Any Number Can Play

Any Number Can Play is a 1949 melodrama film starring Clark Gable and Alexis Smith, with Wendell Corey and Audrey Totter in support. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, it is based on Edward Harris Heth's novel of the same name.

Plot
Casino owner Charley Enley Kyng is advised by his physician to slow down, after being diagnosed with a serious heart problem. Charley supports his own family - his wife Lon and teenage son Paul - as well as Lon's sister Alice and her weak and duplicitous husband, Robbin Elcott. Charley quits drinking and smoking and vows to spend more time with his wife and son.

Elcott, a dealer at Charley's casino, cannot pay a $2,000 gambling debt he owes to a gangster, who sends goons Debretti and Sistina to collect. Elcott provides loaded dice to let them win the gangster's marker back at craps.

Ashamed of his father's line of work, Paul vents to his mother. Charley tries to take him on a fishing trip in the mountains, but the boy refuses. A disgruntled gambling couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lorgan, claim they have lost their entire savings at Charley's casino and seek their money back. As Charley sees it, they lost fair and square and will not budge; Lon feels bad about the way her husband makes his living.

Charley is depressed by the breakdown of his family life, but still rejects the wiles of a former girlfriend, Ada, seeking to rekindle their relationship. Paul gets into a brawl at his high school prom because of his father's business and is arrested. Charley arranges to get him out of jail, but his son will not speak to him. Paul leaves with his mother when she shows up.

Lon goes straight to the casino, Paul in tow. A big-time gambler, Jim Kurstyn, is on a winning streak and is threatening to bankrupt the place. Committed to a fair shake, Charley refuses to shut the game down and lifts the house limit to let the man bet as much as he dares. Kurstyn repeatedly taunts Charley that he is going to break him but Charley will not back down, earning Kurstyn's respect. Kurstyn rolls the dice once too often and loses everything. Instead of being able to roll him on his way home with a massive pile of cash as planned, the goons try to rob Kyng.

He squares off on them, calling their bluff: either shoot him and take the money, or leave. Before they can, Paul walks up and stands next to him, announcing they will have to shoot them both. With only one gun between two goons, nothing is guaranteed. A willful dowager who is long carried a torch for Charley (but only that) makes it three targets. Then another steps up. And more yet. In the chaos, Charley swings at the armed goon and drops him. Paul leaps upon the other one and knocks him to the ground, pummeling him. The goons and Elcott are all run out the club.

Lon's love for her husband is restored, and Paul's for his father is cemented for the first time. They agree to go fishing together.

Recognizing when he has had enough, Charley then wagers his casino and everything in it against his staff, $5,000 against the whole works. They draw cards; the top kick turns over a 6 but smiles, already on to Charley's ploy. Rather than show his hole card, Charley simply says "You beat me," and walks away. Outside Lon reaches into Charley's pocket and pulls out a jack, then hands it to Paul. He beams admiringly at his father as the threesome walks off arm-in-arm.

Cast

 * Clark Gable as Charley Enley Kyng
 * Alexis Smith as Lon Kyng
 * Wendell Corey as Robbin Elcott
 * Audrey Totter as Alice Elcott
 * Frank Morgan as Jim Kurstyn
 * Mary Astor as Ada
 * Lewis Stone as Ben Gavery Snelerr
 * Barry Sullivan as Tycoon
 * Marjorie Rambeau as Sarah Calbern
 * Edgar Buchanan as Ed
 * Leon Ames as Dr. Palmer
 * Mickey Knox as Pete Senta
 * Richard Rober as Lew "Angie" Debretti
 * William Conrad as Frank Sistina
 * Darryl Hickman as Paul Enley Kyng
 * Caleb Peterson as Sleigh
 * Dorothy Comingore as Mrs. Purcell
 * Art Baker as Mr. Reardon
 * Helen Lynd as Ellen

Release
According to MGM records the film earned $2,466,000 in the US and Canada and $739,000 overseas resulting in a profit after negative, distribution, and promotional costs, of $763,000.