Un hold-up extraordinaire

In the 1960s Hollywood combined the classic "caper" film with a healthy dose of romantic comedy. The result was a series of charming films such as CHARADE (1963) and HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966)--films that combined major stars, clever plots, witty scripts and which balanced suspense with comic and romantic complications.

Made in 1966 and released in 1967, GAMBIT was among the last of these films, and like all others in the genre it had a complex plot. Ahmad Shahbandar (Herbert Lom) is quite possibly the richest man in the world and a recluse to boot, a man who has never gotten over the death of his beautiful Eurasian wife some twenty years ago. Harry Dean (Michael Caine) devises a clever plan to gain access to his luxury apartment and rob him blind: he will use honky-tonk dancer Nicole Chang (Shirley MacLaine), who bears a striking resemblance to Shahbandar's long dead wife, to breach Shahbandar's defenses.

There's only one problem: it won't work. To tell exactly why it won't work is to betray the plot, which is extremely clever; suffice to say that Dean has made a number of incorrect assumptions about both the situation and the personalities involved. When the plot begins to twist, it does so in a truly unexpected way, taking both Dean and the audience completely by surprise.

This is the sort of film that Hollywood used to do so well but which we seldom see today, a frothy, glamorous confection with first rate production values and expert performances from major stars. MacLaine gets top billing, and she is quite fine, but the weight of the film rests on Caine and Lom, who give memorably dry performances, and director Ronald Neame (who was responsible for a host of memorable films including THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE) keeps everything moving along at a smart pace with plenty of style.

This may not be the best of the genre--I think both CHARADE and HOW TO STEAL A MILLION, to name but two, outpace it. But even so it is a perfectly charming film, the perfect antidote to a drab afternoon. Just add popcorn! GFT, Amazon Reviewer

In the first 20 minutes of 'Gambit' we witness a perfect heist. A charming crook named Harry (Michael Caine) recruits dancer Nicole (Shirley MacLaine) from a Hong Kong cabaret to lure the rich Shahbandar (Herbert Lom) in order to steal an invaluable statue of an ancient Chinese empress. The face in the statue is strikingly similar to that of Nicole, but also of the magnate's deceased wife. Everything is going perfectly, but something seems to be wrong. Nicole IS SILENT. That is, a heroine played by the assertive Shirley MacLaine not to utter a word? We will quickly understand that this is just about planning a robbery. The real action begins again, in 20 minutes, and this time Nicole not only will speak, but will play the central role in fulfilling Harry's robbery plans.

The 1966 'Gambit' is directed by Ronald Neame, an excellent movie industry professional, who not only was the author of several successful films, but signed the image of many other films, wrote screenplays, was a producer. An encyclopedic film maker we could say. Under his directing, the film has rhythm and humor, combining the genres of films about robberies and scams with an inevitable romantic intrigue. I haven't seen the 2012 remake signed by the Coen brothers, but if we are to trust the rates given by viewers on IMDB, Neame's version is much more successful. The story takes us to the Hong Kong of the '60s, which in the perspective of the past years and of the political changes is a real nostalgic journey, and in an imaginary Asian Muslim country, both presented in a picturesque and authentic way. It is obvious that Ronald Neame knew his job well.

The film belongs to that category of entertainment that was very popular in the 60's, when the world was just opening up to travel. It is true that the images of the international airports where you could drive or wait for passengers at the stairs of the plane seem to be from another world. These films were largely based on an action scenario, relaxed and with humor (there is one!), on exotic landscapes (they are plenty!) and on the charm of the stars in the main roles. The charisma of Shirley MacLaine in the role of the exotic dancer who gives classes from the point of view of culture and good manners to the crook disguised as an English lord played by Michael Caine dominates the film. For her, but not only for her, 'Gambit' deserves to be watched today.

MICHAEL CAINE was hot after appearing in THE IPCRESS FILE and SHIRLEY MacLAINE grabbed him for her leading man in GAMBIT. It's a highly entertaining and very clever crime caper and is Caine's first American film. It benefits from highly polished production values and Ronald Neame's expert direction, not to mention a story that has several unexpected twists.

Aside from excellent performances by the two stars and Herbert Lom as the intended victim, the plot will keep you guessing until the final moments. Shirley is a knockout in her oriental disguise and delivers a wonderful performance as the girl who discovers she prefers an honest man to a thief, no matter how much she let herself be tricked into the role of a charming look-alike for Herbert Lom's former wife. The trick is to get into his lavish digs so she and Michael can see the layout and devise a plan to steal a prized sculpture. Herbert Lom is urbane and sophisticated as a man who is highly suspicious of his new acquaintances.

If you like crime capers or jewel heists, this is for you. Diverting from start to finish with a particularly good opening sequence that sort of sets you up for a different kind of film than this actually is. But saying more than that would give too much away.

My only complaint--Maurice Jarre's score is a skimpy one. He provides some light and catchy melodies for the lighter scenes but fails to deliver the goods for the film's darker moments. Maybe he figured the audience would just be holding their breath while silence accompanied the cat-like burglar approach rather than music. Whatever, the darker moments would have been heightened by a more suspenseful score.

John Abbott is seen to advantage as a French sculptor devoted to his art.

I love heist flicks, and this overlooked item delivered the things I like about the best heist flicks: suspense, trickery, a plot twist or two, and humor. This is a dead-on heist/comedy that surprised me with a couple of twists.

I've always been a Michael Caine fan, so naturally I'll tell you that his performance here is up to his high standards. I've never really been a Shirley MacClaine fan, though, so it was a surprise to me that she was so good in her role.

What kind of summary can I give without giving everything away? Harry Dean (Caine) has his sights on some loot, but needs a partner for his scheme. Nicole Chang (MacClaine) turns out to be everything he hoped for. But he didn't count on her being as clever or as alluring as she turns out to be.

8/10

Gambit (1966)

I love both Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine, and yet I went into the movie with low expectations. Maybe this was partly the dull poster art (which is all I had to go on), or just the fact I had never heard of the movie (and I see a lot of movies from this era).

And it was really good! Yes, a fun, snappy, somewhat contrived but still engaging piece of very 1960s entertainment.

It begins with a narrative trick, which I can't reveal, but the first twenty minutes is a kind of set-up or reference point for the next hour. Once you see it happen, it's a big laugh, and they actors play it out well, though with a slight bit of camp. Caine plays a thief and con man, and MacLaine is just a willing and slightly naive participant. At first.

We are supposed to believe, as well, that these two young charming people are not made for each other (they act disinterested), but the love story becomes a small part of the situation. The third main actor is Herbert Lom, who plays an Arab connected to oil (this is several years before the oil embargo, and more than a decade before the first big Islamic uprising, the one in Iran in 1979). He happens to be the richest man in the world. And a target for this British man looking for easy success.

Easy it is, if only things were what they seemed at first. Brightly lit, photographed with verve and acted with a kind of wink to the camera, the movie is just good fun. This isn't a drama, it's a comedy, and it will brighten your day even if you have to ignore the forced twists in the plot.

Michael Caine had just finished filming the astonishing "Alfie" which is both funny and truly dramatic, and he was proving to be a complex and yet still caddishly likable leading man, very British. Shirley MacLaine (an American) had been making charming funny movies for some time, playing the cute and vulnerable "girl" over and over (as in "The Apartment" best of all, but see "Irma la Douce" too, where she is a prostitute). Together here they are really well matched and hold up the movie start to finish.

Remember to make it through the "set-up" part of the movie, which will at first seem a little stiff. It makes sense later!