The Gambler and the Lady

Four years earlier, Jim Forster was broke and had to borrow £1 from Maxie. After a string of fortunate gambles, he begins to rise and soon owns posh illegal casinos and a nightclub in London. He pursues acceptance among the British upper class, taking daily lessons in proper behavior from Miss Minter.

One night, Jacko Spina accepts a cheque from Lord Peter Willens that bounces. Jim orders Jacko not to take action, yet Jacko roughs up Willens to collect. Willens informs Jim he will be paid in a week, and Jim denies any involvement before firing Jacko.

Dave Davies warns Jim that the Colonnas, former US gangsters turned casino operators in Rome and Paris, are in town. Arturo Colonna offers to buy Jim's operation and pay him 10% to run things, but Jim declines the deal.

Jim breaks up with Pat, his dancer girlfriend at the nightclub. He spots Willens' party celebrating Lady Jane Greer’s 21st birthday and is openly mocked by Greer. Susan Willens, Lord Willens' sister, dances with him and he invites her to a boxing match, a move witnessed by Pat.

Pat grows jealous of Susan's growing closeness to Jim, which strains Jim's personal life. The jealousy foreshadows the escalating conflict between the circle of lovers and rivals around Jim. Susan and Pat's tension adds a personal layer to the looming external threats.

After a second rejection of Arturo Colonna, Jim's nightclub and two casinos are wrecked by Colonna-backed forces. Despite the destruction, Jim remains defiant and refuses to bow to their pressure or back down.

Peter Willens pressures Susan to persuade Jim to invest in a gold mine promoted by Richard Farning. Against Dave's objections, Jim sells out to the Colonnas and liquidates much of his assets, only to learn the mine is a scam.

The revelation of the scam and the Colonnas' pressure drive Jim toward heavy drinking, a stark departure from his prior abstinence that had kept his temper under control. The drinking fuels his volatility and accelerates his downfall.

Jacko tips off the police about Jim's gambling establishments and lies to Arturo Colonna, claiming Jim is behind the raids. When Angelo Colonna and a reluctant Jacko go to Jim's home, Jim is absent but Dave Davies is there, and Angelo unintentionally kills him.

Learning of Dave's death, Jim pursues revenge against the Colonnas. Pat follows him to the Colonnas' location, setting the stage for a confrontation that could end in violence for both sides.

A violent shootout erupts as Jacko and Angelo are killed. Jim is shot in the arm and escapes, finding himself on the street. Pat runs him down with her car, and Susan and the butler arrive; they carry him home, leaving his fate uncertain.

The ending leaves Jim's status unclear as Susan and the staff carry him home, prompting questions about whether he survived and what his future holds amid the aftermath of betrayal and violence.