Gambling Ship

It's difficult to tell the difference between a Paramount film of the early 1930s and Warner Brothers as they were fast-paced, had good dialogue, even if the plot was routine, and featured a host of fine actors, right down to the bit parts. GAMBLING SHIP fits the bill, a neat little B-film starring a young Cary Grant in a good guy/bad guy role, and with a streak of gray running through his hair! He plays a retiring underworld boss who decides to walk away, only to meet lovely Benita Hume, who has a similar tale to tell. They wind up on a gambling ship, docked off shore from Los Angeles, where he faces some "old friends" running a crooked business. Grant's old friends are an interesting bunch, namely Roscoe Karns as a bumbling con-man/gangster (who has the best lines), Jack LaRue as a more menacing figure, naturally, and the ever dependable Glenda Farrell, who smokes a sexy cigarette! The story is typical low budget fare, but its the cast that kicks it into high gear, and, much like a Warner Brothers film, there's a wild shoot-out near the end, all played during a mean storm that nearly sinks the ship! Nice touch. For music fans, especially, the popular Richard Rodgers song "Lover", which could have been written for the film, is featured as Cary and Bonita fall in love. And that's a wrap. An oldie but a goodie, and now on dvd.

...To actually catch Cary Grant acting! It only happens a couple of times and really does make you realize how amazing a performer the man was.

Benita Hume, longtime wife and sometime co-star of Ronald Colman, plays a moll with a golden heart. The roles are cookie cutter even for this early date, and we've already seen Cagney and Harlow burn down the screen in 1931's "The Public Enemy," but it's great seeing Grant working outside of his own preference of romantic comedy. He should have done more of it; his career would be looked at differently if he had racked up some awards for drama.... people who think the academy awards have declined recently should investigate Cary Grant, because his career shows how absurd the academy usually is.

Two directors; both a complete waste of time. One hopes they didn't get paid but instead the money went to Grant and Hume. Glenda Farrell is wasted here, in a role that is far beneath her.

Still, it's a fun movie and definitely worth a look.

Gambling Ship (1933)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

After being found innocent on a murder he was set up for, gambling boss Ace Corbin (Cary Grant) decides enough is enough and leaves the business. He gets on a train where he meets Eleanor (Benita Hume) and the two strike up a relationship. Ace doesn't want her to know his past life but there's something she isn't telling him about hers. Pretty soon Ace finds a whole new set of problems due to the girl as well as his past catching up with him.

GAMBLING SHIP is a rather routine crime drama that is okay for what it is but at the same time there's no question that it really doesn't contain anything overly special or interesting. The main reason to watch this film today would be for the early performance by Grant who is actually good here. He has to play a character that is at times supposed to be cute and charming but also have a darker and more serious side. I thought Grant was fine in the role and made it a lot more interesting than what most actors would have done with it.

The supporting cast includes Jack La Rue as a thug and we've also got Glenda Farrell and Roscoe Karns. Hume makes for a rather bland leading lady and really doesn't offer any sparks. The screenplay really isn't anything fresh or original as we've seen this type of crime film countless times even by 1933 standards. GAMBLING SHIP isn't awful and it isn't good either. It's a decent crime picture but I'd say only Grant fans should check it out.

If you are going to enjoy an hour of fantasy about being an owner of a gambling ship, Cary Grant is as good as you will be able to imagine. Fun to watch and worth viewing without worrying about any messages.

A relatively routine crime drama that manages to infuse a rather thin plot with an average degree of tension and pathos. The film does perhaps take a bit too long to cover a far too familiar storyline, but it is reasonably well directed, and is made further palatable it's adept cast - all of whom turn in highly respectable performances that manage to engage the viewer in the plights of the various characters. Cary Grant and Benita Hume are endearing as the protagonists attempting to escape their pasts, Jack La Rue and Arthur Vinton are convincing mobsters, and decent comic relief is provided by Roscoe Karns and Charles Williams (the slightly grating Glenda Farrell is the only major cast member who misses the boat while providing one of her usual tough gal characterizations that feels out-of-place in these proceedings). The film is not particularly memorable once it reaches it's expected conclusion, but it's well-cast ensemble makes it reasonably enjoyable while it's playing.