Philo Vance's Gamble

Tiny, ultra-low budget PRC made three Philo Vance movies in 1947. While "Philo Vance's Gamble" was the third one released, it was the second one they made....which must have confused a few folks since the final installment (which appeared second) starred a different actor. Now considering they were made by PRC, they aren't that bad...I certainly expected much worse!

The story concerns a stolen emerald and folks who are associated with it suddenly dying. Vance is pulled into the story when the low-life trying to sell it tries to hire him and ultimately he's able to figure out who's killed who.

While this film is very simple and far from great, it is mildly interesting and reasonably well written. For fans of B-mysteries, it's worth seeing. For everyone else, it's a time-passer at best.

I thought Philo Vance's Gamble was a very solid effort, especially for a movie that is a long way down the list of Philo Vance films done. It was a solid mystery, with a little comic relief, good acting and a better than average cast.

I have seen almost all of the Philo Vance films, and besides two or three of the early ones (Kennel Murder Case is a classic), this is one of the better films in the long running series.

Private Detective Philo Vance (Alan Curtis ) gets involved with a succession of murders and a mystery concerning the disappearance of an emerald that has been smuggled into the United States.

Philo Vance's Gamble is a decent, if a little confusing and sometimes hard to keep up with the twist and turns ( or maybe it's just me!). It's quite watchable, well-paced with a killer who likes to poke guns through curtains and fire away; one of the victims is a heel who upsets Vance by spreading it around that he's protecting his diamond. Alan Curtis is adequate in the role of Philo Vance, though his character is more PI than a debonair Detective.

Dan Seymour has set up a syndicate to fence a stolen emerald. He plans to cheat them all -- investors and girlfriend and fly off to South America. Alan Curtis as Philo Vance takes an interest; Seymour told theres of the syndicate he had hired Curtis to guard the emerald. Curtis meets him in Seymour's study. While they speak, the lights go out, two shots are fired and Seymour is dead.

As with the other two PRC Philo Vances, it's a well-constructed mystery if not exquisitely produced. Curtis still doesn't look or act anything like the Philo Vance of S.S. Van Dyne's books. He's a middle-class PI who knows all sorts of interesting people. Basil Wrangell directs for speed and efficiency, and the number of interesting performers is kept to a mimmum : Grady Sutton as a secretary, Joseph Crehan as the District Attorney, and Tala Birell as a suspect. At an hour's length, it does what a mystery movie is supposed to do, but no more.

Based on the character created in the 12 crime novels written by S. S. Van Dine.

Story by Lawrence Edmund Taylor.

Screenplay by Eugene Conrad and Arthur St. Claire.

Vance must track down a gang of jewel thieves that have besmirched his good name. Naturally, the most suspected thieves are dispatched just as you think "That is the one." But of course, we always know it is the last one(s) that you least suspect. It might even be the butler.

Philo Vance is played by Alan Curtis; he played Philo Vance in other movies. He is o.k. But there have been better Vance's including Warren William The Dragon Murder Case (1934) and William Powell Meurtre au chenil (1933).

Playing Vance's sidekick partner is Ernie Clark played by Frank Jenks is tossed in for comic relief (as if it was needed.)

All-in-all this is a fair Vance for its time. (1947)