooked casino owner. Joan's gambling starts small during a trip to Las Vegas, but once bitten, she steals, pawns, and borrows to feed her compulsion. Stephen McNally as Horace Corrigan, the shady casino owner, encourages, aids, and abets her addiction, while she spirals downward amid poker games, craps shoots, and horse racing.
Superbly photographed by Russell Metty, the film is beautifully illuminated with backlit characters and deep shadows, typical of film noir. From the casinos to the race track, from the neon-lit Vegas streets to Hoover Dam, from hospital corridors to back-room poker games, Metty captures the black-and-white images like the master that he was. Director Michael Gordon honed his skills on "B" crime flix, and he maintains a a steady pace, although the film runs too long, and viewers may commiserate with the doctor, who suffers through Boothe's tale of his marriage and his wife's woes. Of course, how Boothe knows the details of events that took place when he was not present is not explained.
Beyond Stanwyck's performance, which runs the gamut of emotions, the three other leading actors are also quite good. Mustachioed Robert Preston reminds viewers what a handsome and competent film actor he was, before he turned to Broadway in the 1950's. Slick and greasy, Stephen McNally ably plays the man who knows Joan's weaknesses and tempts her with money and adulterous sex. Plain-Jane Edith Barrett as Joan's clinging sister is effective at dishing out guilt and inserting herself between husband and wife. While "The Lady Gambles" may over-stay its welcome and need a catchier title, the performances, especially Stanwyck's, and the Russell Metty cinematography are enough to warrant seeking out this title.
Superbly photographed by Russell Metty, the film is beautifully illuminated with backlit characters and deep shadows, typical of film noir. From the casinos to the race track, from the neon-lit Vegas streets to Hoover Dam, from hospital corridors to back-room poker games, Metty captures the black-and-white images like the master that he was. Director Michael Gordon honed his skills on "B" crime flix, and he maintains a a steady pace, although the film runs too long, and viewers may commiserate with the doctor, who suffers through Boothe's tale of his marriage and his wife's woes. Of course, how Boothe knows the details of events that took place when he was not present is not explained.
Beyond Stanwyck's performance, which runs the gamut of emotions, the three other leading actors are also quite good. Mustachioed Robert Preston reminds viewers what a handsome and competent film actor he was, before he turned to Broadway in the 1950's. Slick and greasy, Stephen McNally ably plays the man who knows Joan's weaknesses and tempts her with money and adulterous sex. Plain-Jane Edith Barrett as Joan's clinging sister is effective at dishing out guilt and inserting herself between husband and wife. While "The Lady Gambles" may over-stay its welcome and need a catchier title, the performances, especially Stanwyck's, and the Russell Metty cinematography are enough to warrant seeking out this title.