Wine, Women and Horses

Wine, Women and Horses

Year: 1937

Runtime: 64 mins

Language: English

Director: Louis King

Drama

A former gambler’s old addiction erupts, pulling him back into a world of high‑stakes risk and passionate recklessness. As his habit returns, he rekindles a romance with a past lover, jeopardizing his marriage and setting off a volatile love‑triangle fueled by gambling‑driven drama.

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Timeline & Setting – Wine, Women and Horses (1937)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Wine, Women and Horses (1937). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1920s

The events unfold in the Roaring Twenties, a decade of rapid urban growth and shifting moral boundaries. Gambling and mobility pull the protagonist between thrill and stability. The shifts from a rural town to Chicago and then to California tracks reflect the era's appetite for risk and escape.

Location

Midwest town, Chicago, California

The story centers around a small Midwest town and the boarding house run by the Mayhews. It then moves to Chicago, where Jim begins steady work and is drawn by urban temptations. The California racing circuit provides the backdrop for Jim's gambling world and the pursuit of big wins. The settings contrast modest homes with the glamour and risk of hotels and racetracks.

🌆 Small-town boarding house 🏙️ City life 🐎 Horse racing circuit

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:25

Main Characters – Wine, Women and Horses (1937)

Meet the key characters of Wine, Women and Horses (1937), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Jim Turner (Barton MacLane)

A charismatic but compulsive gambler who chases excitement and wins as often as he loses. His restless nature strains his relationships and pushes him toward sporadic attempts to reform before slipping back into gambling.

🎭 Drama 💰 Gambling

Valerie (Ann Sheridan)

Jim's glamorous companion whose presence highlights the allure and risk of a life built on luck. She shares in his winnings and his adventures, shaping the choices he makes about loyalty and love.

💋 Romance

Marjorie Mayhew (Peggy Bates)

George's sister who yearns for stability and family life. Her pregnancy and heartbreak mark a turning point, testing her devotion to Jim and her hope for a conventional future.

💔 Heartbreak 👪 Family

George Mayhew (Dick Purcell)

Initially Jim's benefactor, he evolves into a professional gambler and introduces Jim to the racing world. He acts as a catalyst in Jim's gambling cycle and the story's escalating stakes.

🎲 Gambler 💰 Influence

Mr. Bright (Kenneth Harlan)

A hotel guest who spots Jim's talent and offers him a job caring for his racehorses in California. He represents opportunity and the lure of success through horse racing.

🏇 Horse racing 💼 Opportunity

Broadway Willis (Charley Foy)

Valerie's escort whose presence underscores the nightlife milieu surrounding gambling in Jim's world. He embodies the social circle that feeds Jim's appetite for risk.

🎭 Drama 💬 Gossip

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:25

Major Themes – Wine, Women and Horses (1937)

Explore the central themes of Wine, Women and Horses (1937), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🎲 Gambling

Gambling drives Jim Turner's life, delivering highs and devastating lows. The lure of big wins competes with the pain of losses, trapping him in a cycle he struggles to break. The film uses gambling to explore risk, control, and the fragility of luck.

❤️ Love vs Responsibility

Romance pulls Jim in conflicting directions—Marjorie seeks stability while Valerie embodies risk. The tension between commitment and freedom tests Jim's ability to settle down. Love becomes both a tether and a temptation throughout the story.

⚖️ Redemption & Consequences

Jim vows to quit gambling and seek honest work, but the lure of the next win often overrides his resolve. The consequences ripple through Marjorie and their potential family, highlighting the cost of his choices. Redemption remains possible, yet precarious and hard-won.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 17:25

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Movies about cycles of addiction like Wine, Women and Horses

Stories of characters caught in the painful loop of relapse and the hope for change.If you were drawn to the struggle with gambling in Wine, Women and Horses, these movies feature similar stories of addiction, relapse, and the quest for redemption. Discover character-driven dramas that capture the bittersweet hope and inevitable regret of fighting a personal demon.

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Narrative Summary

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a protagonist torn between a stable, safe relationship and a reckless, passionate one. The central conflict is often exacerbated by a personal flaw or vice, such as gambling, leading to escalating drama and an ending where true love is sacrificed, resulting in loss and regret.

Why These Movies?

These movies share a core structure of a destructive love triangle, a tone of bittersweet melancholy, and an ending that leans toward sadness. They are united by the emotional experience of watching passion destroy stability, leaving characters to grapple with the consequences of their choices.

Unlock the Full Story of Wine, Women and Horses

Don't stop at just watching — explore Wine, Women and Horses in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Wine, Women and Horses is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Wine, Women and Horses Summary

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Wine, Women and Horses Summary

Wine, Women and Horses Timeline

Track the full timeline of Wine, Women and Horses with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Wine, Women and Horses Timeline

Wine, Women and Horses Spoiler-Free Summary

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Wine, Women and Horses Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Wine, Women and Horses

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