The Girl and the Gambler


1h 2m 1939

Brief Synopsis

An outlaw kidnaps a dancer and her lover in order to win a bet.

Film Details

Also Known As
The Dove
Genre
Western
Adaptation
Adventure
Release Date
Jun 16, 1939
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the play The Dove by Willard Mack (New York, 11 Feb 1925), and the short story "The Blue Ribbon" by Gerald Beaumont in Red Book Magazine (Jan 1923).

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 2m
Film Length
5,660ft (7 reels)

Synopsis

El Rayo, a bandit known as the Mexican Robin Hood, wagers with Rodolfo, a member of his gang, that he can win the heart of the lovely cabaret dancer Dolores Romero, known as "The Dove". A condition of the bet is that El Rayo cannot divulge his identity as the famous bandit, and consequently, he masquerades as José Maria Lopez y Tostado, the brother of a wealthy landowner. Accompanied by his friend, Pasqual, El Rayo rides to the Purple Pigeon Cafe where the Dove performs. At the cafe, the boisterous El Rayo demands that The Dove entertain him, and the cafe owner, Mike Bascom, orders the defenseless dancer to comply with the señor's wishes. In desperation, The Dove turns to Johnny Powell, the young dice dealer at the casino, for help. In their plight, Johnny and The Dove discover that they love each other and plan to meet at midnight to elope across the border. As midnight approaches, however, Johnny accuses Charlie, one of the dice players, of cheating, and in the ensuing shootout, Johnny kills Charlie. As a result, Johnny is jailed for murder, and El Rayo warns The Dove that a lynch mob will hang him before morning. El Rayo promises to help Johnny escape across the border on condition that The Dove spend the night with him, and to save her lover, The Dove agrees. To create a diversion, El Rayo arranges for his men to rob Bascom's cafe, and in the confusion, the bandits break Johnny out of jail and escort him across the border. The next day, as El Rayo prepares to depart with his prize, Johnny returns for The Dove. When Rodolfo appears and explains the terms of the debt to The Dove, she feigns love for El Rayo, and having saved face, the bandit releases her to marry Johnny.

Film Details

Also Known As
The Dove
Genre
Western
Adaptation
Adventure
Release Date
Jun 16, 1939
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the play The Dove by Willard Mack (New York, 11 Feb 1925), and the short story "The Blue Ribbon" by Gerald Beaumont in Red Book Magazine (Jan 1923).

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 2m
Film Length
5,660ft (7 reels)

Quotes

Trivia

Notes

The working title of this picture was The Dove. In 1927, United Artists filmed a version of Willard Mack's play entitled The Dove, directed by Roland West and starring Norma Talmadge, Noah Beery and Gilbert Roland (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.1426).