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Clark Gable is a casino owner who has tried to give all he can to his wife and son, but maybe all they needed was his time. Alexis Smith and Dwayne Hickman is his wife and son, and the movie is peppered with great supporting actors like Frank Morgan, Wendell Corey, Mary Astor and Marjorie Rambeau. The film begins rather slow, but is rewarding to those who like character studies and get into family dynamics. This seems to be the type of film that doesn't rely so much on active plot but on the way the characters relate to each other, which in some ways, puts it ahead of its time. While others may find fault with the film and I do admit it has its faults, I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciated what it was trying to convey, that in life we have to give a second chance not only to others but also to ourselves. A new beginning is always the best perspective. Watch Any Number Can Play and see what you get out of it.

Not a great film but a very entertaining one with some wonderful performances from a cast of pros.

Gable holds the spotlight effortlessly as the gambling house owner at a crossroads ably assisted by some of the best character actors working at MGM at the time. Used as both a launching pad for some actors just starting out, Wendell Corey and Barry Sullivan, and a chance to see many wonderful character actors with years of experience, Lewis Stone, Frank Morgan etc. all get their moment in the spotlight.

It's hard to pick best in show with so many marvelous players but some that stand out are: Mary Astor is a nice cameo as a lonely woman with a longstanding yen for Clark who through the years has settled for friendship. Both Stone and Morgan add pathos to their individual roles as does Audrey Totter as Alexis Smith's worn down sister. Marjorie Rambeau is an absolute joy as a rambunctious dowager who swoops right in and steals her scenes without breaking a sweat. Lastly Alexis Smith who often was wasted in decorative roles bites into her role as Gable's tough wife. She initially seems a complacent and docile homebody but when the chips are down she emerges as somewhat of a tigress in a terrific performance.

As might be apparent from the long list of excellent work turned in, the film has many plot lines; really too many and that's its main weakness. Director Mervyn LeRoy juggles all the various happenings effectively but a bit of trimming would have sharpened the film's focus.

One of the great opening scenes of any Hollywood movie projects a kind of cinematic/theatrical authority in a league with O'Neill or Odets, first we see the black man, filled with jolly self denial, buffing the crap tables, his tragedy is implicit from the first moment, believing in his heart that he is on a social par with the other white employees... and with quick, methodical grace the other supporting characters are sharply introduced - they're waiting for lefty, or godot,or the Iceman, or their savior,who happens to be Gable in one of his greatest roles...this is the refined essence of that great personality on screen...the man could simply manufacture chemistry not only with his leading ladies but with other men as well...too bad the crisp, exciting climax at the crap table does not quite live up to this glorious existential opening but it's still an eminently enjoyable Hollywood wrap up..one of the most underrated MGM movies.

With an interesting subject that is very much relevant today, a more than capable director who has done some decent and more films and it is hard to go wrong with talent like Clark Gable, Mary Astor and Frank Morgan, have fondness for all three. Seeing them individually in different films is always great, seeing them in the same film together is even more of a treat.

'Any Number Can Play' is certainly an interesting film and does quite a good job with its serious subject. In terms of quality, everybody involved did much better in other things, especially previously, but mostly they are served well and 'Any Number Can Play' is a more than watchable and actually decent film in its own way. Some flaws here but also a lot of strengths, the film does try to do too much but the performances more than make up for it.

Like said above, 'Any Number Can Play' would have been better if it tried to do less. It can have too much going on that it's occasionally a bit hasty and muddled. It would have benefitted from not having as many characters and fleshed out some of the characters more.

Mary Astor and Audrey Totter should have had more to do. Astor deserved more than a cameo, but actually comes off better but she is quite touching here. Didn't really get very much from Totter, who is rather bland and her role fairly underwritten.

Clark Gable however is excellent in the lead role, charming yet hard-edged. Frank Morgan, Marjorie Rambeau and particularly Lewis Stone are more than solid in support, Rambeau is a delight and Stone is quite affecting and understated. Morgan has a knack for stealing scenes without over-egging. Alexis Smith is fetching and has charm.

The film is nicely shot and while the settings are few they are hardly ugly. The music doesn't intrude yet has enough presence to stop it from being bland. Mervyn Le Roy may have bring the most distinguished of all directing jobs but he keeps things moving and doesn't undermine the cast in any way.

Overall the script is thoughtful and taut and the story may have its faults but the intrigue factor is high and it does a good job showing the dangers and horrors of gambling and how it affects the family without trivialising or overdoing. Didn't think that the moral was a weird one at all.

In summation, interesting and worthwhile but with room for improvement. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This film focuses wisely more on the risks of individuals with a gambling habit regardless of their economic wealth or lack there of, and not on the dashing film career of the handsome actor Clark Gable. Rather Clark Gable is portrayed as a tough guy who made it through sheer hard work and personal sacrifices to own an illegal gambling den and although the income he and his extended family derive from the profits of their gambling den it leaves him little time for his family or any friends.

The story becomes more about how Clark Gable grapples with his strained relationship with his teenage son and the long line of people who want a share of Gable's wealth even if they have to cheat to get a chunk of the betting profits, or rob him.

In the end the story of how so many lives are crumbled by a fierce and endless gambling habit, and as we all know, the house will always win in the end. In this case there is an unexpected twist at the end that I did not see coming but is worth the price of admission.

I give Gable's performance as well as a number of his co-stars a 7 out of 10 IMDB rating for both good acting and a very good lesson to be learned about gambling habits and knowing when to show them, and when to fold them.