Product Details

• Actors: Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, Herbert Lom, Roger C. Carmel, Arnold Moss
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: Arabic, English, French
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Universal Studios
• VHS Release Date: January 12, 1994
• Run Time: 108 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300185176
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,160 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just Add Popcorn for this Memorable Romantic Comedy Caper, March 19, 2005

By 

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gambit [VHS] (VHS Tape)

In the 1960s Hollywood combined the classic "caper" film with a healthy dose of romantic comedy. The result was a series of charming films such as CHARADE (1963) and HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966)--films that combined major stars, clever plots, witty scripts and which balanced suspense with comic and romantic complications.

Made in 1966 and released in 1967, GAMBIT was among the last of these films, and like all others in the genre it had a complex plot. Ahmad Shahbandar (Herbert Lom) is quite possibly the richest man in the world and a recluse to boot, a man who has never gotten over the death of his beautiful Eurasian wife some twenty years ago. Harry Dean (Michael Caine) devises a clever plan to gain access to his luxury apartment and rob him blind: he will use honky-tonk dancer Nicole Chang (Shirley MacLaine), who bears a striking resemblance to Shahbandar's long dead wife, to breach Shahbandar's defenses.

There's only one problem: it won't work. To tell exactly why it won't work is to betray the plot, which is extremely clever; suffice to say that Dean has made a number of incorrect assumptions about both the situation and the personalities involved. When the plot begins to twist, it does so in a truly unexpected way, taking both Dean and the audience completely by surprise.

This is the sort of film that Hollywood used to do so well but which we seldom see today, a frothy, glamorous confection with first rate production values and expert performances from major stars. MacLaine gets top billing, and she is quite fine, but the weight of the film rests on Caine and Lom, who give memorably dry performances, and director Ronald Neame (who was responsible for a host of memorable films including THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE) keeps everything moving along at a smart pace with plenty of style.

This may not be the best of the genre--I think both CHARADE and HOW TO STEAL A MILLION, to name but two, outpace it. But even so it is a perfectly charming film, the perfect antidote to a drab afternoon. Just add popcorn!

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Genuinely Fun Movie, March 17, 2004

By 

J. Reynolds (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gambit [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Gambit shows us two superbly developing stars, Shirley MacLaine and Michael Caine -- and in restrospect, you realize from watching this fine movie that they had what it takes, even back in the 1960s. Shirley was just superb as a street-wise nightclub dancer, and Michael was perfect as the crook with grand plans who never could seem to make things work just right. This is a funny film. Your kids will like it, if you can convince them to actually sit and watch it with you, and follow the plot. Gambit was a good precursor to Caine's best finagling movie, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels... you can see where he got practice appearing frustrated, the way his plans with Shirley kept going off track.
Enjoy.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Entertaining, March 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Gambit [VHS] (VHS Tape)

An extremely amusing film.The first half is quite serious but the second half sweeps you off on a rollercoaster ride of humour,romance and sheer unpredictablity!My favourite line in the movie is when the millionaire asks what is said about amber Michael Caine doesn`t have a clue and tries to bluster his way out when Shirley Maclaine smiles sweetly and remarks coolly,"amber is the soul of the tiger trapped in stone" She is just lovely in it