Jack of Diamonds Trent Doll

• Trent is as dapper as ever in Jack of Diamonds, circa 1946.
• Trent sports a white crepe dinner jacket with red satin handkerchief tucked into his breast pocket. Under the shawl-collared jacket, he wears a diamond patterned vest over a white shirt and bowtie.
• Trent’s pants are black gabardine, with black suspenders.
• To top everything off—a double breasted woolen overcoat with red boutonnière on the satin lapel, and black feather-trimmed fedora.
• Comes with socks, two-toned shoes—and a walking stick!
• The costume for Jack of Diamonds was created by Frank Ingenito.

1946. You know, of all the roles I’ve played in my amazing career (on and off the screen), the ones I love most are, for want of a better term, the street guys. Oh, sure, those elegant bachelor roles are nice (and so true to the real me) and the swashbucklers cut a swath with the ladies, but those tough guys with a heart of gold make me think back to my early days when I was a struggling young—well, younger—actor. In those days, I must admit I hung around with a questionable crowd—good sorts as people but a bit shady when it came time to making a living...

My film “Jack of Diamonds” was a good example. In it, I played Handsome Jack, the proprietor of a underground gambling establishment (and I do mean underground—its home was an abandoned subway station under Times Square). One day, my life is turned upside-down by a cute little Doll from the Sticks (the lovely as ever Gene Marshall) who wants to be a star. Using my “influence,” I get her a job at a night club—but when she comes to me with a sob story about raising money to keep a boys club from going belly up and bats those baby blues... Well, what guy in his right mind could resist.

So I gather my friends, turn the nightclub into a casino for one night, raise the money—then the police show up! Fortunately, a reprieve from Mayor LaGuardia saves the day and the boys club—and I get the girl.

Funny thing was, when this picture came out, I actually got a letter from one of my old Times Square cronies. He complimented me on the great job I did. And then he gave me this little tip on a horse that he heard just MIGHT win the Derby...