La dicha de amar

The first time I saw this film I was distracted for a few minutes and missed the intro credits. Being in a lazy mood I just sat down to watch and if it hadn't been for the setting (Miami) and the star (Doris), I'd have sworn this were one of the early MGM CinemaScope films, since someone was obviously emulating a certain kind of Arthur Freed approach. But while elaborate visually at times, no, it was Warner Bros., but for what it was, not bad. In fact, the only real debit I can make against LUCKY ME remains its very conventional and predictable plot conventions. That, and the one-note roles of Phil Silvers (a ham) and Robert Cummings (handsome but bland nice guy). Songs? Okay, nothing special, perhaps, but serviceable. So for anyone who simply wants an old, spiffy if brainless musical, they still can't go wrong here, even if someone like Howard Keel might have brought more to the Cummings role (for better and worse).

As for the film process itself, did this film really need such elaboration? Probably not, but Scope does continue to lend it a certain novelty.

In sunny Miami, superstitions showgirl Doris Day (as Candy Williams) and her musical troupe find themselves destitute after their show "Parisian Pretties" closes. This is strange, because Ms. Day and performing manager Phil Silvers (as Hap Schneider) appear captivating on stage. The troupe is forced to take menial jobs. While working as a maid, tap-dancing Nancy Walker (as Flo Neely) meets famous songwriter Bob Cummings (as Dick Carson) and learns he is producing a new Broadway show...

Day hopes Mr. Cummings could provide her with a lucky break. Perhaps romance will follow. "Lucky Me" was meant to be a follow-up to the crowd-pleasing "Calamity Jane" (1953), but fell short. The earlier film featured Day's million-selling #1 "Secret Love" single. This film's song highlight is "I Speak to the Stars", a sleepy #16 hit. The closing party is mildly interesting, beginning with Day in a convincing disguise. This is where you can spot black-haired Angie Dickinson, in her big screen debut.

**** Lucky Me (4/9/54) Jack Donohue ~ Doris Day, Robert Cummings, Phil Silvers, Nancy Walker

I found this movie on DVD at my local public library. I wanted to watch it for two stars of yesteryear, Doris Day and Martha Hyer.

The simple story involves four small time entertainers barely drawing audiences in Miami and wanting to hit it somewhat bigger. They find out famous songwriter Dick Carson is in town and make attempts to meet him. Quite by accident, a car accident that is, Candy (Doris Day) meets Carson (Robert Cummings) but assumes he is a mechanic for the loaner car he is driving from a prior accident. This goes on long enough that when she finds out who he really is, she vows that she will never talk to him again. But he is smitten with her and also wants her to play the lead in the show he is writing.

To complicate things Carson needs funding for his planned Broadway show and needs help from Ms Thayer's wealthy Texas oilman father. Ms Thayer (Martha Hyer) has a deep crush on Carson and threatens to sabotage the whole thing if he keeps pursuing Candy for the lead role.

It is a rather simple and silly rom-com but all the actors are in good form. Especially Cummings, the impact of the whole story depends on the way he plays Carson and he nails it. Phil Silvers has a role as Hap Schneider, very similar in style to the Sgt. Bilko character he started playing on TV shortly after this movie came out.

All in all a worthwhile 100 minutes to see some of the stars of yesteryear. Day and Hyer were about 30 and lovely. Day was quite a good singer, even better than I thought I remembered.

For the film Lucky Me, Doris Day was reunited with composers Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster who wrote the score for Calamity Jane and gave Doris one of her biggest hits, Secret Love in one of her biggest film successes. Unfortunately none of the songs from Lucky Me was ever any kind of hit for Day and the film is a very ordinary backstage story.

With some establishing shots in Miami Beach done in Cinemascope, Lucky Me is also the name of the show composer Robert Cummings is writing the score for. Doris is part of a quartet act that consists of Phil Silvers, Eddie Foy, Jr., and Nancy Walker. Through some of the usual Phil Silvers shenanigans, the group has to work to pay off a debt to restaurant owner Marcel Dalio.

Cummings is staying at the hotel that Dalio's restaurant is at and again through shenanigans, Day and Cummings meet. Day thinks he's garage mechanic and Cummings keeps up the pretense as has been done in more movies I can remember. That's because he's romancing daughter of bankroll, Bill Goodwin in the person of Martha Hyer.

If you can't tell where this is all going you haven't seen too many films let alone musicals. It would have been nice if Doris and the gang had been given some hit songs from this film, but Fain and Webster who won Academy Awards for Secret Love and Love Is A Many Splendored Thing came up short in the score for Lucky Me.

Eddie Foy, Jr. and Nancy Walker came up short in footage as well. Especially Nancy Walker who is one of the funniest people around. I believe there is some moments for her in the Warner Brothers vaults if anyone wants to do a director's cut for Lucky Me. Oddly enough Phil Silvers and Nancy Walker within the next 10 years would co-star on Broadway in Do-Re-Mi which was a big success, but never made it to Hollywood.

Doris's fans will like Lucky Me, others can take or leave it and be considered lucky either way.

"Lucky Me" was the first musical to be shot in the then, new process, CinemaScope. It was also a picture that Doris Day, Hollywood's Golden Girl, did NOT want to make.

Because of contractual obligations, she decided to do the film and to give it 110% of herself in the role of 'Candy Williams'. Her co-star was Robert Cummings, long-time Hollywood leading man and television star. In support, she had Phil Silvers, Nancy Walker, who later gained fame as Ida Morgenstern in "Rhoda", and Eddie Foy, Jr.

It was reported that Martha Hyer, a blond, was forced to dye her hair red so as not to conflict with the star, Miss Day.

This film is famous for another reason. Judy Garland was on the Warner Brothers lot filming "A Star is Born". She and Miss Day visited each other's sets and became friends.

"Lucky Me" is a fun musical which opens with Doris Day's dynamite opening number, "The Superstition Song," which she sings while bouncing down the streets of Miami! A TRUE STAR PERFORMANCE! Only Doris could have gotten away with this, and she was brilliant.

She played Candy Williams, a singer/actress who was appearing in a travelling show, "Parisian Pretties" which bombed in Miami. Standed, she meets a New York songwriter, Cummings, who is casting a new Broadway show. He pretends to be someone else to court Candy, but falls in love with her.

During the proceedings, Doris Day sings most of the numbers including her chart hit, "I Speak to the Stars". The highlight is "I Wanna Sing Like an Angel" and "Love You, Dearly," a lovely ballad which should have been a hit.

Phil Sivers was wonderful and had a great number with Day called "Men!" The other actors gave Miss Day able support and everyone seemed to work well with each other.

Angie Dickinson made her film debut in a walk-on scene at the big party, but you probably won't recognize her (she had black hair). Bill Goodwin played the same role he played in many a film at various studios.

Again, Doris Day fans will just love seeing their favorite star do ANYthing. Even though Miss Day didn't like the picture, her fans seem to love every minute of it. I must admit, I liked it!