The Gambler

The Gambler. 1974 Paramount Pictures
Starring: James Caan, Paul Sorvino, Lauren Hutton
Also starring: Jacqueline Brookes, Burt Young, Vic Tayback, Steven Keats, M. Emmet Walsh, James Woods
Director: Karel Reisz
The Gambler at Amazon (discontinued).

This was a blind buy at Wal-Mart when they were having a sale of discontinued Paramount DVDs some time ago. This movie also should not be confused with anything that Kenny Rogers has appeared in. All right?

Axel Freed (Caan) is a New York City English professor with a gambling addiction that is spiralling out of control, to the point that after one class, he asks his students if anyone could loan him "at least ten grand" to help him out. Regardless of doing that, he is still a decent teacher, but sadly, a terrible gambler who figures that he can "will himself to win". His debt to his bookie Hips (Sorvino) is now threatening to undermine his career and his relationship with Billie (Hutton).

Now $45,000 in the hole, Freed finds himself having to extort cash out of his own mother (Brookes) to pay his debt. He still seems unable to realize that he has a serious problem, despite the warning signs, and later on, the threats of violence if he doesn't pay up.

Recommended.