Gambit (1966) Throughout the 1960's Universal Studios adhered to a policy of grinding out feature films that looked exactly like the NBC TV shows that rolled off their assembly line.......
Flat, bright lighting. Blatantly backlot sets. Supporting casts culled from the roster of reliable character actors who regularly populated assorted TV episodes.
"Gambit" is afflicted with all these usual Universal sausage-factory components, but it's redeemed and lifted out of the ordinary by two factors.......
Factor # 1: A clever, clever script by Jack Davies and Alvin Sargent, who find a new, funny way to put a twist on the well worn "impossible heist" genre...
Factor # 2: The pure unadulterated star power of Shirley MacLaine and young Michael Caine, appearing in his first Hollywood movie after rocketing to international fame in "Zulu" and "Alfie".
Together they're a wonderful oddball romantic mismatch......with Caine as a Cockney burglar/con-man and MacClaine as a kooky Hong Kong nightclub dancer he enlists for an elaborate caper.
Caine's outrageous scheme involves using MacLaine to enchant and distract an Istanbul zillionaire (the always slightly sinister Herbert Lom), whose late wife MacLaine deeply resembles.
While Lom's all agog over MacLaine, Caine plans to sneak into Lom's heavily secured apartment and swipe Lom's prized possession, a statuette of a centuries old Eurasian princess.....(who also happens to resemble Lom's late wife and MacLaine....)
The biggest plot twist detonates very early on....(one of the film's primary selling points) and serves to render the rest of the story even more delightful to watch unfold.
Maybe the final flurry of twists don't quite match up to the biggie at the beginning, but by that time, we found ourselves so charmed by the powerhouse Caine-MacLaine pairing, we didn't mind at all.
And we even forgave the parade of cheap looking Universal backlot sets. The story and the stars carried us away.....(and let's not forget Maurice Jarre kicking in one of his trademark bouncy sing-song scores...)
"Gambit" won't stand as one of the all time great caper movies......but as a pleasant, time wasting diversion, it's still tops with us. 4 stars (****)
And like the poster advises, whatever you do, don't spoil the beginning........
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