Lucky Lady

I saw this many moons ago as a kid on a late night show fell in love with it then and still love it now.

It is a strange mix with some great comedy and then some downright mean moments of violence, but that was one of the films nice little quirks.

Minelli's Fish Fart line has stuck with me for years, and recently the film made it to cable where I was able to get a copy.

With all the dross being rereleased onto DVD it's well overdue a release.

One of those guilty little pleasures we all have.

I've always had a soft spot for this overly maligned production, the "Ishtar" of its day. It's an oft-kilter mix, to be sure, with some great low comedy bits jarringly interrupted by graphic violence. But it's always fun, and the star trio (especially Reynolds, in a very overlooked performance) seem to be having a ball. Liza Minnelli's production number, "Get While The Gettin' Is Good", is absolutely terrific; she is at her wittiest. Stanley Donen just a few years ago proclaimed he was proud of "Lucky Lady", and I'm hoping eventually this movie will find some type of audience other than Liza Minnelli completists. Hey, Fox, put it on video!

Released in Sydney in 1976 in the beautiful lost Plaza cinerama-screen theatre LL was crazily blown up to 70mm for release here and suffered horrible cropping to make it a rectangle 2.2 ratio pic when it seemed to be shot 1.66-1. Heads were cut off, or in one famous scene with Liza in a chair with Hackman and Reynolds standing behind her (the famous "fish fart" line) all we saw was her eyes on the stage and the men's chins at the top. I saw it again in proper ratio and it was far better, so whoever's idea to blow it up literally only added to the maligned 'bomb' status of this very expensive ($13m) 1975 film. Yes, the washed out image also looks weird, and makes you yearn for better access into the antics on screen. We had one of the 3 reported endings: the silly happy one where they all surface in the water after being blown up. The Butch Cassidy ending where the guys die and she is left would have been much better. Amazing that this film cost $4m more than STAR WARS filmed the next year. I saw a terrific 'making of' featurette at a nearby cinema at the same time which was in focus and offered a witty and attractive lead to the film, so there is plenty for the DVD if we get it. Reynolds other films of the time AT LONG LAST LOVE and NICKELODEON deserve favourable DVD releases too; all 3 are funny and enjoyable and compared to new multiplex releases from the USA, are masterpieces. LL is almost a musical and Reynolds is a hoot. The John Held artwork on the credits will make you rush to buy a book of his delicious 1920s cartoons.

Burt Reynolds, Gene Hackman and Liza Minnelli and Robby Benson are a motley crew who whilst on-board the boat of the title make a killing transporting booze through treacherous waters in 1930's prohibition. Hackman/Reynolds become engaged in a hilarious menage-a-trios with Minnelli who is excellent in her role as Claire who is queen of the rum-runners, the four have to keep one step ahead of the villainous mobster Teague 'John Hillerman' and also avoid Geoffrey Lewis who is a by the book Coast Guard who is out to thwart the lucrative enterprise. The film has lots of laughs and some cracking set pieces most notably the Sea battle climax which in these days of pathetic 'CGI' remains amazing. Directed by Stanley Donen (Charade) 'Lucky Lady' is nothing short of excellent. It's great to finally have it on DVD in 1:85:1 16:9 Widescreen. It's an excellent transfer which was photographed by Geoffrey Unsworth. why this film isn't better known i don't know why? but i liked it:)

Interesting little comedy featuring 3 down on their luck folks who, during the depression, formed a coalition to run booze past the coast guard. Turns out the CG is the least of their woes as a psychotic rumrunner decides to take over the entire area and rub out any who stand in his path. Good shootout as a finale with a multitude of boats gunning it out in a Pacific cove. Good one.