The History of Casino-Themed Movies

Gambling and casinos have long been a theme in movies, from Rat Pack-era films depicting Las Vegas to gritty underground gambling dens in modern crime dramas.

Casino-themed movies captivate audiences of all kinds. Let’s explore the history of these cinematic gems!

The Cheat (1915)

The Cheat (1915, silent film), was the first movie ever to include casino gambling as a main theme and is widely considered the precursor to many subsequent casino-based movies. Starring Fannie Ward and Sessue Hayakawa with Cecil B. DeMille as its director.

The Cheat’s depiction of Japanese art dealer Shoichi Kurosawa further inflamed racist attitudes prevalent since the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, drawing large crowds outside Tally theater to shout anti-Japanese slogans while beating up an Asian shop owner with sticks. Rafu Shimpo reporters saw crowds outside Tally theatre carrying anti-Japanese banners outside and beating an Asian noodle shop owner with sticks just days after its release.

Paul Schrader’s drama offered viewers a different side of Las Vegas – where luxury and fame contrast with cruelty and addiction. Additionally, this film examined both the risks associated with gambling as well as guilt that stems from it.

Lights of New York (1928)

Though Lights of New York (released in July 1928) is widely considered the first full-length sound film, this distinction does not do it justice. Like other Vitaphone releases, this silent feature featured only brief dialogue passages with occasional musical interludes added synchronistically by Vitaphone technology.

Even so, Photophone was an early indicator of things to come. Actor Wheeler Oakman established himself in this film as one of the leading heavy characters for early sound gangster films; unfortunately in Photophone his scenes seemed stuck to one place with too low an audio voice for camera capture.

However, this was enough to convince major studios of the viability of talking movies; FBO soon after followed with two speaking-dialog movies with Joe E. Brown as lead and one with spoken dialogue starring gangsters; both featuring spoken dialogue.

Broadway Bill (1934)

Though casino films became less popular after World War II, they have retained an audience. Many feature glamorous Las Vegas casinos depicting high-stakes gambling – making a statement about popular culture while entertaining viewers at the same time. Casino films provide viewers with both entertainment and education experiences in one.

Dan Brooks is consumed with his thoroughbred racehorse Broadway Bill. To promote it he uses unsavory tactics that force him to sell off possessions he doesn’t need; ultimately winning back his family fortune by doing so. Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy star in the film which was directed by Frank Capra – widely considered one of America’s great classics and must-watch for all fans of horseracing genre.

The Gambler (1974)

The 1974 movie, The Gambler was an eye-opening drama about a literature professor with an overwhelming gambling addiction. The scriptwriter for the film, James Toback, himself struggled with gambling. Meanwhile, James Caan, the star of The Gambler himself had extensive knowledge in casino gaming–he played poker before acting on Broadway prior to making his cinematic debut in The Gambler.

Martin Scorsese’s iconic film portrays the dark underbelly of Las Vegas casinos through mafia backstage dealings and deception hidden beneath its glamourous facade. Gambling’s influence is felt strongly within our culture – hence making this movie one of the greatest casino movies ever made. With an engaging plotline, this Martin Scorsese masterpiece stands as an emblematic casino film.