Gambit (1966)
The star quality and exotic locales that drive this comic caper will be even more dazzling in this world premiere restoration. Con artist Michael Caine spots Eurasian nightclub dancer Shirley MacLaine and notes her resemblance to a priceless Chinese bust owned by the world’s richest man (Herbert Lom). His vision of the perfect heist is acted out on screen, but he doesn’t reckon with MacLaine’s actual behavior. Sidney Carroll’s original story had been written for Cary Grant. When that didn’t work out, MacLaine signed on, and the script (Jack Davies and Alvin Sargent) was re-written to highlight her role. Then she requested rising star Michael Caine as her leading man, so the script was re-written again to make the suave, gentleman thief a Cockney upstart.
d. Ronald Neame, 109m, DCP