The Gambler: The Legend Continues (1987)

Kenny Rogers plays Brady Hawkes and Bruce Boxleitner plays Billy Montana in this third installment in The Gambler series.

They still haven’t reached that high-stakes poker game in San Francisco, but they manage to find plenty of trouble.

This time around, they get caught up in a dispute between the cavalry and the Indians, with a school teacher (Linda Gray as Mary Collins), a pretty pick-pocket whore named Deborah and Buffalo Bill (Jeffrey Jones).

A young Sioux chief named Iron Dog is whipping his warrriors into a frenzy with the Ghost Dance. He’s also being blamed for massacring a family of settlers.

Hawkes knows the man and believes him when he says he isn’t responsible.

Meanwhile, the Gen. Miles (George Kennedy), Senator Colton and Indian agent McLaughlin are trying to negotiate a major land purchase with the Sioux, but can’t get Sitting Bull to the bargaining table.

Hawkes tries to play intermediary, but discovers government cattle intended for the Sioux are being stolen by someone.

He and Billy set out to discover who that someone is and who that someone is taking orders from.

Kenny Rogers as Brady Hawkes, finding Billy Montana in another jam in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Bruce Boxleitner as Billy Montana, marveling over Buffalo Bill’s trick-riding skills in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Review:

The first Gambler film was a normal length TV movie and rather entertaining. It was also a rating success, which meant the next four parts became two-part mini-series.

This one is bloated by the inclusion of Buffalo Bill and Sitting Bull and a couple of subplots featuring cardboard cutout style Western characters.

Those include the despicable Sgt. Grinder, determined to get even with the Indians to settle an old score and Wade Friendly, a snarling killer of the Doc Holliday mold.

One of the silliest scenes has Iron Dog crash through the window of Collins’ school and demand that she stop teaching Indian children that ways of the white man.

One of the best features some wild horse-riding tricks as the Buffalo Bill character is introduced to viewers.

Otherwise, Brady and Billy keep winding up in dangerous situations … and escaping them with surprising ease.

George Kennedy has a prominent role as Gen. Miles. Melanie Chartoff might be the best thing about the film as the pretty pick-pocket.

By the way, our star, Brady Hawkes, lost a limp before the first and second “Gambler” film. Between the second and third, his son disappears.

Linda Gray as Mary Collins, a school teacher concerned about the plight of the Indians in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Melanie Chartoff as Deborah, caught playing the pick-pocket again in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Directed by:
Dick Lowry

Cast:
Kenny Rogers … Brady Hawkes
Bruce Boxleitner … Billy Montana
Richard Chaves … Iron Dog
Linda Gray … Mary Collins
Jeffrey Jones … Buffalo Bill
George Kennedy … Gen. Miles
George American Horse … Sitting Bull
Melanie Chartoff … Deborah
Charles Durning … Sen. Colton
Dean Stockwell … James McLaughlin
Matt Clark … Sgt. Grinder
Marco Rodriguez … Wade Friendly
Sandy Martin … Mrs. Dickey
Lenora May … Denise
Brenda Strong … Desire

Runtime: 180 min.

Richard Chaves as Iron Dog, the Ghost Dance proponent among the Sioux in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

George American Horse as Sitting Bull, negotiating with Brady Hawkes in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Memorable lines:

James McLaughlin: “He (Iron Dog) is a fanatic. He’s got his warriors convinced if they wear these ghost shirts, they can’t be killed. He’s a dangerous man. And now he’s going to get what he’s wanted all along. And that’s war.”
Sgt. Grinder: “Well, good luck to him. I ain’t never seen a shirt I can’t put a bullet through.”

Whore #1: “Do you think we’ll meet up with any Indians.”
Whore #2: “I don’t know. But they can’t be any worse than those church ladies back in St. Joe.”

Sgt. Grinder: “Well, look here, it’s our Indian school teacher. How come you aren’t teaching those little savages how to read and write today? Oh, I forgot. That’s right. Iron Dog has rung the recess bell, has’t he? Permanently.”

Billy Montana, watching Buffalo Bill’s troupe rehearse a cavalry vs. Indian battle: “Brady, what do you think would happen if he let the Indians win, just once?”
Brady Hawkes: “Nobody would ever believe it was true.”

Brady Hawkes: “McLaughlin, you consider yourself very lucky. Because I’ve always found it hard to hit a man smaller than me.”
Indian agent McLaughlin: “You went to all that trouble, Hawkes. And all you’ve accomplished is to get Sitting Bull killed.”
Hawkes punches out McLaughlin.
Hawkes: “I said hard. Not impossible.”

Jeffrey Jones as Buffalo Bill, contemplating helping Hawkes with Sitting Bull in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

George Kennedy as Gen. Miles, caught in a compromising position by Brady Hawkes in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Dean Stockwell as James McLaughlin, an ambitious Indian agent in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Charles Durning as Sen. Colton, determined to push through a land deal in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Matt Clark as Sgt. Grinder, a man with a scalp scar and a score to settle in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Marco Rodriquez as Wade Friendly, the hired killer in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Sandy Martin as Mrs. Dickey, madam for the whores in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Bruce Boxleitner as Billy Montana, getting reaquainted with a pretty pick-pocket in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)

Kenny Rogers as Brady Hawkes, showing off a piece of evidence in The Gambler — The Legend Continues (1987)