Mister Cory (1957)
Mister Cory is a film released in 1957 by Universal Pictures starring Tony Curtis and Martha Hyer. The film follows the story of Cory, a young con artist living in Chicago. Cory acquires a job as a busboy in Wisconsin, and gradually works his way into the world of professional gambling.
Mister Cory was released in March of 1957, and has a running length of 92 minutes.
Cast and Crew of Mister Cory
Mister Cory was directed by Blake Edwards and produced by Robert Arthur. The original screenplay was written by Blake Edwards and based on a story written by Leo Rosten. Edward Curtiss edited the film, while Russell Metty handled cinematography. Joseph Gershenson composed the score.
Tony Curtis stars in the film as Cory. Martha Hyer plays Abby Vollard, Charles Bickford plays Biloxi, Kathryn Grant plays Jen Vollard, William Reynolds plays Alex Wyncott, Henry Daniell plays Earnshaw, Russ Morgan plays Ruby, and Willis Bouchey plays Mr. Vollard. The supporting cast includes Louise Lorimer, Joan Banks, Harry Landers, Greg Kramer, Dick Crockett, Hylton Socher, Paul Bryar, and Nesdon Booth.
Plot Synopsis for Mister Cory
Mister Cory begins with Cory, a card shark, leaving Chicago for the Green Pines Lodge, a resort in Wisconsin. He meets with Mr. Earnshaw, a restaurant owner who offers him a job working as a busboy. Earnshaw is a harsh boss who criticizes every mistake Cory makes. Cory frequently beats his coworkers in poker games by night while winning gambling contests with guests during the day.
One evening, Cory sees a beautiful Chicago woman named Abby Vollard at the restaurant. Abby is celebrating her birthday, and Cory decides to seduce her. He follows Abby and Alex, her boyfriend, out onto the terrace, where he overhears Abby turning down Alex’s marriage proposal. Cory approaches Abby after she sends Alex away, and she becomes interested in him.
The following day, Cory damages the engine in Abby’s boat and waits at a nearby deck. The boat travels out to the middle of the lake, where the engine dies. Cory swims out to rescue Abby, but finds that Abby’s younger sister Jen is driving the boat, and Abby is nowhere to be found. Jen immediately takes an interest in Cory, and invites him to come over to her home that evening. The Vollard parent assume that Cory must be a guest at the upscale resort, but Jen reveals that she saw Cory staring at Abby at the restaurant. She also correctly guesses that Cory intentionally damaged the boat engine in order to seek Abby’s attention. Cory tells Jen to tell Abby that he has been bragging about marrying Abby.
The following morning, Cory (who is dressed as a guest) and Abby meet at the restaurant. He tells her that he will readily pursue something when he wants it, and asks her to meet him at the lake later in the day. When Cory arrives at the lake, however, only Jen is waiting. Jen informs him that Abby and Alex have already left to return to Chicago. However, she offers Cory her car to drive to the train station and catch Abby, which he accepts.
Cory picks up Abby, but she insists on driving. Cory has her pull over, and he kisses her despite her protests. Abby is subdued, and invites him out onto her boat, where they make love. Abby invites Cory to travel to New York with her for two weeks.
That night, Cory joins a poker game with Jeremiah Caldwell. He initially goes on a winning streak, but eventually loses all of his money to Caldwell, forcing Cory to temporarily cancel his New York trip. Abby goes looking for Cory, and one of his coworkers tells her that Cory isn’t a guest at the resort, but rather a busboy. Abby is furious, and parts ways with Cory.
A year goes by, and we see Cory playing poker at a casino in Reno, Nevada. Cory sees Caldwell again, and realizes that he’s actually Biloxi, a professional poker player. Biloxi remembers Cory’s poker skills, and invites him to travel around the country for the next year, building their bankrolls and reputations. Cory sends a flower to Abby every month, and eventually takes a job running a casino in Chicago under Ruby Matrobe, a gangster. Cory hires Earnshaw to be a manager at the casino.
For the grand opening of the casino, Cory sends invitations to the entire Vollard family. Jen heads to the casino early to tell Cory that Abby and Alex are engaged. Jen, Alex, and Abby show up at the grand opening. Cory rigs the games so that Alex will go on a winning streak, and Cory talks to Abby privately and requests that she meet him at his home later that evening. When she arrives, they kiss.
Alex becomes a regular at the casino, and Cory and Abby become involved in a secret affair. Biloxi encourages Cory to reveal the affair, and Cory asks Abby to tell Alex about their secret love. Although Abby is content to marry Alex and continue the affair with Cory, Alex finds out. Alex decides that he’d rather Cory be with Abby, and he encourages Alex to start a legitimate business. Cory proposes to Abby and is rejected. Suddenly, Alex rushes into the casino and shoots Cory, injuring his shoulder.
Cory and Biloxi decide to leave town. When they’re about to board their plane, Jen suddenly arrives and tells Cory that she’ll follow him anywhere. The two fall in love, and Jen leaves with Cory.
Additional Information about Mister Cory
Mister Cory was generally well received by critics upon its release, though it didn’t perform well at the box office. Critics cited Mister Cory as an excellent example of Tony Curtis’s early acting career. Mister Cory is currently not available on DVD.