The Mississippi Gambler *** (1953, Tyrone Power, Piper Laurie, Julie Adams) – Classic Movie Review 12,496

Director Rudolph Maté’s 1953 Universal Studios American Western film The Mississippi Gambler stars Tyrone Power as Mark Fallon, a powerful performer with the cards, women, swords and fists in this colourful, diverting costume picture, in which he and gambler Kansas John Polly (McIntire) open a New Orleans casino.

Power rings snooty Southern belle Angelique Duroux (Laurie)’s bell, but she weds financier George Elwood (Ron Randell) in a fit of pique. Ann Conant (Julie Adams) loves the devilishly handsome Power, too, but he only likes her.

The Mississippi Gambler is a handsome film all round, from the stars to the Technicolor scenery, shot by Irving Glassberg. The yarn is nothing special but it is busy and always amusing enough, and the performances from a lustrous, talented cast are alluring.

The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound Recording (Leslie I. Carey).

Tyrone Power was canny enough to take a 50 cent participation deal in the profits in lieu of salary, and it was Universal-International’s biggest 1953 money-maker, taking $5 million at the box office.

It is the third Universal Studios film with this title, though each with a different plot, following The Mississippi Gambler (1929) and Mississippi Gambler (1942).

The cast are Tyrone Power as Mark Fallon, Piper Laurie as Angelique Dureau, Julie Adams as Ann Conant (as Julia Adams), John McIntire as Kansas John Polly, Paul Cavanagh as Edmond Dureau, John Baer as Laurent Dureau, Ron Randell as George Elwood, Ralph Dumke as Caldwell, Robert Warwick as Paul O Monet, William Reynolds as Pierre, Guy Williams as Andre, Dennis Weaver, Hugh Beaumont, King Donovan, Gwen Verdon, Alan Dexter, Dale Van Sickel, Michael Dale, Bert LeBaron, Marcel de la Brosse, Frank Wilcox, Edward Earle, Andre Charlot, William Vedder, Larry Thor, Bill Walker, Roy Engel, Dayton Lummis, Dorothy Bruce, Angela Stevens, Rolfe Sedan, Saul Martell, Maya Van Horn, Tony Hughes, Fred Cravens, George Hamilton, David Newell, Paul Bradley, LeRoi Antienne, Anita Ekberg, Renate Hoy, Jackie Loughery, Jeanne Thompson, Eduardo Cansino Jr, John O’Connor, Paul Kruger, Robert Strong, Jack Del Rio, Buddy Roosevelt, and Jon Shepard.

The Mississippi Gambler is produced by Ted Richmond

Ted Richmond died in Paris at the age of 103 in 2013. His most noted films are Bachelor in Paradise (1961) and It Happened at the World’s Fair (1963), Return of the Seven (1966), Villa Rides (1968), Red Sun (1971) and Papillon (1973).

He produced the early starring vehicles of Audie Murphy. He made The Mississippi Gambler (1953) with Tyrone Power and then formed Copa Productions together. They made Count Three and Pray (1955) and Nightfall (1957), both without Power in the cast, and Abandon Ship! (1957) and Solomon and Sheba (1959) with him. But Power died during the filming of Solomon and Sheba in Spain.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,496

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