Gambit (1966) DVD

Released the same year as Alfie, Michael Caine plays the loveable rogue once again in this entertaining comedy crime caper. Caine is Harry Dean, a cockney conman with an elaborate plan to steal a priceless statue from a wealthy aristocrat, Shahbandar (Herbert Lom), with the help of a random showgirl, Nicole (Shirley MacLaine), who bears a striking resemblance to Shahbandar’s late wife. Whilst in Dean’s head his plan is fool proof, it turns out that Shahbandar is not the hopeless dope he had anticipated nor is Nicole a stay silent and do as you’re told type. When both of these elements combine, the so-called solid plan quickly crumbles.

Like so many films of the ’60s, Gambit is thoroughly enjoyable though tinged with the slight stain of the years when political correctness was an outré idea. As loveable and charming as Dean is, he expects Nicole to shut up, do as she’s told and not dare to have an opinion, and he assumes that Shahbandar (who seems to be sporting what can only be described as black face make-up) is so stupid that he wouldn’t notice that he’s being stitched up by a common criminal posing as a knighted Englishman.

The film actually comes alive when MacLaine sinks her teeth into the fast script and inevitably starts doing Harry’s “bloody head in”. Despite going off on a tangent and asking one too many questions, she’s actually far smarter than him and brings the plan back on track even if she’s risking her freedom for a five grand payday. MacLaine and Caine have great chemistry and although we can see exactly where this is going and some moments are clearly outdated, that’s a small price to pay for an old school rom-com that remains witty and entertaining over 40 years later.

Limara Salt