Gambling on the High Seas (1940)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

"Gambling on the High Seas" is a B movie remake of "Special Agent". "Special Agent" was an A picture. So what the difference between an A and a B? Back in the 1930s and 40s, movie theaters usually showed a double-feature--two full-length films. The shorter and usually much cheaper film was called the B-movie, the more prestigious, longer and bigger budgeted picture was an A. So, while the original clocks in at about 80 minutes, this remake is less than an hour in length. In addition, the actors are not quite the same level in quality and pay as the original...though for a B, "Gambling on the High Seas" is much better than average, with Wayne Morris and Jane Wyman starring in the flick.Morella (Gilbert Roland) operates an off-shore gambling ship. Because of its location, it is exempt from US law...and folks can gamble at will. However, Morella is a hood...and in addition to having fixed tables, he and his men have been responsible for several murders. Nice-guy reporter Jim Carter (Morris) pretends to be playing both sides in order to cozy up to Morella, but he plans on doing his best to get Morella in prison. How he does this and who helps him, you'll just have to see for yourself.The best things about this film is its brisk pace, dynamite action at the end of the movie, a decent plot and some very nice acting. My only complaint is that it's a remake...and the original was a bit better. Well worth seeing...and quite enjoyable.

Strange B crime picture from Warner Bros. starring Wayne Morris as a cocky reporter out to bring down Gilbert Roland, a gangster who runs a floating casino. The weird thing about this one is that Roland's character seems like a pretty OK guy, as far as murdering gangsters go. We only see him kill or even threaten people who threaten him first, and he is pretty nice to those who are nice to him. This includes our rat hero, who has a smug grin plastered on his face throughout the picture that made me root for him to fail at every turn. Basically the whole film is Roland being nice to Morris while Morris plots his demise behind his back. Some hero. Oh and Jane Wyman is around counting the minutes until her inevitable kidnapping and rescue. She's a rat, too, so the whole thing just feels weird, you know? We have a picture where the gangster is a pleasant enough fellow if you don't cross him and the hero is an unsavory rat gleefully plotting the downfall of a guy who, at least by what we're shown on screen, is not that bad. Strange but worth a look.

Jim Carver, ace reporter, announces his intention to go out and bring down the notorious gambler Morella. His boss tells him: "If you can, Jim, it'll be the greatest story the Journal ever had. But it'll be dangerous!"Subtle dialog is not among this picture's strengths, but a decent energy level and an interesting cast keep it entertaining.Gilbert Roland is quite smooth as Morella, the professional criminal who has set up an offshore gambling ship just outside the three-mile police enforcement limit. Everybody knows that Morella is a crook—and is behind at least one murder—but nobody can prove it.Wayne Morris is big and smiley as reporter Jim; although likable enough, Morris is so cheerful and spouts that good corny dialog with such eagerness that sometimes it's hard not to laugh. For example, when his girlfriend is kidnapped: "I got Laurie into this mess, and if I ever expect her to become Mrs. Jim Carver, I gotta get her out of it."Jane Wyman is Laurie, the spunky girlfriend who works right on board the gambling ship as Morella's secretary. Wyman hardly appears in the first half of the picture; it's no coincidence that the movie's second half, with Wyman as a major character, is faster moving and just generally much snappier.Plot and dialog so-so, cast giving it their best shot anyway….It's no classic but that Warner Bros. punch still makes for an entertaining enough 55 minutes. My favorite exchange— Morris: "You don't pay enough attention to me." Wyman: "What do you want for nothing?"

Found out that Jane Wyman's 30's and early 40 pictures were interesting, so caught this dark horse recently. She does that snappy dialog like no other. There was a lot more of it in some of the detective venues she did for a while ("Crime by Night," "Private Detective"). Old story of an actress/actor getting started in a type, doing it well, and then getting stuck there. It's a wonder they break out, but we know she did. After being featured in this type of picture, Ms. Wyman moved up to better ones, playing the female star's girlfriend and similar for a while. Always strong, more energetic and assertive than her later starring dramatic roles. Of course, there are others of interest in the subject picture. It's a programmer actually, with some good actors on their way up. Those can be a bit of a find at times. The Gilbert Roland character was a change from what we have gotten used to seeing from him. Low key, understated performance. Kind of a relief from the more typical volatile crime boss type. Interesting picture to me for these reasons.