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The second of PRC's trio of "Philo Vance" mysteries, Philo Vance's Gamble stars Alan Curtis as S. S. Van Dine's erudite amateur sleuth. The plot is set in motion when a valuable emerald is smuggled into the U.S. The gem promptly disappears, resulting in two murders. Following the trail of clues, Philo Vance gets mixed up with an international smuggling ring, not to mention a third murder. Leading lady Terry Austin offers an interesting performance as the none-too-typical heroine, while Frank Jenks is on hand for mildly amusing comedy relief. Perhaps the best of PRC's "Vance" entries, Philo Vance's Gamble is still rather far removed from Van Dine's original concept of the character.