The Gambler

This Western adventure follows Brady Hawkes, a professional gambler who travels to meet a son he has never known. During his journey, Hawkes befriends an impulsive young man eager to learn the art of gambling and teams up with a woman who is struggling with a powerful railroad owner. Together, they face various villains while Hawkes seeks to reunite with his child.

The 1980 TV movie was directed by Dick Lowry, marking the first film in a list of nine directed works that includes Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 and Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost. Based on a screenplay by Jim Byrnes, the film stars country singer Kenny Rogers in the lead role, alongside Bruce Boxleitner, Christine Belford, Harold Gould, Clu Gulager, and Lance LeGault. The production was handled by Ken Kragen Productions and involved a credited crew of 44 and a cast of 23.

Audience reception for the film is mixed. On IMDb, it holds a rating of 6.3/10 based on 1,600 votes, while it has a lower score of 5.9/10 on TMDB from 25 votes.