The Big Gamble

1961
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Stephen Boyd, Juliette Gréco, and David Wayne in The Big Gamble (1961)

Misadventures of an ambitious unlucky Irishman who goes on a long and arduous trip to Africa along with his wife and bumbling cousin in hopes of starting a trucking business there.Misadventures of an ambitious unlucky Irishman who goes on a long and arduous trip to Africa along with his wife and bumbling cousin in hopes of starting a trucking business there.Misadventures of an ambitious unlucky Irishman who goes on a long and arduous trip to Africa along with his wife and bumbling cousin in hopes of starting a trucking business there.

Directors
- Richard Fleischer
- Elmo Williams
Writer
- Irwin Shaw
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

314

YOUR RATING

Directors
- Richard Fleischer
- Elmo Williams
Writer
- Irwin Shaw
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos20

Top cast16

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Stephen Boyd

Juliette Gréco

Marie
(as Juliette Greco)

David Wayne

Samuel

Gregory Ratoff

Kaltenberg

Sybil Thorndike

'Aunt Cathleen'
(as Dame Sybil Thorndike)
…

Fernand Ledoux

Customs Official

Marie Kean

Cynthia

Harold Goldblatt

The Priest

Maureen O'Dea

Margaret Brennan

J.G. Devlin

The Driving Instructor
(as Jimmy Devlin)

Philip O'Flynn

John Brennan
(as Phillip O'Flynn)

Fergal Stanley

Davey Brennan

Jess Hahn

First Mate

Alain Saury

Lieutenant François

Jacques Marin

The Hotel Clerk

James Campbell

Bit Part
(uncredited)

Directors
- Richard Fleischer
- Elmo Williams
Writer
- Irwin Shaw
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Stephen Boyd nearly drowned while shooting this film. He was saved by co-star David Wayne, according to Boyd in a December 11, 1960 appearance as a Mystery Guest on What's My Line? (1950).

Goofs
The tailgate on the truck changes from open to closed several times when the truck is stuck in the river bed.

Quotes
Samuel: [Samuel,Vic and Maria watch a group of natives sing and dance as they move down a trail] Where are they going, a festival of some sort?
Marie: No, to a funeral.
Vic: A funeral? I've never heard of anyone celebrating a funeral.
Marie: Did you ever hear of an Irish wake?

Connections
Referenced in What's My Line?: Stephen Boyd (1960)

User reviews10

Review

Featured review

8/10

Well Done!

This is an entertaining movie about the trials and tribulations, and there are many, of an Irishman, his wife and his cousin, as they decide to travel to the Ivory Coast to start a trucking business. For all you Stephen Boyd fans, in this one, he's young, handsome and Irish and has just the right rambling, pioneering spirit needed for the part. He's fun to watch! Juliette Greco is charming and amusing as his wife and David Wayne contributes well to some of the best scenes in the film.

The characters love, fight, get drunk, sing Irish ballads, and meet up with many out-of-the-ordinary local characters during this cross-continent global trek from Ireland to Africa.

There's never a dull moment! It's an enjoyable little film.