RAINBOW

by William Harry Harding ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 24, 1979

Sprightly film-ram shenanigans, with Cole Porter tunes in the background and a wisecracking tone up front. Rainbow Roberts is the greatest con man of the 1920s, but he's hung up on killing his father who deserted him as a kid and seemingly was responsible for the death of Rainbow's beloved Aunt Ruth. She was a card sharp like his dad and has trained the boy to go into every gambling situation with a rightful edge. In fact, Rainbow's edge is always so rightful that you could call it a fix, or seam, and he usually has a silent partner helping him out. He finally enters the big time when he sets up a golfing bet with a Chicago banker and takes him for $155,000 in a funny, tense match, with Rainbow offering to play left-handed (he's an even better golfer that way) and even offering to bet on his hayseed caddie (a ringer). So the seams go, always depending in part upon Rainbow's supreme expertise in cards, golf, horses, and pool--and his snazzy look: he's an Arrow Collar ad, with his white-suit-and-panama trademark. And the Biggest One of All is planned for Saratoga Springs, where Rainbow is bowled over by green-eyed Iris Winslow, who is also a con artist--she sells sublime racehorses that don't exist. What's more, Iris' father sets Rainbow up in a superscam by pretending he can fix the races at Saratoga if Rainbow will settle a very hefty sum on him. Iris doesn't know the full extent of her alcoholic dad's deal with Rainbow and hopes that her new lover is Mr. Right. . . . Vivid backgrounds of the wealthy, topnotch gambling scenes, and a gift for crackling, right-on dialogue full of out-loud laughs--engaging, minimally involving, movie-inspired entertainment.

Pub Date: Sept. 24, 1979

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Holt, Rinehart & Winston

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1979

Categories: FICTION