Gambit is a fun but dated caper film starring Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine and Herbert Lom. The first half of the film is Caine describing the perfect heist. Caine is cool and resourceful, MacLaine is beautiful and silent, Lom who is the mark, is the shifty wealthy Arab. The second half of the film is the actual heist taking place as they try to steal a priceless sculpture and things do not go according to plan but the film still has a few twists up its sleeve.MacLaine is miscast as a Eurasian, Lom is less of a villain but a man who is urbane as well as suspicious and knows early on that something is afoot.It is an enjoyable romp with a lightness of touch.

Gambit (1966)I love both Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine, and yet I went into the movie with low expectations. Maybe this was partly the dull poster art (which is all I had to go on), or just the fact I had never heard of the movie (and I see a lot of movies from this era).And it was really good! Yes, a fun, snappy, somewhat contrived but still engaging piece of very 1960s entertainment. It begins with a narrative trick, which I can't reveal, but the first twenty minutes is a kind of set-up or reference point for the next hour. Once you see it happen, it's a big laugh, and they actors play it out well, though with a slight bit of camp. Caine plays a thief and con man, and MacLaine is just a willing and slightly naive participant. At first.We are supposed to believe, as well, that these two young charming people are not made for each other (they act disinterested), but the love story becomes a small part of the situation. The third main actor is Herbert Lom, who plays an Arab connected to oil (this is several years before the oil embargo, and more than a decade before the first big Islamic uprising, the one in Iran in 1979). He happens to be the richest man in the world. And a target for this British man looking for easy success.Easy it is, if only things were what they seemed at first. Brightly lit, photographed with verve and acted with a kind of wink to the camera, the movie is just good fun. This isn't a drama, it's a comedy, and it will brighten your day even if you have to ignore the forced twists in the plot. Michael Caine had just finished filming the astonishing "Alfie" which is both funny and truly dramatic, and he was proving to be a complex and yet still caddishly likable leading man, very British. Shirley MacLaine (an American) had been making charming funny movies for some time, playing the cute and vulnerable "girl" over and over (as in "The Apartment" best of all, but see "Irma la Douce" too, where she is a prostitute). Together here they are really well matched and hold up the movie start to finish. Remember to make it through the "set-up" part of the movie, which will at first seem a little stiff. It makes sense later!

Fans of caper films and stylish heist yarns should be pleased with this well-appointed entry. Caine plays a shifty Englishman who recruits a jaded Eurasian dance-hall girl (MacLaine) to aid him in his latest plot. Due to her resemblance to the dead wife of the richest man in the world (Lom), he plans to use her to gain entry to the man's heavily guarded suite where he can map out a way to pilfer a priceless piece of sculpture. He intends to gussy MacLaine up in the appropriate hairstyle, clothing and manner of the dead woman, knowing that Lom will be fascinated enough by her to let his guard down. To reveal more would rob first-time viewers of some of the twistier elements of the script. A significant twist occurs about a quarter of the way in and it isn't the last one. The story begins one way and then takes off on a different tangent, giving the audience a chance to amply discover that the best laid plans don't always turn out they way they're intended to! Caine was just emerging as a major name in the cinema and gives a low-key, but assured performance here. His stern, understated persona is a terrific counterpoint to the more animated MacLaine (she hand-picked him for this role.) MacLaine is given a considerable showcase which allows her to display her range. She plays both a demure, silent, deliberately mechanical type and a chatty, animated, opinionated person. She also gets to show off her incredibly limber physique in one climactic scene. Lom is excellent, conveying a sure authority and a suave, aristocratic presence. Though the film is chiefly a three character showcase, all the other roles are portrayed by talented character actors. One small role is played by Tayback, who would later make a splash as the loud-mouthed short-order cook on TV's "Alice". The film is visually arresting, thanks to excellent set design, art direction and some eye-catching Jean Louis costumes. It's glossy, tasteful, old-fashioned entertainment featuring two charismatic stars. Caine and MacLaine would pair up again the next year in "Woman Times Seven" and be reunited almost 40 years later in "Bewitched".

MICHAEL CAINE was hot after appearing in THE IPCRESS FILE and SHIRLEY MacLAINE grabbed him for her leading man in GAMBIT. It's a highly entertaining and very clever crime caper and is Caine's first American film. It benefits from highly polished production values and Ronald Neame's expert direction, not to mention a story that has several unexpected twists.Aside from excellent performances by the two stars and Herbert Lom as the intended victim, the plot will keep you guessing until the final moments. Shirley is a knockout in her oriental disguise and delivers a wonderful performance as the girl who discovers she prefers an honest man to a thief, no matter how much she let herself be tricked into the role of a charming look-alike for Herbert Lom's former wife. The trick is to get into his lavish digs so she and Michael can see the layout and devise a plan to steal a prized sculpture. Herbert Lom is urbane and sophisticated as a man who is highly suspicious of his new acquaintances.If you like crime capers or jewel heists, this is for you. Diverting from start to finish with a particularly good opening sequence that sort of sets you up for a different kind of film than this actually is. But saying more than that would give too much away.My only complaint--Maurice Jarre's score is a skimpy one. He provides some light and catchy melodies for the lighter scenes but fails to deliver the goods for the film's darker moments. Maybe he figured the audience would just be holding their breath while silence accompanied the cat-like burglar approach rather than music. Whatever, the darker moments would have been heightened by a more suspenseful score.John Abbott is seen to advantage as a French sculptor devoted to his art.