"Never Trust a Gambler" is a quick-moving, breezy little b-thriller with just the right amounts of action, suspense, and romance to waste, most agreeably, eighty minutes of your time. Psychopathic ex-hubby (Dane Clark) crashes ex-wife's (Cathy O'Donnell) quiet life to hole up in her home. He has a line, and she falls for it. Enter nasty skirt-chaser, add "a fight, a car crash, and a fire" (to misquote a line of dialogue) and pretty soon they're up to their eyeballs in trouble. Enter, too, a cute young cop (Tom Drake) who falls head-over-heels for the girl. Some of the story is handled with b-movie dispatch, but there is also enough characterization to keep the characters interesting, and the love story is both tender and realistic. Good cast, good photography, a fair bit of on-location shooting and an exciting climax high on a construction crane in a shipyard.
11 Reviews
It has the ingredients to make a fine film noir...
AlsExGal25 February 2022
...but in the end it falls flat. Steve Garry (Dane Clark) is on the run from the police because he is a material witness in the murder trial of a friend of his who is accused of murdering his wife. The problem is that anything Garry would say would implicate his friend, not clear him. He runs to the home of his ex-wife, Virginia (Cathy O'Donnell), to hide out. She divorced him because he was a gambler and not trustworthy. But before he can move on from her house she is followed home by a lecherous cop who is planning to assault her when he is confronted by Garry, who accidentally kills him in a fight. Garry disposes of the body trying to make it look like a drunk driving accident. So now Garry and his ex wife have real trouble on their hands.
The cast is excellent - I have always believed Dane Clark was underrated and underused, especially in his time over at Warner Brothers. But the direction is really uninspired. And then there are all of those annoying supporting players who usually make little crime films like these. There is Virginia's annoying elderly neighbor who - comes over to borrow two dollars??? That would be 40 dollars in today's money. Who does such things? I don't remember her returning it either. Then there is the night shift bus driver who has to have a job he hates, or is at least bored by it, who remembers everybody who was on the bus the night before with perfect clarity. And his wife - who can't shut up about how dishonest he is to the cops - She may hate living with the guy, but he is her bread and butter and yet she acts like she wants him arrested. Cathy Donnelly's doe-eyed act was great in "They Live By Night" but here it just outstays its welcome. And it looks odd in contrast to all of the other 20 something women in the cast who look and sound like they are doing Virginia Mayo imitations from White Heat.
It has a great twist in the end, but overall it cries out for a script rewrite and better direction.
The cast is excellent - I have always believed Dane Clark was underrated and underused, especially in his time over at Warner Brothers. But the direction is really uninspired. And then there are all of those annoying supporting players who usually make little crime films like these. There is Virginia's annoying elderly neighbor who - comes over to borrow two dollars??? That would be 40 dollars in today's money. Who does such things? I don't remember her returning it either. Then there is the night shift bus driver who has to have a job he hates, or is at least bored by it, who remembers everybody who was on the bus the night before with perfect clarity. And his wife - who can't shut up about how dishonest he is to the cops - She may hate living with the guy, but he is her bread and butter and yet she acts like she wants him arrested. Cathy Donnelly's doe-eyed act was great in "They Live By Night" but here it just outstays its welcome. And it looks odd in contrast to all of the other 20 something women in the cast who look and sound like they are doing Virginia Mayo imitations from White Heat.
It has a great twist in the end, but overall it cries out for a script rewrite and better direction.
UNREMARKABLE CLOSE-KNIT CRIME DRAMA...GOOD CAST & FINALE...AVERAGE
LeonLouisRicci13 August 2021
Dane Clark, Cathy O' Donnell, Jeff Corey, and Tom Drake with Good Support seek to Make this Pedestrian Picture Rise Above its Pedigree.
Almost but Not Quite.
The Movie is a One-Note Song about a No-Good Ex-Husband Preying on His Sweet Ex-Wife.
An Annoying Lech of a Police Sgt. Bullys the Mrs. In a Hard-to-Watch Scene and a Nosey Neighbor Irritates as well
O' Donnell is a Sweetie-Pie and the Detectives on the case are a Match for the Career Criminal Clark.
Some Suspense Ensues as the Police Close-In at a Ship-Yard Finale that is the Best this Effort can Offer.
Even the Title Gives the Thing Away.
It's an Unremarkable Straight-Forward Cops and Robbers Yarn that might Masquerade in Promotions as a Film-Noir. It Ain't.
The Good Actors and a Scene or Two that Stand-Out can't Rise the Movie Above Average.
A Rather Ho-Hum B-Movie, but for Die-Hard Crime Genre Fans...
Worth a Watch.
Almost but Not Quite.
The Movie is a One-Note Song about a No-Good Ex-Husband Preying on His Sweet Ex-Wife.
An Annoying Lech of a Police Sgt. Bullys the Mrs. In a Hard-to-Watch Scene and a Nosey Neighbor Irritates as well
O' Donnell is a Sweetie-Pie and the Detectives on the case are a Match for the Career Criminal Clark.
Some Suspense Ensues as the Police Close-In at a Ship-Yard Finale that is the Best this Effort can Offer.
Even the Title Gives the Thing Away.
It's an Unremarkable Straight-Forward Cops and Robbers Yarn that might Masquerade in Promotions as a Film-Noir. It Ain't.
The Good Actors and a Scene or Two that Stand-Out can't Rise the Movie Above Average.
A Rather Ho-Hum B-Movie, but for Die-Hard Crime Genre Fans...
Worth a Watch.
But you can trust me about this one ...
searchanddestroy-127 December 2009
Warning: Spoilers
What a wonderful little crime programmer from Columbia Pictures I just discovered. And a very rare one too. Ralph Murphy did not made many thrillers but mainly westerns, corny films indeed. This one is surprising by his pace, characters and story. A real film noir, even grade B.
Dane Clark plays here a poor fellow chased by the police in a witness murder charge. He is a former gambler and goes to his ex wife's apartment to hide from the police. But the gal is molested by a man who is accidentally killed by our lead. So, Clark tries to disguise the murder in car accident.
So, the investigation begins, with a detective who falls for the gambler's wife...
The climax on the waterfront is excellent.
Dane Clark plays here a poor fellow chased by the police in a witness murder charge. He is a former gambler and goes to his ex wife's apartment to hide from the police. But the gal is molested by a man who is accidentally killed by our lead. So, Clark tries to disguise the murder in car accident.
So, the investigation begins, with a detective who falls for the gambler's wife...
The climax on the waterfront is excellent.
The Running Man!
sol12186 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS** Fast moving crime drama with everyone's favorite, back in the 1940's and 1950's, man on run from the police Dane Clark as reformed degenerate gambler Steve Garry, who's as usual running from the police but this time not for a crime that he claims that he didn't commit but from keeping himself from being made to testify in his good friend and bosses, Phil Gould, trial in the murder of his wife!
Breaking into his ex-wife's, who's bank account he squandered betting on the horses and in the casinos, Virginia Merrill, Cathy O'Donnell, L.A apartment to hold up until the heat cools down. Steve give her this cock & Bull story about how he reformed from his gambling habits and is now a hard working and cost conscious man. To prove his point Steve shows a not so impressed Virginia a bank book in his name with him depositing into it $600.00 every month from his job back in San Francisco as a charter boat captain.
What all that has to do with Steve running from the police is that by him testifying in Gould's trial his testimony instead of exonerating him in his wife's murder would in fact send hims straight to the gas chamber! Not knowing what to make of Steve's story Virginia at first goes along with him in letting her stay at her place. This becomes very dangerous to her when one of Virginia's former room-mates Delores, Myrna Dell, boyfriend's the drunk as a skunk, as well as acting like one, LAPD Sgt. Quenin McCloy, Rhys Williams, meets her at the supermarket. With the annoying Sgt. McCoy buying Virginia a bottle of cheap $2.00 whiskey he uses the lame excuse of drinking by him crashing, drunk as usual, into her apartment! This later leads to a confrontation in Virginia's apartment with Steve who in keeping him from possibly raping her ends up bashing in McCloy's skull in with a chair thus killing him!
With Virginia now implicated in Sgt. McCloy's death she has no choice but to go along with Steve in disposing his body by faking a car accident. This brings the LAPD into the case headed by Sgt.Donavan, Tom Drake, and his bulldog like, in sniffing out clues, partner Det. Lou Brecker, Jeff Corey.
***SPOILERS*** As we and Virginia later find out Steve wasn't in fact telling the truth in his cock-eyed story about trying to protect Phil Gould from being convicted in his wife's murder. The fact was that Steve knew a lot more about Mrs. Gould's murder then he was letting on. So much more that he was willing to not only cross the border into Mexico but murder anyone,including Virginia, who tried to stop him!
Breaking into his ex-wife's, who's bank account he squandered betting on the horses and in the casinos, Virginia Merrill, Cathy O'Donnell, L.A apartment to hold up until the heat cools down. Steve give her this cock & Bull story about how he reformed from his gambling habits and is now a hard working and cost conscious man. To prove his point Steve shows a not so impressed Virginia a bank book in his name with him depositing into it $600.00 every month from his job back in San Francisco as a charter boat captain.
What all that has to do with Steve running from the police is that by him testifying in Gould's trial his testimony instead of exonerating him in his wife's murder would in fact send hims straight to the gas chamber! Not knowing what to make of Steve's story Virginia at first goes along with him in letting her stay at her place. This becomes very dangerous to her when one of Virginia's former room-mates Delores, Myrna Dell, boyfriend's the drunk as a skunk, as well as acting like one, LAPD Sgt. Quenin McCloy, Rhys Williams, meets her at the supermarket. With the annoying Sgt. McCoy buying Virginia a bottle of cheap $2.00 whiskey he uses the lame excuse of drinking by him crashing, drunk as usual, into her apartment! This later leads to a confrontation in Virginia's apartment with Steve who in keeping him from possibly raping her ends up bashing in McCloy's skull in with a chair thus killing him!
With Virginia now implicated in Sgt. McCloy's death she has no choice but to go along with Steve in disposing his body by faking a car accident. This brings the LAPD into the case headed by Sgt.Donavan, Tom Drake, and his bulldog like, in sniffing out clues, partner Det. Lou Brecker, Jeff Corey.
***SPOILERS*** As we and Virginia later find out Steve wasn't in fact telling the truth in his cock-eyed story about trying to protect Phil Gould from being convicted in his wife's murder. The fact was that Steve knew a lot more about Mrs. Gould's murder then he was letting on. So much more that he was willing to not only cross the border into Mexico but murder anyone,including Virginia, who tried to stop him!
Yeah, I heard a gun shot on radio mystery theater!
cgvsluis4 March 2022
Steve Gerry is a small-time gambler on the run from the law. He shows up at his sweet innocent school teacher Ex-wife's house giving her a story about needing to avoid the law because he friend is on trial for killing his wife, only he knows his friend didn't do it...but that he would have to testify that they fought "and that would look bad". He also gave evidence of him mending his gambling ways by saying he and his friend were in the boat business together and he showed her his bank book with $600 monthly deposits as evidence.
Our sweet and naïve school teacher, Virginia, takes him in and says he can stay for one night. She goes to get groceries and is hassled and then followed by cop and lecherous drunk friend of her former roommate. He forces his way in to her house and tries to take advantage of her...Steve steps in to intervene and in the tussle kills the cop.
This brings police Sargent Ed Donovan (played by handsome Tom Drake) and partner to Virginia's door.
In the end there is a great classic noir chase involving cranes at the shipyard. Great investigation with appropriate moments of waiting and interviews. I loved the women's response to the news that the lecherous cop is dead!
"Bachelors never sleep."-Cop #1
If you are fan of noir or police procedures, you should watch this film.
Our sweet and naïve school teacher, Virginia, takes him in and says he can stay for one night. She goes to get groceries and is hassled and then followed by cop and lecherous drunk friend of her former roommate. He forces his way in to her house and tries to take advantage of her...Steve steps in to intervene and in the tussle kills the cop.
This brings police Sargent Ed Donovan (played by handsome Tom Drake) and partner to Virginia's door.
In the end there is a great classic noir chase involving cranes at the shipyard. Great investigation with appropriate moments of waiting and interviews. I loved the women's response to the news that the lecherous cop is dead!
"Bachelors never sleep."-Cop #1
If you are fan of noir or police procedures, you should watch this film.
Likeable enough, O'Donnell splendid.
bombersflyup7 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
A film-noir with a captivating beautiful angelic lead.
The story's pretty thin, but engages for the most part thanks to O'Donnell and it's well written. Though I didn't care how it ended once Gary had let Virginia go. The other characters and performances aren't memorable, but their dialogue's sufficient and at times clever and amusing even.
The story's pretty thin, but engages for the most part thanks to O'Donnell and it's well written. Though I didn't care how it ended once Gary had let Virginia go. The other characters and performances aren't memorable, but their dialogue's sufficient and at times clever and amusing even.
Beware of detectives trying to buy you booze!
mark.waltz20 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
That's the lesson sweet teacher (Cathy O'Donnell) finds out when a sleazy cop puts the make on her, then preys on her, assuming she is alone. But her ex-husband (Dane Clark) is secretly staying there, having fled San Francisco for Los Angeles to avoid being put on the witness stand in a murder trial. The scumbag cop is killed accidentally, and Clark gets rid of the body, not counting on a bus driver with an incredible memory recalling his description getting on his bus. Another detective (Tom Drake) is a perfect gentleman towards O'Donnell as he investigates the murder, not realizing that another case he is involved in (searching for Clark) is tied into this one. But Clark has more secrets which leads to a predictable conclusion.
This is one of those thrillers that has elements of film noir but isn't. Sure, there is the perfect noir set up, but it lacks the darkness of similar stories such as "The Reckless Moment". Clark is appropriately dark and moody, but it doesn't seem plausible that he would be married to the sweet O'Donnell. She seems more likely to have gone for someone like Drake. The scenes with disgusting detective McCoy are hard to take without feeling slightly ill. This cop is a potential rapist and like one witness says, she's give $10 (a lot of money for a hit-man in 1951?) to see him dead. Add on Kathryn Card (Mrs. McGillicuddy of "I Love Lucy" fame) as nosy neighbor Phoebe and a slew of witnesses who remember details easily forgotten by most and you have a lot of eye rolling to catch up on. Myrna Dell gives a really enjoyable performance as the hard-noses Dolores, the ex-roommate who once dated the oily deceased cop and reveals a heart of gold when she warns O'Donnell about the investigation going on. British character actor Rhys Williams really does his work as the sleaze bag cop to make you hate him and applaud at his demise.
This is one of those thrillers that has elements of film noir but isn't. Sure, there is the perfect noir set up, but it lacks the darkness of similar stories such as "The Reckless Moment". Clark is appropriately dark and moody, but it doesn't seem plausible that he would be married to the sweet O'Donnell. She seems more likely to have gone for someone like Drake. The scenes with disgusting detective McCoy are hard to take without feeling slightly ill. This cop is a potential rapist and like one witness says, she's give $10 (a lot of money for a hit-man in 1951?) to see him dead. Add on Kathryn Card (Mrs. McGillicuddy of "I Love Lucy" fame) as nosy neighbor Phoebe and a slew of witnesses who remember details easily forgotten by most and you have a lot of eye rolling to catch up on. Myrna Dell gives a really enjoyable performance as the hard-noses Dolores, the ex-roommate who once dated the oily deceased cop and reveals a heart of gold when she warns O'Donnell about the investigation going on. British character actor Rhys Williams really does his work as the sleaze bag cop to make you hate him and applaud at his demise.
LIAR ON THE LAM
stusviews30 January 2022
A moderately entertaining crime flick starring Dane Clark as a fugitive gambler who finds shelter in the home of his ex. More police procedural (as the detective in charge of the case follows Clark's trail) than film noir, and not even a very suspenseful one at that. Tom Drake turns in the film's best performance as the cop, and Clark is fine, but Cathy O'Donnell--who could have stolen the whole damn movie as the pretty but gullible Virginia--spends most of her time looking either indecisive or worried, and not much else. A genuine character study of a woman trapped--now THAT would have been something to see.
Despite only having some minor Hollywood stars, it's a dandy and well written movie.
planktonrules8 February 2018
Steve--dane clark
Virginia--Cathy O'donnell
masher off dutycop
shows police work
odd--everyone seemed to know dead cop was a lecher
she's a bad liar
Steve (Dane Clark) is a gambler on the run from the cops. He's apparently been accused of murder and he has decided to visit his estranged wife, Virginia (Cathy O'Donnell). She believes that he's an innocent and reformed man, so she agrees to let him stay with her for a few days.
Out of the blue, a perverted lech of a cop sees Virginia and decides to follow her home. There, he refuses to take no for an answer and he's about to rape her when Steve comes out of hiding and beats the cop up...killing him in the process. It's a clear case of justifiable homicide....but Steve isn't about to call the police and report this. Instead, he dumps the body and they hope it all blows over...or will it?
This is a very good film, though it is relatively low-budgeted and with second and third-tier actors. In spite of this, the writing is very believable and well done. I especially love where the story went towards the end...it really made the film.
Steve (Dane Clark) is a gambler on the run from the cops. He's apparently been accused of murder and he has decided to visit his estranged wife, Virginia (Cathy O'Donnell). She believes that he's an innocent and reformed man, so she agrees to let him stay with her for a few days.
Out of the blue, a perverted lech of a cop sees Virginia and decides to follow her home. There, he refuses to take no for an answer and he's about to rape her when Steve comes out of hiding and beats the cop up...killing him in the process. It's a clear case of justifiable homicide....but Steve isn't about to call the police and report this. Instead, he dumps the body and they hope it all blows over...or will it?
This is a very good film, though it is relatively low-budgeted and with second and third-tier actors. In spite of this, the writing is very believable and well done. I especially love where the story went towards the end...it really made the film.
Routine, at Best
dougdoepke5 October 2010
Gambler-fugitive seeks refuge with ex-wife, even as police close in.
Except for the cleverly staged finale—a giant crane on the LA loading docks—it's a pretty pedestrian crime story. Despite the poor ratings from the professionals, I tuned in because of the cast. Clark makes an excellent tough-guy-with-soul as in Deep Valley (1947) and Moonrise (1948), while O'Donnell is enough to make a grown man cry in the transcendent They Live by Night (1948). What this film crucially lacks, however, is mood. It's filmed in straightforward unimaginative style, much like a TV episode. As a result, there's no complementary atmosphere to frame the twosome's particular talents, thereby largely wasting them. Too bad, because the film would likely do just as well with any number of lesser talents in the leads.
It doesn't help that the screenplay is unexceptional with few surprises, except maybe for the randy cop (Williams). Still, you wonder how such a crude guy could possibly stay on the force, let alone as a sergeant. It's also a cheaply produced programmer with two or three basic sets. At least, Columbia knew something more was needed, hence the scenic finale. All in all, the movie's a routine programmer, at best.
Except for the cleverly staged finale—a giant crane on the LA loading docks—it's a pretty pedestrian crime story. Despite the poor ratings from the professionals, I tuned in because of the cast. Clark makes an excellent tough-guy-with-soul as in Deep Valley (1947) and Moonrise (1948), while O'Donnell is enough to make a grown man cry in the transcendent They Live by Night (1948). What this film crucially lacks, however, is mood. It's filmed in straightforward unimaginative style, much like a TV episode. As a result, there's no complementary atmosphere to frame the twosome's particular talents, thereby largely wasting them. Too bad, because the film would likely do just as well with any number of lesser talents in the leads.
It doesn't help that the screenplay is unexceptional with few surprises, except maybe for the randy cop (Williams). Still, you wonder how such a crude guy could possibly stay on the force, let alone as a sergeant. It's also a cheaply produced programmer with two or three basic sets. At least, Columbia knew something more was needed, hence the scenic finale. All in all, the movie's a routine programmer, at best.
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