The Game of Roulette in the movies

The game of roulette is a simple one, and indeed a complex one at the same time. The game itself was invented in 18th century France. The name roulette actually means little wheel in its native language, obviously referring to the spinning device at the heart of the game. Its origins of the game in its current form can be traced back to a 1700s novel named La Roulette, ou le Jour by Jaques Lablee. 

While the game hails from 1796 Paris, roulette has, of course, made it to Hollywood and has been featured in countless movies over the years. Here we take a look at some of our favourites.

Film containing one of the best gambling scenes ever committed to film; Casablanca. The scene in question is the one where Rick (Humphrey Bogart) is seen fixing a table for an old partner’s new man. The man in question puts everything on number 22 in order to out smart a police chief. When Rick fixes the spin for the man to defeat the corrupt cop, he saves the man’s marriage and effectively obtains freedom for him and his new wife. One of the best films of all time, and indeed one of the most iconic and romantic roulette scenes ever captured on celluloid.

Second on the list is a little known, but outstanding little independent movie name The Cooler from director Wayne Kramer, which was released all of the way back in 2003. The film is led by the brilliant William H. Macy who plays the world’s unluckiest guy who is employed by a Las Vegas casino to hang around big money games as a ‘Cooler’, someone who can pretty much end anyone’s winning streak. The film also features a fantastic performance by Maria Bello, while Alec Baldwin also turns up as casino boss Shelly Kaplow, a shady individual with a very dark history with Macy’s character, Bernie Lootz.

Finally on the list is actually a British film which tells the story of its title character who sees things from the other side of the gambling table. Clive Owen plays the Croupier in this, his break-out career role. The story follows Owen’s Jack Manfred, a wannabe writer who is suffering from extraordinary writer’s block. He joins a casino to oversee the games being played within, including roulette, but ends up being swallowed by the lure of the lifestyle. From this film, Owen went on to star in massive Hollywood films, including Children Of Men, Shoot ‘Em Up and the blockbuster King Arthur.

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