NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

bombersflyup Despite an interesting premise, Two Dollar Bettor falls well short on delivery.The biggest problem being the main character John Hewitt, he lacks believability. John throws away his life betting on horses, without ever being interested in horse racing. Late in the film, we learn that John has just been betting on the one jockey and that's where his winnings came from and when that jockey wasn't riding, John was losing. Surely you would want to have a reason for your actions and an understanding of what is going on. When he is at the track late in the film, it is like he doesn't know anything. The race calling is also quite repetitive and dull.The whole film is pretty empty really, no depth in any of the characters. There are many scenes at home of his daughters and they're goings on, yet we don't really learn anything about them. The film is fairly short, which is part of the problem. I see no reason why this film couldn't be remade better.

mark.waltz $2 the first bet, Doubling almost daily until it reaches three or four more zeros as an honest man's life descends into degradation to a sudden addiction. John Litel, a former leading actor at Warner Brothers in the 1930's, gives a magnificent performance in this low budget crime drama that starts off light-hearted where, as a loving family man successful in business, he continues to fall down and not get up as his situation gets worse. He keeps a good credit line with the bookie that he makes horse racing bets from, and they certainly know how to sucker him in period that fabulous femme fatale, Marie Windsor, plays a nefarious schemer who helps her boss drag him and deeper, pretending to be romantically interested in him and aiding in increasing his debts, culminating with him stealing from his own company, he becomes more desperate, and this leads to a truly shocking twist that he never would have even considered had he not been in this situation.The storyline involved in lighthouse family is very light hearted and typical 1950s sitcom. He has two teenage daughters, both boy crazy, & a wise and wonderful mother in law (Kay Lavelle) who stands by him and encourages him to go on with his life even though her daughter was his late wife. They have a brother/sisterly relationship in spite of being mother in law and son in law, and that is one of the most touching non-dark elements of this film. the postwar years of cinema focus on many social problems including alcoholism, insanity and gambling, previously seen with Barbara Stanwyck in the lady gambles, and now presented from a decent mans point of view. Litel is very likable, and it is difficult to see him fall from grace with this situation. Look for Carl Switzer and Barbara Billingsley in small roles.

kidboots Steve Brodie may be the nominal star but since he only makes his appearance 15 minutes before the film's end, it may be said that John Litel owns this movie. He plays widower John Hewitt, almost too devoted to his two daughters and who is dazzled by his first trip to the race track. By the time he gets home he is hooked - courtesy of a lucky tip given to him by his brother-in-law. Not a lot of time given to character study, John becomes hooked fast and while keeping up the façade of "father of the year" and enduring occasional pieces of advice from his mother about the advantages of remarrying he is drawn into the murky morass of gambling addiction. He thinks he has found a sympathetic woman - Mary Slate (slinky Marie Windsor, obviously John hasn't seen any of her movies). She is the go between who meets John to exchange his wins and losses from the bookies but she is not who she appears and toward the end introduces him to her "brother" Rick (Brodie) so they can set him up for a $20,000 fall.This was a 1950's "problem" picture and a lot better than most helped enormously by John Litel's compelling performance. Steve Brodie's appearance instantly gives the film an edginess and pushes it into noir territory and Marie Windsor, while she has to play a nice girl (on the surface), is always great. Also seen is Carl Switzer (Alfalfa in "Our Gang") as one of the daughter's persistent suitors and Barbara Billingsly ("Leave It to Beaver") as John's secretary and the one he should have taken an interest in all along.Recommended.

bkoganbing The only gambling I've ever enjoyed in my life is the $2.00 window at the racetrack. I've always liked to see where my $2.00 is being spent. I remember one time going to Finger Lakes racetrack and coming home with four winners out of eight races. Wow, I'm some sort of genius. Needless to say like John Litel in Two Dollar Bettor I learned soon I wasn't.But I never graduated beyond the $2.00 window and that certainly wasn't John Litel. A friend brings him to a racetrack where he's never been and he places a bet and wins. He has some more winners including a big longshot. After that he's placing bets with a bookie whose collector is the seductive Marie Windsor. Litel is good and hooked as only Marie can hook them.But Windsor has her own agenda involving her recently released from prison husband Steve Brodie. Litel's already embezzling from his company and as comptroller he has the access to do it. Let's say it ends badly all around.This independent production from an outfit called Realart Studios looks and feels like an expanded version of one of MGM's Crime Does Not Pay series. The performances are sincere and Marie Windsor is evil as Marie Windsor can only be. Still it's a shoddy production and can't get too high a rating from me.