Gambit (1966 film)

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Gambit

original film poster
Directed by Ronald Neame
Produced by Leo L. Fuchs
Written by Jack Davies
Alvin Sargent
Sidney Carroll (story)
Starring Michael Caine
Shirley MacLaine
Herbert Lom
Roger C. Carmel
Arnold Moss
John Abbott
Music by Maurice Jarre
Cinematography Clifford Stine
Editing by Alma Macrorie
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release dates
  • December 21, 1966 (1966-12-21)
Running time 109 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $2,500,000 (US/ Canada)[1]

Gambit is a 1966 comedy film starring Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine as two criminals involved in an elaborate plot centered on a priceless antiquity from millionaire Mr. Shahbandar, played by Herbert Lom. It was nominated for three Academy Awards.

The film was advertised with the headline, "Go Ahead: Tell the End —It's Too Hilarious to Keep Secret—, But Please Don't Tell the Beginning!"

Gambit was directed by Ronald Neame from a screenplay by Jack Davies and Alvin Sargent from the original story of Sidney Carroll.

A remake, with only basic ideas in common, was released in 2012, with a script by Joel and Ethan Coen. The cast includes Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz, Alan Rickman, Tom Courtenay, Stanley Tucci and Cloris Leachman.

Plot

Cockney cat burglar Harry Dean (Michael Caine) and his friend artist Emile discover exotic Hong Kong showgirl Nicole Chang (Shirley MacLaine) in a crowded restaurant. Because she bears an incredible resemblance to the late wife of the world's richest man, Mr. Shahbandar (Herbert Lom), Harry and Emile want to use her in a scheme to rob Shahbandar of a priceless statuette. Nicole initially resists, until they offer her a legal British passport and 5000 US dollars.

Harry and Nicole arrive in Damuz (a fictitious Middle Eastern country) under the assumed identities of Sir Harold and Lady Dean. Gaining Shahbandar's attention, they accept his invitation for the evening. At Shahbandar's mansion, their host shows Harry and Nicole the statuette and invites them to dinner. Harry declines, but persuades Nicole to accept. While Nicole occupies Shahbandar's attention at dinner, Harry sneaks back into the mansion to steal the statuette.

Nicole makes an excuse to leave Shahbandar, and returns to the mansion to help Harry. Together, they steal the statuette but accidentally trigger the alarm. At Harry's insistence, Nicole flees to the airport while he hides from the guards. Harry watches as the guards discover that the statuette is gone but instead of instigating a search, they check a secret compartment in the wall of the room, where the real statuette is hidden. The one on display stolen by Harry is a copy. Harry replaces the original with the fake, and hides the real one in a nearby statue of Buddha.

At the airport, Harry and Nicole agree to travel separately and meet back in Hong Kong. At the reunion, along with Emile, Harry reveals that Shahbandar has already been told where to find the real statuette, and that he never intended to steal the statuette but only give the appearance that it had been stolen so that Emile could sell off a replica he had made earlier. Nicole breaks up with Harry unhappy at his criminal lifestyle, but Harry smashes the replica to prove she is more important to him than his life of crime. Nicole and Harry leave Emile looking disconsolate at the destruction of the replica.

With Nicole and Harry gone, Emile opens a cupboard in his studio, where he has stored three more replicas of the statuette.

Cast

Awards

The film was nominated for three Academy Awards:[2][3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Big Rental Films of 1967", Variety, 3 January 1968 p 25. Please note these figures refer to rentals accruing to the distributors.
  2. ↑ "The 39th Academy Awards (1967) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-08-24. 
  3. ↑ "NY Times: Gambit". NY Times. Retrieved 2008-12-27. 

External links

Films directed by Ronald Neame
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