You Can't Buy Luck

New York gambler Joe Baldwin (Onslow Stevens) likes to get all the luck he can get. He owns the thoroughbred Sarcasm. Before the Kentucky Derby, he is trying to do good deeds to buy luck insurance. He lends an old acquaintance money to save his cab company. He buys an expensive trip for gold-digger Jean Jason. He visits an orphanage where Betty McKay (Helen Mack) teaches. Despite all the payouts, Sarcasm still loses. He believes that the orphans jinxed him when he wished for rain for the race. He intends to reverse the luck.

It's an interesting idea for a story. I like the first half a lot. It's set up for a light rom-com with a bunch of kids. It takes a dark turn. It's too dark. It needs to stay light and stay within the rom-com premise. I don't like a lot of the second half including its conclusion. I want to review the movie that it should have been. It would have been interesting to Santa Claus the orphanage and discover that all they want is a family. OMG I'm writing my version.

Onslow Stevens and Helen Mack never achieved true greatness in movies, but they had some success in TV and Broadway, perhaps because of the many films they made for the studio system (like this one) that were of unexceptional quality. The plot summary listed above could be the storyboard for the movie, so I won't waste your time; however, a quick scan above should give you an idea of how odd the story is. Summing up the first half, Onslow Stevens is an extremely superstitious gambler, down on his luck. By way of an orphanage that has brought him his bad luck he finds instant love with an all too nice girl played by Helen Mack. The second half is best stated as an "innocent man framed for murder gets nice girl to find proof he's not guilty while on the lam then convinces cops to set up real killer in the nick of time--the end" type of story. Heard that one before? If you need background noise while working on a really late night then this is your movie.

Hedda Hopper is the only big name name I recognize in this short version film from RKO. Joe Baldwin (Onslow Stevens) races horses, and is rather superstitious. His girl is Jean Jason (Maxine Jennings), and she wants to secretly toot off to europe with her "friend" Paul (Vinton Hayworth). Lots of intrigue, murder, mayhem. some story elements in here, about adopting, and helping out an orphanage home. Baldwin gets blamed for a killing, but did he really do it? We watch the courtroom drama, while his new girl runs around and tries to find the truth. Hedda Hopper has only a small role in this one. Too bad. Not a very exciting tale, but its not bad. Helen Mack is in here as "Betty". She worked with some of the greats of Hollywood. Check out her story on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Mack . Directed by Lew Landers, who had popped onto the scene in the early 1930s. Shown on TCM now & then, this one kind of has a murder noir feeling.

Gambler Onslow Stevens is a suspicious guy like Dave the Dude in Lady For A Day. Do a good deed and your luck will redound in your favor. So chariable gifts accompany some big bets.

He's also caught between nice girl Helen Mack and bad party girl Maxine Jennings. When Jennings is murdered Stevene needs good luck and good friends to pull him out of a jackpot.

This is an average programmer from RKO. The playere do their best with warmed over material.

This film also has the distinction of having one of the worst jailbreaks ever captured on film. If breaking out were only that easy.

Yep! It Does Exist! That Movie Was Exist! Hooray! 10/10 Stars! Amazing! My Young Brother Walter Will Watch The Show When He Was A Baby. At Least, Review Is Amazing!