Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

ksf-2 Some fun names in this one... Chester Morris (Boston Blackie) , Lloyd Corrigan (who doesnt seem to be related to Ray, but they DID make a film together), Lyle Talbot, and a young Nancy Kelly. Even Dick Elliot, the mayor from Andy Griffith. In Gambler's Choice, a group of kids that grew up together, running scams here and there, meet up again as adults. Except that now, Mike is a cop, and the others still aren't grown up yet, running gambling shops and helping a friend throw the election the right way. When people start getting shot dead, the cops vow to track down the killers. Gambling houses are raided. It's all pretty formula. Good guys against the organized crime guys. All done in 66 minutes. Directed by Frank McDonald, king of the old westerns. It's okay.... i caught this one on Midnight Movies channel. Not bad.

MartinHafer I had a very strong sense of déjà vu as I watched this film. That's because although IMDb doesn't say it's a remake, it is a retooling of many popular films of the 1930s--particularly "Manhattan Melodrama". Because of this, I found the plot rather predictable. Now I am not saying that it's a bad film--it's competently made--but it's certainly not very original or inspired.The film begins with three kids out hustling. One, who you KNOW is destined to grow up bad, steals something and soon the cops catch them. The court scene pretty much shows what the future will be for the trio--the bad kid has a criminal-type father (so he'll grow to be a crooked guy), the girl's father a drunk (so she'll spend most of her life caring for the irresponsible guy) and the other has parents that are concerned (naturally, he grows to be a cop just like his old man).Years pass and now the bad kid has grown into Ross (Chester Morris)--a professional gambler who is willing to do just about anything to make his mark on the world AND be the biggest man in town. Mary is now a beautiful barroom singer (Nancy Kelly) and Mike (Russell Hayden) is a cop. Of the three, Ross is the center of the story--just like gambling Clark Gable was in "Manhattan Melodrama". I could explain more about the plot but don't particularly feel it's that important--as I said, so much of it is familiar territory. What is also familiar is that Ross and Mike are destined to have a confrontation and the question, as always, is can they avoid hurting each other in the process and also remain friends.Overall, well acted and a decent time-passer...but not much else.

MARIO GAUCI This Chester Morris vehicle is superior to AERIAL GUNNER (1943) – it's made by practically the same people – but still emerges as nothing special. The film follows the familiar plot line of MANHATTAN MELODRAMA (1934) – two childhood friends grow up to be on opposing sides of the law, one a cop (Russell Hayden) and the other a gambler (Morris); of course, they both happen to love the same girl (Nancy Kelly, whom I should be watching soon in her most important – and Oscar-nominated – role in THE BAD SEED [1956]) and, by the end of it, Morris has seen the error of his ways and gives his life – and gal – for his best pal.Actually, the early 20th century New York atmosphere is vividly recreated on a shoestring – and Morris struts in clear imitation of James Cagney (who starred in the similar ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES [1938]); his character's epitaph, then, is borrowed from another Cagney vehicle – THE ROARING TWENTIES (1939). Featured in the colorful supporting cast are Sheldon Leonard (as Morris' business rival), Tom Dugan (as Morris' right-hand man), Lee Patrick (as Morris' financier), Lloyd Corrigan (as Kelly's politician father) and, in minor roles, Jimmy Conlin, Lyle Talbot and Dewey Robinson. Interestingly enough, the script was a combination of the writing talents of James Edward Grant, Irving Reis and Maxwell Shane (who also had a similar credit on AERIAL GUNNER).

boblipton Pine and Thomas were known around Paramount as 'The Dollar Bills' because they were both named William and they could turn out a watchable second feature that would turn a nice profit on the cheap. For a decade or so they prospered, giving B talent a chance to shine in decently-written movies with good production values.Here Chester Morris, Nancy Kelly and Lyle Talbot -- a decade past their primes -- are enjoyable in the sort of movie that W.S. Van Dyke used to direct people in a decade earlier -- MANHATTAN MELODRAMA and SAN FRANCISCO, where the two male leads grew up together, one became a gambler -- usually played by Clark Gable -- and the other became a priest or a lawyer -- that could be Spencer Tracy or William Powell -- and they both love the same girl, of course. And that's the beginning, middle and end, with, of course, an interesting run of good character actors, of which Hollywood had a plethora in the 1940s. So don't expect anything startlingly original, but do expect a pleasant ninety minutes.