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The Gambler Part Iii the Legend Continues Dvd Cover

TV film series

The Gambler is a series of five American Western television films starring Kenny Rogers as Brady Hawkes, a fictional old-west gambler. The character was inspired by Rogers' hit single "The Gambler".[1]

Overview [edit]

There are five movies in the series. The first four are directed by Dick Lowry while the last was directed by Jack Bender. The movies are:

  • Kenny Rogers as The Gambler (1980) (TV)
  • Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (1983) (TV)
  • Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues (1987) (TV)
  • The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) (TV)
  • Gambler V: Playing for Keeps (1994) (TV)

Cast [edit]

Films
Character Kenny Rogers as The Gambler Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw Gambler V: Playing for Keeps
1980 1983 1987 1991 1994
Brady Hawkes Kenny Rogers
Billy Montana Bruce Boxleitner Bruce Boxleitner
Jeremiah Hawkes Ronnie Scribner Charles Fields Kris Kamm
Arthur Stobridge Harold Gould
Jennie Reed Lee Purcell
Eliza Christine Belford
Rufe Bennett Clu Gulager
Doc Palmer Lance LeGault
Kate Muldoon Linda Evans Linda Evans
Masket Johnny Crawford
Carson David Hedison
Pvt. Bob Butler Marc Alaimo
Sen. Henry Colton Charles Durning
Chief Sitting Bull George American Horse
Bat Masterson Gene Barry
Kwai Chang Caine David Carradine
Lucas McCain Chuck Connors
Mark McCain Johnny Crawford
The Westerner Brian Keith
Bart Maverick Jack Kelly
Marshal Wyatt Earp Hugh O'Brian
Cheyenne Clint Walker
Butch Cassidy Scott Paulin
Sundance Kid Brett Cullen
Etta Place Mariska Hargitay

Films [edit]

Kenny Rogers as The Gambler (1980) [edit]

Kenny Rogers as The Gambler debuted on CBS on April 8, 1980.[2] [3] It was a ratings and critical success that has spawned four sequels.[3] The show won a Best Edited Television Special Eddie Award and garnered two Emmy Award nominations (for cinematography and editing of a limited series).[4]

Kenny Rogers stars as Brady Hawkes, the titular gambler, who embarks on a journey to meet Jeremiah (Ronnie Scribner), the young son he never knew after Jeremiah sends him a letter. Along the way, Brady meets Billy Montana (Bruce Boxleitner) and the two become friends. Billy (while trying to help Brady in his quest) fancies himself as a professional poker player on his own. Although Billy makes mistakes along the way (some of these include trying to find a way to cheat or do some smooth talking), Brady makes sure that he stays on good behavior during a train ride to Yuma. The duo help Jennie Reed (Lee Purcell), a prostitute who has trouble with a train baron. At the end, Brady's son's stepfather (Clu Gulager) is confronted.

Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (1983) [edit]

Kenny Rogers again stars as Brady Hawkes in the miniseries Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues which premiered on November 28 and 29, 1983.[2] The show was an even bigger ratings success than the first and was nominated for two Emmy Awards (sound editing and sound mixing of a limited series).[5]

Billy Montana, Brady, and his son Jeremiah (now played by Charles Fields) are traveling to a gambling event in San Francisco when they encounter the vicious McCourt gang. The McCourt gang force the train to stop and they take Jeremiah hostage and demand a $1 million ransom. Brady and Billy are determined to get Jeremiah back as well as the $1 million ransom which belonged to the train boss. Brady and Billy find help in their mission and meet a female bounty hunter Kate Muldoon played by Linda Evans. Kate is the fastest female gun in the west. They form a posse together in a race to save Jeremiah.

Cast [edit]

  • Linda Evans as Kate Muldoon
  • Johnny Crawford as Pete Masket
  • Charles Fields as Jeremiah
  • David Hedison as Carson
  • Bob Hoy as Juno
  • Brion James as Reece
  • Paul Koslo as Holt
  • Cameron Mitchell as Col. Greeley
  • Mitchell Ryan as Charlie McCourt
  • Gregory Sierra as Silvera
  • Ken Swofford as Wichita Pike

Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues (1987) [edit]

Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues was broadcast on November 22, 1987.[6]

In this installment, Brady Hawkes and Billy Montana help protect some Sioux Indians from the government and some cattle thieves.[7]

Cast [edit]

  • George Kennedy as Gen. Nelson Miles
  • Linda Gray as Mary Collins
  • Marc Alaimo as Pvt. Bob Butler
  • Jeff Allin as Homesteader
  • George American Horse as Chief Sitting Bull
  • Michael Berryman as Cpl. Catlett
  • Sam Boxleitner as Boy with Hat
  • Jeffrey Alan Chandler as Plow Salesman
  • Melanie Chartoff as Deborah
  • Richard Chaves as Iron Dog
  • Matt Clark as Sgt. Grinder
  • Charles Durning as Sen. Henry Colton
  • Dean Stockwell as James McLaughlin
  • Jeffrey Jones as Buffalo Bill Cody

The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) [edit]

The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw is a 1991 television film starring Kenny Rogers as Brady Hawkes and Reba McEntire as Burgundy Jones.[8] Rogers reprises Hawkes in the fourth installment of the series. The film originally aired on NBC on November 3, 1991. It was nominated for a Costume Design Emmy.[9]

Plot [edit]

It's 1906 and professional gambling will be outlawed in just three weeks. Therefore, Burgundy Jones (McEntire) has just that long to get Brady Hawkes safely to San Francisco for the last poker tournament, with a very special mystery player. This is made more difficult, as Hawkes is still smarting after a hard-fought loss to another professional poker player in England, who will also be at the tournament.

Production [edit]

The film features Rogers' character running across a galaxy of old TV western characters played by the original actors, including Gene Barry as Bat Masterson, Hugh O'Brian as Wyatt Earp, Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, Clint Walker as Cheyenne Bodie, David Carradine as Kung Fu 's Caine, Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford from The Rifleman, Brian Keith as The Westerner, James Drury and Doug McClure from The Virginian (Drury and McClure play thinly disguised different characters, Jim and Doug, due to rights issues for Owen Wister's character), and Paul Brinegar from Rawhide.

The characters are attending a poker game said to be in honor of "the late Mr. Paladin" from Have Gun — Will Travel. (The actor who played him, Richard Boone, had died in 1981.) The game was played at the hotel at which Paladin lived. The game's dealer is "Hey Girl", Paladin's friend. As each veteran character appears, a few bars from his original series' theme momentarily plays in the background.

The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw was directed by Dick Lowry.

Cast [edit]

Gambler V: Playing for Keeps (1994) [edit]

Gambler V: Playing for Keeps is the fifth installment of The Gambler series and the first not directed by Dick Lowry, with Jack Bender taking the helm. The movie premiered on October 2, 1994.

Plot [edit]

Brady Hawkes' son, Jeremiah (with Kris Kamm as the third actor in the role) gets involved with outlaws Butch Cassidy (Scott Paulin) and the Sundance Kid (Brett Cullen).[10] Brady tries to save him before he winds up in jail or dead.

Cast [edit]

  • Scott Paulin as Butch Cassidy
  • Brett Cullen as The Sundance Kid
  • Mariska Hargitay as Etta Place
  • Kris Kamm as Jeremiah Hawkes
  • Stephen Bridgewater as Flatnose Curry
  • Richard Riehle as Frank Dimaio
  • Ned Vaughn as Ford Hayes
  • Martin Kove as Black Jack
  • Dixie Carter as Lillie Langtry

Unmade sequel [edit]

On March 15, 2011, Kenny Rogers told Jimmy Fallon on his television show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, that he was asked if he would want to be in another Gambler movie. He began by saying that he had a bad knee and thought it would be hard for him, but continued and said that the first scene in the movie would be a shootout. Supposedly, he would get shot in the shoulder and knee to cover his physical disabilities.[11] However, in the years that followed Rogers announced his retirement from show business and stated that his 2016 tour would be his last and after this he would be spending his time with family. Rogers later died on March 20, 2020.[12]

In other media [edit]

Books [edit]

  • Pirtle, Caleb, III; Dobbs, Frank Q. (1996). Jokers Are Wild. Kenny Rogers' The Gambler. Vol. 1. Penguin Group. ISBN9781572970533.
  • Pirtle, Caleb, III; Dobbs, Frank Q. (1996). Dead Man's Hand. Kenny Rogers' The Gambler. Vol. 2. Boulevard Books. ISBN9781572970939.
  • Pirtle, Caleb, III; Dobbs, Frank Q. (1998). Dying Man's Bluff. Kenny Rogers' The Gambler. Berkley Publishing Group. ISBN9781572971813.

Slot machine [edit]

A video slot machine based on The Gambler can be found in most Las Vegas casinos. It was manufactured by now-defunct International Game Technology.[13]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Drew, Bernard A. (2013). Motion Picture Series and Sequels: A Reference Guide. Routledge. p. 131. ISBN9781317928942. These Western adventures, based on the leading actor's best-selling song, are about gambler Brady Hawkes.
  2. ^ a b Pitts, Michael R. (2013). Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. p. 171. ISBN9780786463725.
  3. ^ a b Stambler, Irwin; Landon, Grelun (2000). Country Music: The Encyclopedia. Macmillan. p. 219. ISBN9780312264871. Telecast on the CBS network, it achieved the highest rating of any TV movie shown over the previous two years.
  4. ^ Awards for The Gambler at IMDB
  5. ^ Awards for Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues at IMDB
  6. ^ TV Guide cover story for the November 21–27, 1987 issue
  7. ^ The Gambler, Part III review at tvguide.com
  8. ^ Pitts, Michael R. (2013). Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. p. 121. ISBN9780786463725.
  9. ^ Awards for The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw at IMDB
  10. ^ Brode, Douglas (2010). Shooting Stars of the Small Screen: Encyclopedia of TV Western Actors, 1946–Present. Contributions by Fess Parker. University of Texas Press. p. 280. ISBN9780292783317. The Gambler V: Playing for Keeps (10/2/94) featured Brady and Billy again rescuing Jeremiah (now Kris Kamm) from outlaws Butch Cassidy (Scott Paulin) and the Sundance Kid (Brett Cullen).
  11. ^ "Late Night with Jimmy fallon - Kenny Rogers 3/15/11". Late Night with Jimmy Fallon . Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  12. ^ "Kenny Rogers Passes Away".
  13. ^ IGT Kenny Rogers - The Gambler I-Game Video Slot

External links [edit]

IMDB
  • Kenny Rogers as The Gambler (1980) at IMDb
  • Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (1983) at IMDb
  • Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues (1987) at IMDb
  • The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) at IMDb
  • Gambler V: Playing for Keeps (1994) at IMDb
AllMovie
  • Kenny Rogers as The Gambler (1980) at AllMovie
  • Kenny Rogers as The Gambler: The Adventure Continues (1983) at AllMovie
  • Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues (1987) at AllMovie
  • The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) at AllMovie
  • Gambler V: Playing for Keeps (1994) at AllMovie

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gambler_(film_series)