Stanwyck overplays her hand in this one, trying earnestly to make an important point instead of her usual confident, supremely natural performances. Movies about addiction and social ills were all the rage after Ray Milland won an Academy Award with 1945's "The Lost Weekend," and one wonders how much of that was the acting community trying to win awards and the studios trying to ride the coattails of a big hit.
"Weekend" though, is a masterpiece, with Milland thrilled to work again with Billy Wilder after teaming up on a Ginger Rogers smash "Major and the Minor" in 1942, and the rapport they had built continued to make the next film a great success on all levels. The director of "The Lady Gambles," Michael Gordon, was never in Wilder's league or even close. He was more of a Double A level... not ever getting to the majors. His career consists of a single hit, "Pillow Talk" and a handful of unmemorable movies. In 1949 he was on the edge of being blackballed for his political activities, though Stanwyck, a lifelong Republican, had no qualms about working with him and in the event they got along well, if nothing like Milland and Wilder. He had her read books on gambling to prepare for the role, since the actress knew nothing whatever about gambling, and some books about Freud, for background.
Stanwyck had made a series of great pictures in the 40s, but as the decade drew to a close, the government shook up the movie industry with a series of rulings against the studio system, so she was happy just to be working.
Preston and Stanwyck both give good performances, as does McNally, but none of them are at their best, and they can't overcome the preachy atmosphere that Gordon creates.
"Weekend" though, is a masterpiece, with Milland thrilled to work again with Billy Wilder after teaming up on a Ginger Rogers smash "Major and the Minor" in 1942, and the rapport they had built continued to make the next film a great success on all levels. The director of "The Lady Gambles," Michael Gordon, was never in Wilder's league or even close. He was more of a Double A level... not ever getting to the majors. His career consists of a single hit, "Pillow Talk" and a handful of unmemorable movies. In 1949 he was on the edge of being blackballed for his political activities, though Stanwyck, a lifelong Republican, had no qualms about working with him and in the event they got along well, if nothing like Milland and Wilder. He had her read books on gambling to prepare for the role, since the actress knew nothing whatever about gambling, and some books about Freud, for background.
Stanwyck had made a series of great pictures in the 40s, but as the decade drew to a close, the government shook up the movie industry with a series of rulings against the studio system, so she was happy just to be working.
Preston and Stanwyck both give good performances, as does McNally, but none of them are at their best, and they can't overcome the preachy atmosphere that Gordon creates.