[5]
Barbara Stanwyck catches the gambling bug something fierce in this melodramatic film co-starring Robert Preston as her worried husband. Stanwyck dips her toes in a Las Vegas casino during a vacation and quickly falls under the spell of craps and poker. Preston grows concerned as she stays out all night and loses considerable dough. But when he returns from a day-trip to learn she’s spent all their savings, he leaves her and files for divorce. She then teams up with a shady influence (Stephen McNally) who puts her in charge of a horse racing racket. She finally hits rock bottom after double-crossing him, at which point Preston reenters her life — but is he too late?
If you’re a fan of Stanwyck, The Lady Gambles features a dynamic performance as she wrestles with demons and sinks lower and lower into despair. Preston doesn’t get the same opportunity, but it’s always great to see him on the cast roster. Unfortunately, the script unfolds very predictably and depressingly, with no surprises or compelling character development. Stephen McNally is somewhat interesting as the devil on Stanwyck’s shoulder. The scene in which he drives her out of town and gives her a cold-hearted kiss-off is one of the film’s best moments. Edith Barrett is less effective as Stanwyck’s older sister, a woman who constantly reminds Stanwyck that their mother died giving birth to her. The screenplay tries to make Barrett a villain and turn guilt for her mother’s death into the cause of Stanwyck’s gambling addiction, but these choices feel forced and unnecessary.
Directed by Michael Gordon. With John Hoyt and a brief appearance by Tony Curtis as a hotel bellboy in one of his first film roles.