Gambling City
Encyclopedia
Gambling City, also known as The Cheaters (in original Italian, La città gioca d'azzardo) is a 1975
Italian poliziotteschi
film by Sergio Martino
. It stars Luc Merenda
, Dayle Haddon
and Corrado Pani.
Gambling City is one of several European heist films produced in response to the popular success of American films in the genre like The Sting
(1973). The film features many of the genre's standard conventions, including a Byronic hero
who acts as a social bandit by practicing confidence tricks, the hero's forbidden love with a socially repressed damsel in distress
(who may or may not exhibit facets of the femme fatale
) and a morally corrupt dandy
as villain
and the hero's foil
. The film was co-written by Martino and Ernesto Gastaldi
, and produced by Martino’s brother, Luciano.
Luca Altieri (Merenda); Altieri begins working for underground illegal gambling kingpin "The President" after running a scam at a high-stakes poker table in The President's casino; soon after entering The President's employ, however, Altieri enters into a violent competition with The President's hot-tempered, self-entitled son and heir, Corrado (Pani), for the hand of Corrado's girlfriend, Maria Luisa (Haddon).
and taking a seat beside several tuxedoed patrons at its high-roller table. In contrast to his slickly attired opponents Altieri is dressed in a threadbare cardigan and slacks and has a carnation in his lapel. Noticing the newcomer's obvious lack of means at a table where a single chip is worth 10,000 lira
, one player asks Altieri if he has enough money to back his bets. To this Altieri responds, "Win or bust."
Altieri then proceeds to execute his scam by initially pretending to be a poker novice. He fumbles his cards and requests a re-deal despite his having four-of-a-kind queens, explaining that he doesn't trust receiving such a strong hand so early. Within minutes he has fleeced his fellow players, and while waiting to make his exit via elevator, he reveals his scheme to a security guard standing beside him. In response, the security guard tells Altieri the elevator is not an exit at all and escorts the scamp into it. They then take the elevator to the casino's basement where Altieri meets The President, Corrado and Maria Luisa.
films in 2005 as part of the "Sergio Martino Collection." The DVD is currently out-of-print.
noted the "powerful, rhythmic sense of violence" the film shares with other Martino films. But Kehr's review primarily focused on the film as an early example of Martino's talents. Kehr praised the absolute lack of sentimentality displayed by a director who would go on to make over 50 feature-length films, including spaghetti westerns like A Man Called Blade (1977) and science-fiction fantasies like 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983).
Since the film's release on DVD, however, no other mainstream critics have commented on it, and what attention it has received from the blogosphere has been mostly negative. TwitchFilm.net reviewer "logboy" called it "a fairly odd experience," but qualified his disparagement with, "It has its saving graces in amount substantial enough to make it an interesting experience in many isolated regards." And Gambling City critic Matt Hwang called the film's score "something between the distorted wind-up chime of a broken Jack-in-the-Box
and the Merry-go-Round accordion."
1975 in film
The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London....
Italian poliziotteschi
Poliziotteschi
Poliziotteschi films constitute a sub-genre of crime and action film that emerged in Italy in the late 1960s and reached the height of their popularity in the 1970s...
film by Sergio Martino
Sergio Martino
Sergio Martino is an Italian film director and producer, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre.Martino is the brother of producer Luciano Martino. They collaborated frequently in their respective professions...
. It stars Luc Merenda
Luc Merenda
Luc Merenda is a French film actor.He was one of the most prominent actors of the Italian poliziotteschi genre, working several times with Sergio Martino.-Selected filmography:* OSS 117 prend des vacances...
, Dayle Haddon
Dayle Haddon
Dayle Haddon is a Canadian model and actress, presently known for promoting anti-aging products manufactured by L'Oréal. Additionally, she is credited as author of Ageless Beauty: A Woman's Guide to Lifelong Beauty and Well-Being...
and Corrado Pani.
Gambling City is one of several European heist films produced in response to the popular success of American films in the genre like The Sting
The Sting
The Sting is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936 that involves a complicated plot by two professional grifters to con a mob boss . The film was directed by George Roy Hill, who previously directed Newman and Redford in the western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.Created by...
(1973). The film features many of the genre's standard conventions, including a Byronic hero
Byronic hero
The Byronic hero is an idealised but flawed character exemplified in the life and writings of English Romantic poet Lord Byron. It was characterised by Lady Caroline Lamb, later a lover of Byron's, as being "mad, bad, and dangerous to know"...
who acts as a social bandit by practicing confidence tricks, the hero's forbidden love with a socially repressed damsel in distress
Damsel in distress
The subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...
(who may or may not exhibit facets of the femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
) and a morally corrupt dandy
Dandy
A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of Self...
as villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
and the hero's foil
Foil (literature)
In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight particular qualities of another character....
. The film was co-written by Martino and Ernesto Gastaldi
Ernesto Gastaldi
Ernesto Gastaldi is an Italian screen writer.Born in Graglia, province of Biella, he has written under the pseudonyms Julian Berry, Julyan Perry and Ernst Gasthaus....
, and produced by Martino’s brother, Luciano.
Plot
Gambling City's story centers on the exploits of master poker player and card sharpCard sharp
A card sharp is a person who uses skill and deception to win at poker or other card games...
Luca Altieri (Merenda); Altieri begins working for underground illegal gambling kingpin "The President" after running a scam at a high-stakes poker table in The President's casino; soon after entering The President's employ, however, Altieri enters into a violent competition with The President's hot-tempered, self-entitled son and heir, Corrado (Pani), for the hand of Corrado's girlfriend, Maria Luisa (Haddon).
Opening Scenes
Gambling City opens with Altieri entering an illegal gambling parlor in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and taking a seat beside several tuxedoed patrons at its high-roller table. In contrast to his slickly attired opponents Altieri is dressed in a threadbare cardigan and slacks and has a carnation in his lapel. Noticing the newcomer's obvious lack of means at a table where a single chip is worth 10,000 lira
Lira
Lira is the name of the monetary unit of a number of countries, as well as the former currency of Italy, Malta, San Marino and the Vatican City and Israel. The term originates from the value of a Troy pound of high purity silver. The libra was the basis of the monetary system of the Roman Empire...
, one player asks Altieri if he has enough money to back his bets. To this Altieri responds, "Win or bust."
Altieri then proceeds to execute his scam by initially pretending to be a poker novice. He fumbles his cards and requests a re-deal despite his having four-of-a-kind queens, explaining that he doesn't trust receiving such a strong hand so early. Within minutes he has fleeced his fellow players, and while waiting to make his exit via elevator, he reveals his scheme to a security guard standing beside him. In response, the security guard tells Altieri the elevator is not an exit at all and escorts the scamp into it. They then take the elevator to the casino's basement where Altieri meets The President, Corrado and Maria Luisa.
Releases
The film released on Region 0 NTSC DVD by NoShameNoShame
NoShame, or NoShame Films, was an Italian-American company specializing in releasing authoritative editions of cult Italian movies on DVD.-History:...
films in 2005 as part of the "Sergio Martino Collection." The DVD is currently out-of-print.
Reception
Gambling City received little attention in the European or American press at its release, but experienced a revival in interest when now-defunct Italian cult-film company NoShame Films re-released it on DVD in 2005. At the time of its re-release New York Times reviewer Dave KehrDave Kehr
Dave Kehr is an American film critic. A critic at the Chicago Reader and the Chicago Tribune for many years, he writes a weekly column for The New York Times on DVD releases, in addition to contributing occasional pieces on individual films or filmmakers.-Early life and education:Dave Kehr did...
noted the "powerful, rhythmic sense of violence" the film shares with other Martino films. But Kehr's review primarily focused on the film as an early example of Martino's talents. Kehr praised the absolute lack of sentimentality displayed by a director who would go on to make over 50 feature-length films, including spaghetti westerns like A Man Called Blade (1977) and science-fiction fantasies like 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983).
Since the film's release on DVD, however, no other mainstream critics have commented on it, and what attention it has received from the blogosphere has been mostly negative. TwitchFilm.net reviewer "logboy" called it "a fairly odd experience," but qualified his disparagement with, "It has its saving graces in amount substantial enough to make it an interesting experience in many isolated regards." And Gambling City critic Matt Hwang called the film's score "something between the distorted wind-up chime of a broken Jack-in-the-Box
Jack-in-the-Box
Jack-in-the-Box is a fictional character in the comic book series Astro City. Created by writer Kurt Busiek and artists Brent Anderson and Alex Ross, Jack-in-the-Box is a prominent superhero of Astro City...
and the Merry-go-Round accordion."