Getting off to a fairly convincing start, "King of Gamblers" proceeds to drift downhill with amazing rapidity. Claire Trevor as a blonde night club singer exercises her vocal organs with mild success for the first few minutes of the performance, but when the plot begins to thicken, the interest of the audience takes a definite slump.

Purporting to be a detective picture in the modern manner, the film soon proves itself nothing better than the old style "cops and robber" stuff. Lloyd Nolan poses as the smart reporter who gets in the way of Akim Tamiroff, gambler and suitor for the heart of the beautiful Claire.

Adding its support to the program in a faltering and unconvincing manner "Melody for Two" which stars the golden voiced James Melton, turns out to be as unsatisfactory as the feature picture. With Patricia Ellis as his running mate, Melton sings and swings his way from the top of the heap to the bottom and all the way back again.

"September in the Rain", tune which Melton introduces in his downtown night club promises to achieve some success. For this, and a few moments of good music, the picture is worth going to see.