The Mississippi Gambler (1953)

Wonderful character development!

Just what I expected

Better Late Then Never

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Certainly, a classic portrayal of the gentleman riverboat gambler who excels at playing cards when no trickery is involved. He is also an expert swordsman, taught by his father. Along with dancing, these seem to be his main skills, but should be sufficient to support a wife and children, in the right environment. We might contrast Mark with Gaylord Ravinal, of "Showboat", also a riverboat gambler. After marrying Magnolia, his gambling luck turns sour, and he leaves Magnolia. Her father says "Ï told you so". In contrast to the aristocratic Leia in the present film, who tried to deny her attraction to this social underling, Magnolia practically threw herself at Gaylord, who was handsome, dressed as a gentleman, and was an excellent singer, besides apparently skilled at gambling. Gaylord left Magnolia, but eventually came crawling back to her. In contrast, in the present film, it's Leia who comes running to Mark, asking forgiveness for all her putdowns.John McIntire, as John Polly, serves as Mark's sidekick, sharing Mark's dream of creating a no-cheating gambling establishment. Ralph Dunke, as Caldwell, tries to prevent the two from accomplishing this goal, as he has made his fortune cheating at gambling. His goons try to rough up and dump overboard Mark and Pool. The two manage to beat their opponents and dive overboard in a shallow stretch, to take another boat the rest of the way to N.O.. Surprisingly, the pair don't seem to encounter Caldwell in N.O..Another villain is Laurent(John Baer): Leia's brother, and the son of Edmond Dureau(Paul Cavanagh), who runs a fencing club in N.O., and knew Mark's father in Paris. Both Laurent and Edmond are marked for death in the near future. Laurent considers Mark an unqualified upstart in the quest to win the hand of Leia. He challenges Mark to a formal duel. Surprisingly, Mark chooses pistols instead of rapiers as the weapons. Laurent cheats by firing his pistol before the count is finished. He misses, in his haste, leaving Mark to spare his life. However, Laurent was ostracized for his cheating. Why did Mark choose pistols rather than rapiers, which he was sure to win with? Apparently, he wanted to be seen as giving Laurent a sporting chance. Laurent would later again attempt to kill Mark, but only succeeded in killing himself. Laurent's father was mortally wounded in another duel. His death symbolically opened the way for Mark to become his successor as the champion swordsman of N.O..Yet another villain is George Elwood(Ron Randell). He is a banker and becomes Leia's husband. Some rumors are spread about what he does with the bank's money, causing a run on the bank. He absconds with the remaining money, and Leia has the marriage annulled.Piper Laurie, as Leia, isn't exactly a pleasant character. If I were Mark, I would have chosen the non-aristocratic Ann(Julie Adams)over her. Apparently, Mark preferred aristocratic breeding over personality and usefulness. Tyrone Power isn't my favorite actor, and I find many of his films dull. However, this one is OK, although he can look menacing when he scowls, at this age.In the middle, the acclaimed Gwen Verdon stars dancing to ""Haitian Devil Song". It's pretty long and ornate. See all at YouTube

"The Mississippi Gambler" is largely responsible for the downfall of Tyrone Power's marriage to Linda Christian. The film was originally developed as a vehicle for the two of them, but Universal Pictures prevailed and Piper Laurie was cast. As Laurie herself put it, "When I did the test, my competition was Mrs. Power!" Christian never forgave her husband. Add to that his affair with Anita Ekberg (who is uncredited in this movie), and you've got a recipe for divorce.Needless to say, the role was tailor-made for Power - that of a handsome, honorable, gentleman-gambler who's in love with one woman, Angelique (Laurie) and has the love of another, Ann (Julia Adams). Power is magnificently handsome, if maybe a little too old for this part. He is meticulously dressed and has the opportunity to show off his sword play. It's an excellent role for him, and one he does beautifully.The production values are sumptuous, including the sets, costumes, and a marvelous supporting cast which includes John McIntyre, Ron Randell, and John Baer, and the wonderful Paul Cavanagh, who plays Angelique's father. Laurie, once the President of her local Tyrone Power Fan Club, is exquisite in the ingénue role. The beautiful Julia Adams (who looks eerily like Connie Selleca in this film) does a great job of suffering from unrequited love.Nearly twenty years of working at Twentieth Century Fox had taught Power a lot. This film was a huge hit and, with a percentage of the gross, made a ton of money for him. He needed it for the divorce settlement.

Excellent and a bit different action type story line. Great mix, of old world, upper echelon Mississippi River gambling life. Also the rift between "commoners" and the "rich elite" who like to make believe they don't have all the same feelings and faults like us average folk. It has a good supporting cast as well. Tyrone Power was a bit older by this move but we all age and he still looks darn good. He also is still a fine actor and personality and can command the screen too. It's has some excellent sword play and it also provides a bit of a real fencing education. Besides all that it's in color and It's got Julie Adams and Piper Laurie too!

Tyrone Power does a fine turn as a gambler who prevails at cards and life by playing honestly at both. Director Billy Wilder later used Power's talent at playing the honest-joe in Witness for the Prosecution. In the latter movie, Power's characterization is richer and more nuanced than here(but you'll need to see Witness to find out why!). Seton I. Miller, the chief screenwriter for Mississippi Gambler, worked with Powers in an earlier movie, The Black Swan. Both movies feature a dance sequence highlighting black "ethnic" musicians and dancers. Gwen Verdon provides the dancing talent in Mississippi Gambler. Worth watching for the lavish costumes, detailed sets, and excellent cast. Sadly, by the time this movie was made, Power had lost the aura that caused him to shine as a younger star.