| Men of Chance | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | George Archainbaud Tommy Atkins (assistant) |
| Written by | Louis Weitzenkorn |
| Screenplay by | Louis Stevens Eddie Welch |
| Produced by | William LeBaron |
| Starring | Ricardo Cortez Mary Astor John Halliday |
| Cinematography | Nicholas Musuraca |
| Edited by | Archie Marshek |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 67 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Men of Chance is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by George Archainbaud, starring Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor, and John Halliday.[1][2]
Plot
A destitute Marthe Preston is in dire straits in Paris until gambler Richard Dorval comes to her aid. In gratitude, she agrees to a scheme of Dorval's to seduce and wed his rival, "Diamond Johnny" Silk, then help ruin Johnny's horse-racing business interests.
Marthe's inside information enables Dorval and an accomplice, bookie Joe Farley, to bribe Johnny's jockeys to deliberately lose races or to help them influence the odds. Johnny learns the truth and demands she leave. Martha has fallen in love with her husband, however, so she pretends to go along with a plot to poison Johnny's horse, double-crossing Dorval and rejoicing in Johnny's triumph.
Cast
- Ricardo Cortez as Johnny Silk
- Mary Astor as Marthe Preston Silk
- John Halliday as Richard Dorval
- Ralph Ince as Joe Farley
- Kitty Kelly as Gertie Robbins
- James Donlan as Clark
- George Davis as The Frenchman
Uncredited:
- Herman Bing as Fritz Tannenbaum
- André Cheron as French Detective
- Jean De Briac as Hotel Manager
- Tom Herbert as One of Johnny's Bookies
- John Larkin as Black Horse Handler
- Tom McGuire as Race Track Bookie
- Frank Mills as Tony - One of Johnny's Bookies
Critical reception
Mordaunt Hall of the The New York Times wrote, "The acting of Mary Astor and Ricardo Cortez in the principal rôles is a triumph of mind over some pretty painful dialogue." Hall also commented that the racetrack scenes were well done and captured some of the excitement of the track.[3]
The Film Daily gave the film a more positive review, and described it as "an unpretentious but thoroughly entertaining story", and wrote that Ricardo Cortez and Mary Astor "do some of their best work."[4]
See also
References
- "Men of Chance". AFI. afi.com.
- "Men of Chance (1932)". Turner Classic Movies. Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on January 17, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- Hall, Mordaunt (December 28, 1931). "THE SCREEN; Alice of Wonderland Fame, With Several of Her Friends, Comes to Shadow Life. A Race Track Thriller. Movietone News". The New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
- ""MEN OF CHANCE" with Ricardo Corter, Mary Astor, John Halliday, Ralph Ince". Internet Archive. The Film Daily. January 3, 1932. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
External links
- Men of Chance at IMDb
- Men of Chance at the TCM Movie Database (archived)
- Men of Chance at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films