Mr. Lucky (film)
Encyclopedia
Mr. Lucky is a 1943 film
directed by H.C. Potter, starring Cary Grant
and Laraine Day
. It tells the story of a romance
between a shady gambler and a wealthy socialite in the early days of World War II
.
A 1959 TV series of the same name was loosely based on this film. It lasted only one season and starred John Vivyan in the title role.
) checks out a sailor who has rowed up to the dock. The seaman stops him from bothering an obviously wealthy young woman who walks to the end of the pier, apparently waiting for someone. The sailor begins recounting her story and the film segues into one long, continuous flashback.
Joe "the Greek" Adams (Cary Grant
) is a gambler and grifter with a couple of problems. First, he and his treacherous partner Zepp (Paul Stewart
) have received draft notices to join the army for World War II. Fortunately, he has a solution. One of his underlings, Joe Bascopolous, has just died, and his status was 4F (unfit to serve). So one of them can dodge the draft by taking his identity. They gamble for it; Zepp cheats, but Joe wins anyway. As it turns out, Zepp fails his physical examination.
The other problem is a lack of money to bankroll his gambling ship. He talks the head of the local War Relief organization, Captain Veronica Steadman (Gladys Cooper
), into authorizing him to run a "charity" casino, promising to raise enough money to outfit a relief ship, despite the suspicions of her lieutenant, wealthy socialite Dorothy Bryant (Laraine Day
).
Eventually, he even charms her. She tells her snobbish grandfather (Henry Stephenson
), to his great dismay, that "Joe's the first man I've ever met I'm afraid of. It's exciting." At one point, Joe teaches Dorothy Australian rhyming slang, for example "tit for tat" (hat), "twist and twirl" (girl), and "trouble and strife" (wife). Later, he renames his gambling ship in her honor.
On the day of the charity ball, Joe receives a letter addressed to Bascopolous, written in Greek. Curious about its contents, he takes it to a Greek Orthodox priest for translation. It turns out to be from Bascopolous' mother in Greece, who wrote to tell her son about German paratroopers invading their village. She describes how every Greek man valiantly fought to the death, defending their country's honor. Moved, Joe spends several hours on a park bench, examining his life.
At the charity ball, Joe's men use false bottoms in the cashboxes to steal most of the money. Joe has a change of heart and tells his right-hand man, the "Crunk" (Alan Carney
), that the money is going to war relief. But Zepp overhears what he says and forces him at gunpoint to collect the loot. Dorothy accidentally catches them in the act and thinks Joe is a willing participant. To protect her, he is forced to knock her out. Then, when Zepp briefly looks away, Joe attacks and kills him, but not before getting shot. Joe escapes through a window, leaving behind a trail of blood.
Just when it seems to everyone that Joe is a heel, he sends the money back to Dorothy by way of his trusted friend Swede (Charles Bickford
). He then loads up his ship with war relief supplies.
Later, Dorothy is stricken when a policeman informs her that Bascopolous is dead. Then she sees the photograph of the dead man; it isn't her Joe. When the name of the ship Bascopolous worked on is mentioned (the Briny Marlin, slang for darlin'), she knows where to find him. She rushes to the dock, just as the ship is departing for Europe. She begs Joe to take her with him, but he brushes her off and turns away to hide his own anguish. The ship is torpedoed and sunk on the return trip. Dorothy visits the dock each night, stubbornly waiting for Joe to return to her.
The movie returns to the opening scene: Swede rows up in a dinghy one foggy evening and tells Dorothy's story to the new night watchman. Hoping that she would be present, he arranged for Joe to meet him there. But when Joe shows up at the other end of the pier, he wants to go out on the town to celebrate their last night in port rather than going back to their ship. Thinking quickly, the guard tells him he can't leave the dinghy tied up where it is. Joe and Swede argue about who has to move it. The watchman settles it by flipping a crooked, two-headed coin, ensuring Joe loses. When he walks to the end of the dock, Dorothy sees him and rushes into his arms.
with Cary Grant and Laraine Day reprising their film roles. It was also presented on the January 20, 1950 broadcast of Screen Director's Playhouse
with Cary Grant again reprising his film role.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by H.C. Potter, starring Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
and Laraine Day
Laraine Day
Laraine Day was an American actress and a former MGM contract star.-Career:Born La Raine Johnson in Roosevelt, Utah, to an affluent Mormon family, she later moved to California where she began her acting career with the Long Beach Players...
. It tells the story of a romance
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
between a shady gambler and a wealthy socialite in the early days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
A 1959 TV series of the same name was loosely based on this film. It lasted only one season and starred John Vivyan in the title role.
Plot
A night watchman (Emory ParnellEmory Parnell
Emory Parnell was an American vaudevillian and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36 year career...
) checks out a sailor who has rowed up to the dock. The seaman stops him from bothering an obviously wealthy young woman who walks to the end of the pier, apparently waiting for someone. The sailor begins recounting her story and the film segues into one long, continuous flashback.
Joe "the Greek" Adams (Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
) is a gambler and grifter with a couple of problems. First, he and his treacherous partner Zepp (Paul Stewart
Paul Stewart (actor)
Paul Stewart was an American character actor known for his tough, guttural voice. He frequently portrayed villains and mobsters throughout his lengthy career....
) have received draft notices to join the army for World War II. Fortunately, he has a solution. One of his underlings, Joe Bascopolous, has just died, and his status was 4F (unfit to serve). So one of them can dodge the draft by taking his identity. They gamble for it; Zepp cheats, but Joe wins anyway. As it turns out, Zepp fails his physical examination.
The other problem is a lack of money to bankroll his gambling ship. He talks the head of the local War Relief organization, Captain Veronica Steadman (Gladys Cooper
Gladys Cooper
Dame Gladys Constance Cooper, DBE was an English actress whose career spanned seven decades on stage, in films and on television....
), into authorizing him to run a "charity" casino, promising to raise enough money to outfit a relief ship, despite the suspicions of her lieutenant, wealthy socialite Dorothy Bryant (Laraine Day
Laraine Day
Laraine Day was an American actress and a former MGM contract star.-Career:Born La Raine Johnson in Roosevelt, Utah, to an affluent Mormon family, she later moved to California where she began her acting career with the Long Beach Players...
).
Eventually, he even charms her. She tells her snobbish grandfather (Henry Stephenson
Henry Stephenson
Henry Stephenson , sometimes credited as Harry Stephenson, was a British character actor....
), to his great dismay, that "Joe's the first man I've ever met I'm afraid of. It's exciting." At one point, Joe teaches Dorothy Australian rhyming slang, for example "tit for tat" (hat), "twist and twirl" (girl), and "trouble and strife" (wife). Later, he renames his gambling ship in her honor.
On the day of the charity ball, Joe receives a letter addressed to Bascopolous, written in Greek. Curious about its contents, he takes it to a Greek Orthodox priest for translation. It turns out to be from Bascopolous' mother in Greece, who wrote to tell her son about German paratroopers invading their village. She describes how every Greek man valiantly fought to the death, defending their country's honor. Moved, Joe spends several hours on a park bench, examining his life.
At the charity ball, Joe's men use false bottoms in the cashboxes to steal most of the money. Joe has a change of heart and tells his right-hand man, the "Crunk" (Alan Carney
Alan Carney
Alan Carney was an American actor and comedian.Alan Carney was born David Boughal in Brooklyn, New York. He had performed in vaudeville for years as a comic dialectican. After making his first film, 1941's Convoy, Carney signed a contract at RKO Pictures, in choice supporting roles in such films...
), that the money is going to war relief. But Zepp overhears what he says and forces him at gunpoint to collect the loot. Dorothy accidentally catches them in the act and thinks Joe is a willing participant. To protect her, he is forced to knock her out. Then, when Zepp briefly looks away, Joe attacks and kills him, but not before getting shot. Joe escapes through a window, leaving behind a trail of blood.
Just when it seems to everyone that Joe is a heel, he sends the money back to Dorothy by way of his trusted friend Swede (Charles Bickford
Charles Bickford
Charles Bickford was an American actor best known for his supporting roles. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for The Song of Bernadette , The Farmer's Daughter , and Johnny Belinda...
). He then loads up his ship with war relief supplies.
Later, Dorothy is stricken when a policeman informs her that Bascopolous is dead. Then she sees the photograph of the dead man; it isn't her Joe. When the name of the ship Bascopolous worked on is mentioned (the Briny Marlin, slang for darlin'), she knows where to find him. She rushes to the dock, just as the ship is departing for Europe. She begs Joe to take her with him, but he brushes her off and turns away to hide his own anguish. The ship is torpedoed and sunk on the return trip. Dorothy visits the dock each night, stubbornly waiting for Joe to return to her.
The movie returns to the opening scene: Swede rows up in a dinghy one foggy evening and tells Dorothy's story to the new night watchman. Hoping that she would be present, he arranged for Joe to meet him there. But when Joe shows up at the other end of the pier, he wants to go out on the town to celebrate their last night in port rather than going back to their ship. Thinking quickly, the guard tells him he can't leave the dinghy tied up where it is. Joe and Swede argue about who has to move it. The watchman settles it by flipping a crooked, two-headed coin, ensuring Joe loses. When he walks to the end of the dock, Dorothy sees him and rushes into his arms.
Cast
- Cary GrantCary GrantArchibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
as Joe Adams/"Joe Bascopolous" - Laraine DayLaraine DayLaraine Day was an American actress and a former MGM contract star.-Career:Born La Raine Johnson in Roosevelt, Utah, to an affluent Mormon family, she later moved to California where she began her acting career with the Long Beach Players...
as Dorothy Bryant - Alan CarneyAlan CarneyAlan Carney was an American actor and comedian.Alan Carney was born David Boughal in Brooklyn, New York. He had performed in vaudeville for years as a comic dialectican. After making his first film, 1941's Convoy, Carney signed a contract at RKO Pictures, in choice supporting roles in such films...
as the "Crunk", Joe's trusted right hand man - Henry StephensonHenry StephensonHenry Stephenson , sometimes credited as Harry Stephenson, was a British character actor....
as Mr. Bryant, Dorothy's grandfather - Paul StewartPaul Stewart (actor)Paul Stewart was an American character actor known for his tough, guttural voice. He frequently portrayed villains and mobsters throughout his lengthy career....
as Zepp, Joe's business partner and rival - Charles BickfordCharles BickfordCharles Bickford was an American actor best known for his supporting roles. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for The Song of Bernadette , The Farmer's Daughter , and Johnny Belinda...
as Hard Swede, a friend of Joe's - Gladys CooperGladys CooperDame Gladys Constance Cooper, DBE was an English actress whose career spanned seven decades on stage, in films and on television....
as Captain Veronica Steadman, the head of the War Relief organization - Vladimir Sokoloff as the Greek priest
- Florence BatesFlorence BatesFlorence Bates was an American character actress who often played grande dame characters in her films.Born Florence Rabe in San Antonio, Texas, the second child of Jewish immigrants, Bates showed musical talent as a child, but a hand injury inhibited her from continuing her piano studies...
as Mrs. Van Every - Edward Fielding as Foster, Dorothy's butler
- Emory ParnellEmory ParnellEmory Parnell was an American vaudevillian and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36 year career...
as the dock watchman
Adaptations to other media
Mr. Lucky was adapted as a radio play on the October 18, 1943 broadcast of Lux Radio TheaterLux Radio Theater
Lux Radio Theater, a long-run classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network ; CBS and NBC . Initially, the series adapted Broadway plays during its first two seasons before it began adapting films. These hour-long radio programs were performed live before studio audiences...
with Cary Grant and Laraine Day reprising their film roles. It was also presented on the January 20, 1950 broadcast of Screen Director's Playhouse
Screen Director's Playhouse
Screen Director's Playhouse is a popular radio and television anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949...
with Cary Grant again reprising his film role.