The Scheming Gambler's Paradise

Scheming Gamblers' Paradise, The (1906)

** (out of 4)

aka Le Tripot clandestin

I've always found this to be one of the weaker Melies films out there even though it's still got a fair number of fans. The film takes place inside a gambling house that can quickly be turned into a clothing store whenever the police are about to enter. Seeing how the set was built in order to change like it does is clever the first time you see it but then it just keeps on happening and to me it's never really funny or fresh. I doubt this was the first time the trick gambling house was done so I can't even give this film points for that. The entire technique behind the changing of the room is nice but that's about it.

The pioneering French filmmaker Geroges Melies is chiefly remembered for his trick photography today but this film is evidence that he was capable of producing films that didn't rely on special effects to create an impact. The one set-one take story sees a bunch of gamblers and prostitutes enjoying themselves in a gambling den. Their hi-jinks are disrupted by a police raid, but the owners of the establishment are prepared for such raids and the casino is instantly transformed into a clothing store, leaving the police non-plussed by what they find.

The film reminded me firstly of a scene from the Rat Pack movie Robin and the Seven Hoods in which a similar gambling den is transformed into a church hall, and also of Mack Sennett's Keystone Kop movies thanks to the later scene where we see a dozen cops wrestling each other in the dark, each of them believing they have hold of one of the gamblers.

This short comedy is pretty clever, and it represents something of a change of pace from Georges Méliès, in terms of its method. Rather than the assortment of camera tricks that you see in most of his features, this one just uses the props very creatively to tell a simple but amusing story. The story and the technique both work well, and the visual effects make it fun to watch.

The story is set in a gambling house whose management expects to endure frequent raids from the police. Their elaborate devices for protecting themselves are very creative, and they work so smoothly that you almost don't notice how detailed everything is. It's well worth watching it a number of times so that you can catch all of the details in the transformation scenes.

The visual effects are the highlight here, rather than the story, but it does have an amusing final sequence that, in addition to comedy, provides a bit of rather tart commentary from Méliès as well.

Damn, early 20th century France must've been a police state or something! Two police raids in one night?! One might think half of the population works in law enforcement agencies. Sadly, no whacky dancing Devil were present, and the all too famous movie magic were absent too, so I have to cut a few points, but still, yet again a very nice and clever short movie from Méliès. Well done!

Watching this film, I was reminded of the classic scene in 'Sgt. Bilko (1996)' when Steve Martin, with a few minor readjustments, instantaneously transforms a gambling house into a busy-looking army motor pool garage. 'The Scheming Gambler's Paradise (1905)' works along the same lines: a busy casino, warned of the arrival of police, neatly folds itself a clothes store. There don't seem to be any in-camera effects here, only clever use of film sets. This absence of cinematic effects is a little disappointing, since that is why one usually watches a Méliès film, but nevertheless this is still a mildly amusing comedic skit. As always, the director can't resist a bit of stage showmanship, occasionally gesturing directly at the camera, as though to say: "watch this!"