There are two famous films that deal with the problem of alcohol addiction. One, The Lost Weekend, spotlights
the disease as a fully formed illness that slowly causes the protagonist to descend into an unrelenting personal hell. The other, Days of Wine and Roses, shows us how alcoholism innocently begins with a newly married "ordinary" young couple-----subtly takes over their lives----and in the process virtually destroys one spouse and almost does the same thing to the other. The second named film more closely resembles The Great Sinner (TGS) than The Lost Weekend, because the gambling addiction that profoundly afflicted the Gregory Peck character in TGS becomes apparent only after we are well into the story. The other principal roles in TGS (with the exception of those played by Melvyn Douglas and Ethel Barrymore) feature people who were already hooked on gambling earlier in the tale. And similar to Days of Wine and Roses, Peck's obsession with gambling starts in an unremarkable and
understated way, and develops into a full scaled compulsion so quietly and gradually that its ultimate effect on him was not fully appreciated until it was almost too late to do anything about it.
It took an unusual amount of courage-----a commodity generally in short supply in Hollywood-----for its most prestigious studio to make such a downbeat movie about the depressing subject of gambling addiction. To MGM's credit, they did so by mounting it as a major high-budget vehicle with a top-notch cast. That TGS failed at the box office should have come as no surprise. Tough stories often have to search long and hard to find an appreciative audience. Serious well-intended films that utilize these subjects can generate some positive critical acclaim, but these vehicles may (and often do) elude financial success. As we have been told many times by the studio moguls, making movies should be viewed primarily as a business intended to turn a profit.
TGS is an absorbing narrative that clearly illustrates the many facets of gambling addiction, and its powerful and destructive nature. As with Days of Wine and Roses, we witness the grim tragedies they usually cause as well as the possibility that hope and redemption can sometimes overcome such outcomes. The acting, direction, photography and physical setting in TGS are all very fine, and they significantly contribute to the overall level of TGS's artistic achievement.
In terms of his oeuvre, TGS is positioned between Peck's superior early Western Yellow Sky and his great dramatic war film Twelve O'Clock High. You could not identify three more different movies starring the same actor. This is a clear example of Peck's considerable range as an artist------and he would continue to similarly challenge himself with quite diverse role choices throughout his long and impressive career.
It took an unusual amount of courage-----a commodity generally in short supply in Hollywood-----for its most prestigious studio to make such a downbeat movie about the depressing subject of gambling addiction. To MGM's credit, they did so by mounting it as a major high-budget vehicle with a top-notch cast. That TGS failed at the box office should have come as no surprise. Tough stories often have to search long and hard to find an appreciative audience. Serious well-intended films that utilize these subjects can generate some positive critical acclaim, but these vehicles may (and often do) elude financial success. As we have been told many times by the studio moguls, making movies should be viewed primarily as a business intended to turn a profit.
TGS is an absorbing narrative that clearly illustrates the many facets of gambling addiction, and its powerful and destructive nature. As with Days of Wine and Roses, we witness the grim tragedies they usually cause as well as the possibility that hope and redemption can sometimes overcome such outcomes. The acting, direction, photography and physical setting in TGS are all very fine, and they significantly contribute to the overall level of TGS's artistic achievement.
In terms of his oeuvre, TGS is positioned between Peck's superior early Western Yellow Sky and his great dramatic war film Twelve O'Clock High. You could not identify three more different movies starring the same actor. This is a clear example of Peck's considerable range as an artist------and he would continue to similarly challenge himself with quite diverse role choices throughout his long and impressive career.