- A social-climbing American with a business in illegal gambling falls in love with a blue blood, but gangsters and a jealous ex-girlfriend stand in the way of happiness.
- A greedy but successful professional gambler wants to join the British Establishment when he falls in love with a blue-blooded lady. But first he must mend his ways and then dump his nightclub singer girl friend. She's not so easy to get rid of, neither is his past.—Steve Crook <steve@brainstorm.co.uk>
- Casino owner Jim Forster stumbles into the street, where he is struck and killed by a car. Earlier, in Jim's London gambling house, shabby aristocrat Peter Willens pays receipt taker Jaco Spina with a bad check. Although Jim, an American ex-con who desperately wants to gain social standing, eschews strong-arm tactics, Jaco takes it upon himself to intimidate Peter. The next day, just as Jim's etiquette class ends, Peter visits to ask for more time to repay, and haughtily refuses to believe that Jim did not order the beating. After Peter leaves, Jim confronts Jaco and forcibly throws him out. He then laments to his best friend and manager, "Dave" Davies, that even after spending three years in jail for beating a man to death, he still cannot control his temper. Dave warns Jim that he will never be accepted in the upper class, but Jim is determined to earn enough money and clout to escape his past. They eat dinner that night at Maxie's, the gambling house where Jim won the first dollar that allowed him to build his current empire of nightclubs, casinos and racing horses. When three toughs make fun of Jim's grand airs, he starts a bar fight and then escapes to his nightclub. There, American gangsters Arturo and Angelo Colonna announce that they are in London to check out the gambling scene. Jim brushes them off and takes out his girl friend Pat, a dancer at the club. At the end of the night, however, Pat demands to know why Jim has been distant lately, and when he tries to break off the relationship, she berates his social climbing, telling him the aristocrats will know he is from the gutter. The Colonnas visit Jim at home the next morning and offer to buy his business and combine it with theirs. Although they want him to run it for a small percentage, he refuses. That night, he returns to the club and finds Peter with his sister Susan and a group of friends. When the group makes fun of Jim's formal manners, Susan rescues him and, as Pat watches, agrees to accompany him to an upcoming boxing match. On the night of the date, Peter "protects" Susan by telling Jim she is away for the weekend, and although Susan calls Jim as soon as she discovers her brother's deception, he has already gone out. At the races the next day, Susan finds Jim and explains the mistake, and soon they are spending every night together. Meanwhile, the Colonnas' men destroy the club, but Jim ignores them and rebuilds it quickly. A few nights later at the club, Pat warns Susan to stay away from Jim, but Susan scorns her. As Jim and Susan's relationship deepens, Peter's money troubles grow, and soon Peter asks her to convince Jim to invest in a gold mine with him. Reluctantly, she agrees, and Jim is so enthralled with the idea of making a fortune legitimately that he sells all his assets to make the investment. That night, he comes home to find Pat waiting for him with a knife, which he wrestles from her. She leaves but threatens to tell Susan about his past. The next morning, Jim learns that the gold mine investment was a swindle and he has lost everything. Believing Susan set him up, he refuses her calls and drinks heavily all day. Meanwhile, Jaco, who now works for the Colonnas but has never forgiven Jim, schemes to ruin the American. He spends the day informing the police about the Colonnas' gambling houses, and, when they are raided that night, blames Jim. Arturo sends Angelo to rough up Jim, but instead Angelo kills Dave. When Jim discovers his friend's dead body, he rushes in a murderous rage to the Colonnas', with a crazed Pat following close behind in her car. Susan learns from Jim's butler Sam what has happened, and the two drive to the Colonnas'. There, Jim enters the office, and although Arturo orders his men not to shoot, Jaco, panicked, pulls out a gun. Jim shoots him and, escapes out a window after being shot in the arm. He stumbles into the street, where Pat guns her accelerator and runs him over. After she speeds away, Susan and Sam pull up, and Susan cradles Jim in her arms as he dies.
- Jim Forster [Dane Clark] is an ex-alcoholic who served three years for manslaughter for killing a man in America whilst drunk. He now owns an illegal gambling club in London overseen by Dave Davies [Meredith Edwards]. Jacko Spina [George Pastell] is his cashier who settles accounts with the customers. When a cheque Spina accepts from a new customer, Lord Peter Willens [Anthony Forwood], bounces, Spina offers to track down the customer but Forster tells him to forget it because he wants to keep a low profile and keep clear of the police.
Forster is hoping to improve his place in society and socialise with the upper classes. He visits stables where he is seen by Lord Willens, is having lessons in English etiquette, and also employees an American colleague Sam [Thomas Gallagher] as his butler. Lord Willens visits Forster to reveal he has been visited by two of Forster's men regarding his outstanding debt so Forster sacks Spina for trying to enforce payment.
Forster already has enemies in London and a new threat are the Colonna brothers, who are now also in London and will be setting up a gambling business as they have done in other European cities. Forster is not concerned and goes to his club, where he has a brief but amenable introduction to Arturo Colonna [Eric Pohlmann] and his brother Angelo [Enzo Coticchia]. Forster's girlfriend Pat [Kathleen Byron] performs as a dancer at the club but their relationship is strained and they are argumentative.
The Colonna brothers attempt to buy Forster's gambling business, offering him 10% to stay on as their employee, but Forster refuses.
At a birthday party at his club, Forster meets Willens's sister Lady Susan Willens [Naomi Chance]. When they dance together, it only adds to the tension between Forster and Pat. Forster also owns a boxer and invites Susan to attend his next boxing match.
Forster tries to arrange to meet Susan for the boxing match but Willens erroneously tells Forster she is not interested. By the time Susan calls back, Forster has left. After the fight, Forster is given a second chance by the Colonna brothers to accept their offer. When he refuses again, they warn him it is every man for himself and that night, Forster's club and two of his gambling flats are smashed to pieces.
At a horse race meeting the next day, Susan bumps into Forster and explains she had really wanted to meet him for the boxing match. They happily spend the remainder of the day together. Willens father Lord Willens-Hortland's [Percy Marmont] horse is beaten by Forster's horse The Jack of Diamonds in one race.
Next time Forster and Susan visit the club together, Pat confronts Susan and warns her about having a relationship with Forster instead of her.
Lord Willens and his father are short of money and ask Susan to ask Forster to lend them some money for an investment. Mining prospector Richard Farning [Anthony Ireland] convinces Forster to invest with him. Forster instructs Davies to sell everything: the gambling business, the boxer, and the horse. Forster sees it as an opportunity to make a lot of money legitimately but Davies is sceptical and warns Forster he is being conned but sells up to the Colonna brothers.
The newspaper the next morning reports the police are enquiring into a mining scam involving Lord Willens-Hortland and the disappearance of Farning. Forster realises he has been swindled. Susan tries to explain it was all Farning and they have been conned too. Forster has lost everything and turns back to drinking heavily.
Spina is still angry with Forster and vows to get revenge for being sacked. He informs the police where to find the illegal gambling clubs Forster used to own. Spina convinces Colonna it must be Forster who is informing on them so they decide to pay him a visit. Forster finds Davies murdered by the Colonna brothers and chases after them by car. Susan and Sam chase after Forster. Forster confronts the Colonna brothers and their men. Spina takes Arturo Colonna's gun and tries to shoot Forster but misses. Forster shoots Spina and a gunfight breaks out. In the dark Forster manages to escape through the window, wounded in the arm. Outside in the dark, Pat calls to Forster from a nearby car but he is unable to see her. As he steps out into the open, she drives at him and runs him over. He dies just as Sam and Susan reach him.
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By what name was The Gambler and the Lady (1952) officially released in India in English?
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