THE GAMBLER

For $10,000 they break your arms. For $20,000 they break your legs. Axel Freed owes $44,000.

1974 · 01:51:00 · R · Crime / Drama · IMDB TMDB

New York City English professor Axel Freed outwardly seems like an upstanding citizen. But privately Freed is in the clutches of a severe gambling addiction that threatens to destroy him.

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About This Film

Axel Freed is an English professor at New York College. He is also a gambling addict. Although he likes to win, it is only secondary to the excitement he feels in the possibility of losing. It is within this mentality that he ends up in the hole to the tune of $44,000 in one fell swoop, this amount which he does not have, and those to who he owes would not take too kindly to delayed payment without some sort of retribution.

He gets an up close and personal view of the nasty things that can be done as a consequence as he tries to come up with the money through legitimate and not so legitimate sources, the former including from his wealthy businessman grandfather, A.R. Lowenthal, who has had his fair share of dealings with the wrong side of the law himself, and his physician mother, Naomi Freed, both who may still be affected by Axel's actions regardless if they can, will, can't or won't help him.

Even if he can get the money, the feeling of his addiction may not allow him just to pay back the money as that, in his mind, is not winning, regardless of the consequence of being potentially deeper in with those he owes. The one other person involved is his girlfriend Billie, who may love Axel but who did not sign up for this kind of excitement in becoming his girlfriend.

Film Details

Director Karel Reisz

Writer James Toback

Keywords

Female Topless Nudity Bare Chested Male Prostitute Knife Fistfight Boyfriend Girlfriend Relationship Swimming Pool Beach Party Beating Looking At Oneself In A Mirror Gangster Two Word Title Car New York City Mother Son Relationship Punched In The Face African American Mansion Bathtub Friendship Professor Bloody Face Threatened With A Knife Switchblade Pimp Hairy Chest Man Wears An Open Shirt Convertible Henchman Threat Hotel Room Mafia Radio Apartment Gambling Movie Theater Classroom Bribe Listening To A Radio Ghetto Teacher Student Relationship Record Player Man In A Bathtub University Kicked In The Stomach New York Speech Gash In The Face Casino

Also Known As

40.000 dollari per non morire, Spieler ohne Skrupel, O Jogador