"I happen to be involved in a high-class crap game!" So says blowzy Marjorie Rambeau, the Sophie Tucker like matron, the last of the gambling red hot mama's. It is her acerbic wisdom which brings heart to this tale of the joint's troubled owner, Clark Gable, who has domestic and financial issues and a group of regular clients who involve him in their individual dramas. Then there are the first-time customers who either plead for a cancellation of their debt or threaten him with legal action. One client attempts suicide, another offers herself to him as his mistress. Wife Alexis Smith considers leaving him while her family obviously exploits their relationship. Darryl Hickman, as their son, proceeds to get into trouble which leads to turning points for the family as well as the future of the business.Too many characters are the major issues of this soap opera which could have benefited from a little trimming. This leads to less screen time for the more interesting characters, particularly Rambeau and Mary Astor as the woman who greatly desires Gable's love. She has a truly degrading declaration of love, making her cameo truly heartbreaking. It is sad that she didn't share a scene with Smith who could pass as her younger sister. Among the others, Frank Morgan and Lewis Stone are also worth mentioning.

Well worth watching, especially for the star turn by veteran Lewis Stone as the struggling Ben Snelerr. A consummate lesson in reacting instead of "acting." Brilliant.Some other great performances from a top cast including the ubiquitous and larger than life Frank Morgan, Wendell Corey, Alexis Smith and Mary Astor, although Darryl Hickman as Gable's estranged son Paul tends to chew the scenery. Addresses the thorny issue of gambling and its social impact, especially upon families. Stylishly directed by Mervyn LeRoy, capturing the end of the 1940's with still a lot of film noir touches. Roll the dice and enjoy it.

While this is not a "great", as were a number of Clark Gable classics, it is a very solid and very good film that is well worth watching.It would have been easy to simply tell the story of a small-time gambling casino, and to paint some of the patrons as pathetic losers at life. But this film goes beyond all that and tells its story from various perspectives.For example, the owner of a casino (Gable)...but also a family man who is having problems with his son because the son disapproves of the gambling aspect of his father's life. The owner of the casino also has a serious heart condition, and he needs one thing to thrive -- retirement. The scenes with the son (Darryl Hickman, who is excellent) and wife (Alexis Smith, also excellent) are sentimental, but well done, and flesh out Gable's character more than one might expect from reading the blurb about the film.While Gable is the star here, and the focus of the film, there's a wonderful parade of performances by terrific character actors to round out the film:Lewis Stone is a down-and-out gambler...definitely quite a long ways from his days as Andy Hardy's father. He plays it superbly.Mary Astor as the almost-other love of Gable.Marjorie Rambeau as a high society lover of poker and a force of nature.And, one of Gable's frequent costars -- Frank Morgan, although here Morgan is not quite so likable, but does very nicely as the opponent.Not all of Gable's post-war films were gems, but this one is. And I know that because I don't like gambling, don't gamble, and don't understand gambling. But this film help my rapt attention. Highly recommended. Frank Morgan as Jim KurstynBarry Sullivan as TycoonEdgar Buchanan as EdLeon Ames as Dr. Palmer

Clark Gable's immediate post-war films were the weakest of any of the returning stars. For one thing, his wife had died; for another, unlike many of the other actors, he was in his forties. "Any Number Can Play" is a good example of the kind of movie he made. In it, he plays the owner of a gambling house who has developed angina pectoris and is advised to give it all up for a more peaceful life. His son hates him, one of his employees is stealing from him, and a gambler gets on a roll that threatens to bankrupt the house.The stars - Gable, Alexis Smith, Audrey Totter, Darryl Hickman, Marjorie Rambeau, Wendell Corey, Frank Morgan, William Conrad et al. are not at fault, but the script of "Any Number Can Play" is. It's difficult to pin down what the film is actually about - one waits for a definitive clue either in the gambling house or at home. Is it about a dysfunctional family, a sick man, or the activities of a gambling establishment? Hard to tell, as the director, Mervyn LeRoy, seems to focus the film in all three directions.Nevertheless, there are some exciting scenes, particularly Frank Morgan's gambling run. The acting is uniformly excellent, although Audrey Totter is wasted - she plays Alexis Smith's sister - and Mary Astor has what amounts to a cameo. Marjorie Rambeau stands out as a dowager who gambles at the club. Gable, however, is not just the nominal star but the true one. Ruggedly handsome with that beautiful smile, he is wonderful as the world-weary but compassionate Charley. He had such a great presence and charm - fortunately, the quality of his post-war films was to improve.Dull patches but probably worth seeing for the acting.