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December Movie of the Month: Any Number Can Play (1949)
This month, Clark Gable is an unhappy gambling man, Alexis Smith his neglected wife, Mary Astor his pleading ex-flame and Wendell Corey is devious brother-in-law in Any Number Can Play. Gable is Charley Kyng, the owner of a gambling house in New York. After learning he has a heart problem, he begins to re-evaluate his life: his relationship with his wife (Smith) and teenage son (Darryl Hickman), his business and his associates. This is one of Clark’s films that I didn’t like very much initially but in subsequent viewings I have become to appreciate it more and more. It’s not a masterpiece but the script is very down to earth…
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Audrey Totter 1917-2013
In the midst of the holiday rush, we were all shocked and saddened by several classic Hollywood deaths separated by a mere number of days. One of which was Audrey Totter, who died peacefully on December 12 at the age of 95. Audrey was known for her tough gal roles in the 1940’s and 50’s, in films like The Setup, Lady in the Lake and Under the Gun. In 1949, Audrey starred with Clark Gable in Any Number Can Play. Audrey played Alice Elcott, the sister-in-law of Clark’s gambling kingpin character. Clark was married to Alexis Smith in the film, but blonde Audrey caught his eye. She was only thirty…