Gambling on the High Seas

Wayne Morris was an absolute sweetheart and is always fun to watch. Add brilliant (still blond) Jane Wyman and this is an entertaining little movie. Great chemistry between these two. Just wish Wayne Morris would have gone on to as big a career as Jane Wyman.

Greg Morella runs a crooked gambling ship just outside of the state's control. Investigative reporter Jim Carver is digging around for the rigged games. With the law coming down, boat manager Larry Brill turns stool pigeon and is murdered in a mob hit. Next, the D.A. targets Brill's assistant Max Gates. Carver recruits Morella's secretary Laurie Ogden.

It's a fine little crime thriller. It's nothing spectacular. I would like to add a mystery component to the movie. It's fine. It has some small action. It tries to be fun although the lighthearted aspect is not as intriguing. Carver should be a darker character and he should sell the danger.

Usually when going over the TV schedule I wouldn't go out of my way to watch this kind of movie but with some time to kill it was viewed.Although the plot was almost as simple as it gets..the law wanting to get evidence on the gangster so to put him in prison this movie was very good.It gets a high score even with the expected 1940's snappy talk and the unlikely semi-friendly relationship between the scoop reporter(Wayne morris)and the head gangster(Gilbert Roland).Most of the movies nice atmosphere takes place on a swanky gambling boat.State of the art,it's equipped with a bar,offices and telephones.Roland is a calm speaking crime boss but knows how to take care of business.He sends his boys out to take care of a squealer,they get this done despite a policeman being on each arm of the target.The shooter is able to do this from a distance because his gun has a special light on it.When the gun is fired there is no escaping for the person caught in the light beam,state of the art again.Greg Morella(Roland)has his act together all the way to city hall. When one of the employees from there shows Morella an important paper he took he gives him $10,000 without batting an eyelash.He then sends some of his efficient men to city hall to ransack the place so as to cover for the missing paper.In the next minute he informs his secretary to make a note of $10,000 spent for publicity.He does this so casually the viewer may not even be aware of his claiming an expense for the $10,000 pay-off.To my recollection this was my first time seeing the actor Roger Pryor, he has the part of Max Gates.For Morella he's a staff member/enforcer and a sharp cookie himself.Pryor's performance may of been the best in the movie.With a smooth voice and sometimes cocky manner it was entertaining to hear him refer to the customers as suckers and fish.He was equally talented to show fear when found in a tight spot,impressive.While watching this movie I found entertainment sources coming at me from different directions.The same Jane Wyman that was a proper lady hosting her own TV show and played innocent Johnny Belinda is a young blonde in this movie.Despite her goody-goody name-Laurie Ogden she plays Morella's secretary.She's not tough acting but does do her share of 1940's snappy talk.That along with the blonde hair is enough to keep the viewers attention, as in.."that's Jane Wyman?"Then there's Frank Ferguson doing a good part as the d.a. Not a houshold name he has many credits,I'll always remember him as the owner of the chamber of horrors in Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein's.He was very worried how a&c handled the crates that contained Frankenstein's and Dracula.The acting in this movie merits more compliments but I have to stop,entertaining,give it a chance.

Jim Carver, ace reporter, announces his intention to go out and bring down the notorious gambler Morella. His boss tells him: "If you can, Jim, it'll be the greatest story the Journal ever had. But it'll be dangerous!"

Subtle dialog is not among this picture's strengths, but a decent energy level and an interesting cast keep it entertaining.

Gilbert Roland is quite smooth as Morella, the professional criminal who has set up an offshore gambling ship just outside the three-mile police enforcement limit. Everybody knows that Morella is a crook—and is behind at least one murder—but nobody can prove it.

Wayne Morris is big and smiley as reporter Jim; although likable enough, Morris is so cheerful and spouts that good corny dialog with such eagerness that sometimes it's hard not to laugh. For example, when his girlfriend is kidnapped: "I got Laurie into this mess, and if I ever expect her to become Mrs. Jim Carver, I gotta get her out of it."

Jane Wyman is Laurie, the spunky girlfriend who works right on board the gambling ship as Morella's secretary. Wyman hardly appears in the first half of the picture; it's no coincidence that the movie's second half, with Wyman as a major character, is faster moving and just generally much snappier.

Plot and dialog so-so, cast giving it their best shot anyway….It's no classic but that Warner Bros. punch still makes for an entertaining enough 55 minutes.

My favorite exchange— Morris: "You don't pay enough attention to me." Wyman: "What do you want for nothing?"

Wayne Morris stars with Jane Wyman and Gilbert Roland in "Gambling on the High Seas," a 1940 second feature from Warner Brothers.

Morris plays a reporter, Jim Carter, and Roland is Morella, a crook who runs a gambling ship with rigged tables. The authorities haven't been able to get enough evidence to convict him.

Carter approaches Morella's secretary, Laurie, who knows plenty. Carter wants proof of the fixed games and also evidence that Morella had his partner, Max Gates, murdered.

Wayne Morris had all kinds of problems with Warner Brothers, and even lost out on the Burt Lancaster role in "The Killers" because Warners wouldn't lend him out. It's a shame - he was cute, had a nice, light presence, and was very boyish. He became well known for westerns until his untimely death.

Wyman is blond, young, and beautiful, and does a good job as Laurie. Gilbert Roland is incredibly handsome as the cruel Morella and is also very good.

Nice cast, very short film, decent story.