Gambler's Choice
Cast & Crew
Frank Mcdonald
Chester Morris
Nancy Kelly
Russell Hayden
Lee Patrick
Lloyd Corrigan
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In 1896, young friends Ross Hadley, Mary Hayes and Michael McGlennon happily play together in the streets of New York's Tenderloin District, oblivious to the squalor around them. One day, mischievous Ross steals someone's wallet and they are all arrested. Due to Ross's history of delinquency, he is sent to a reform school. Mary is released into the custody of her father, Ulysses S. Hayes, a drunkard who plans to move out West, while Mike's policeman father assures the judge that he will set Mike straight. Years later, in 1911, Ross is working as a croupier at Chappie Wilson's gambling joint, but quits to open his own casino. Ross encourages the affection of Faye Lawrence, the wealthy former wife of a bookie, in order to get her to put up money for his club. When Ross sees the performance of Chappie's newest burlesque dancer, Vi "The Garter Girl" Parker, he recognizes her as his childhood friend Mary. Mary is delighted to reunite with Ross and Mike, who has followed in his father's footsteps and become a policeman. After ending her employment with Chappie on bad terms, Mary becomes the featured entertainer at Ross's new casino, and Mike "looks the other way" while Ross pays off city officials in order to open. When Faye jealously tries to fire Mary, Ross pays her off and coldly turns her out. Although Mike and Mary fall in love, she is determined to have a successful career, rather than marry, so that she does not end up like her destitute parents, and Mike realizes that she is more like Ross than himself. When John McGrady, one of Ross's political allies, becomes too greedy, Ross ruins his political career, then engineers Mike's promotion to captain. Mike initially rejects the ill-gotten promotion, but accepts after Ross promises there are no strings attached. Faye, now in league with Chappie, pays him to murder Ross, but the attempt goes awry and a policeman is killed. In response, Mike vows to close every gambling joint in the Tenderloin, and even raids Ross's place. Ross bitterly resents his friend's apparent lack of loyalty and sees that he is demoted to patrolman. However, Mike again wages war against the Tenderloin's gambling district after he is appointed to be the special investigator of the Citizen's Anti-Crime Committee by the governor's prosecutor, Thomas J. Dennis. Chappie masterminds a plot to discredit Mike, and uses Mary's father as an unwitting pawn in a con game set up by Yellow Gloves Weldon. Chappie then sends a phony "tourist" to Mike to complain that he has been taken by Rogers for $10,000. Although Mike intends to arrest Rogers, Mary pleads for mercy. Mike promises Weldon that he will not press charges if Weldon agrees to return the money. Unknown to Mike, the money is marked and he is photographed when he returns it to the "tourist." Ross's right-hand man, Benny, hears about the double-cross and warns Ross that Mike is being framed. Although Ross, who has also fallen in love with Mary, was planning to leave with her for Florida, his deep-seated loyalty compels him to come to the aid of his old friend. Ross steals the evidence against Mike from Chappie's office, but is caught by Chappie. Although Ross escapes, he is wounded and kills Chappie while they exchange gunfire. When Mike investigates the scene, he finds a mouth harp like the one Ross has played since childhood. Mike reluctantly goes to arrest his friend, while Ross, who has given Mary the evidence against Mike, insists that he go alone to Florida. Ross is mortally wounded, however, and dies in the streets of the Tenderloin with his two best friends looking over him. Some time later, Mike returns to foot patrol after he and Mary marry.
Director
Frank Mcdonald
Cast
Chester Morris
Nancy Kelly
Russell Hayden
Lee Patrick
Lloyd Corrigan
Sheldon Leonard
Lyle Talbot
Maxine Lewis
Tom Dugan
Charles Arnt
Billy Nelson
Virginia Sale
Dick Elliott
Jimmy Conlin
Joseph Crehan
Syd Saylor
Dewey Robinson
Byron Foulger
Crew
Ben Barnett
Ben Berk
James W. Blake
James Cochran
Mort Glickman
James Edward Grant
Fred Jackman Jr.
Charles B. Lawlor
William H. Pine
Irving Reis
Howard Emmett Rogers
Maxwell Shane
Howard A. Smith
William Strohbach
F. Paul Sylos
William C. Thomas
Albert Von Tilzer
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Tenderloin.
