GAMBLING WITH SOULS is one of many "morality" shockers that were made in the 1930s. Ostensibly these were films designed to educate the viewing public about the dangers of drugs, vice, and sex, but in reality they were lurid little potboilers whose posters screamed sensationalism.
GAMBLING WITH SOULS is the first of these I've watched (it won't be the last) and it's a surprisingly well-made little film for the most part. Clearly this was done on a low budget, but the production values are fairly strong; there are lots of scenes set in bustling casinos and with lots of extras in the background. The narrative is well-constructed, with a mystery court-case bookending the tale told in flashback; it concerns a young woman, addicted to gambling, who is forced into prostitution in order to pay off her debts.
The cast is undistinguished but the material still holds a certain significance to this day - it's amazing how non-dated this feels, especially in comparison to the creaky likes of Lugosi's Dracula made the same decade - and it's fast-paced enough to retain the attention span of even the modern viewer.
GAMBLING WITH SOULS is the first of these I've watched (it won't be the last) and it's a surprisingly well-made little film for the most part. Clearly this was done on a low budget, but the production values are fairly strong; there are lots of scenes set in bustling casinos and with lots of extras in the background. The narrative is well-constructed, with a mystery court-case bookending the tale told in flashback; it concerns a young woman, addicted to gambling, who is forced into prostitution in order to pay off her debts.
The cast is undistinguished but the material still holds a certain significance to this day - it's amazing how non-dated this feels, especially in comparison to the creaky likes of Lugosi's Dracula made the same decade - and it's fast-paced enough to retain the attention span of even the modern viewer.