Jordan le révolté

The 19 year old Dorothy Dandridge got the opportunity to act alongside of Alan Ladd in this rather dull film, 'Lucky Jordan'. It sums up how lucky she was during her teens to act alongside Alan Ladd, John Wayne, The Little Rascals, Abbott and Costello and The Marx Brothers.

This picture was fun to watch. Alan Ladd had a style as a gangster that counterpointed well with the wonderful Sheldon Leonard ("Hey, Buddy, ... C'mere!") Helen Walker presented an unusually perky, sexy look that was never really exploited in the movies. When she distracted the nazi spy he was not alone. I sat through the movie again to be distracted a second time. The picture may become a cult 'classic', if it has not already and I recommend most insistently that you view it. Ladd's involvement with the old 'bag lady' will touch you. Once again, for a light comedy, spy thriller (The Second World War was in full sway) it was away ahead of most of it's ilk. My favourite Alan Ladd movie.

This is a very entertaining movie. A lot funnier upon repeated viewing (dialogue is very witty and fast). Alan Ladd (underrated actor to begin with) has made very few comedies and shines here in both delivery, mannerisms and excellent timing. Helen Walker is holding her own and has just about as good an on-screen chemistry with Ladd as Veronica Lake in his noir movies. The plot is pretty stupid because of introduction of Nazis (in US ?!), secret plans, treason, etc. The whole patriotic hullabaloo, in my opinion, only gets in the way of otherwise interesting idea of a wise guy trying to dodge draft by any means necessary (especially as the movie was released in 1942). It's a pity Ladd got "pigeonholed" by his studio (Paramount) into tough guy, action hero and/or tragic roles. He would have been a winner in an intelligent, dialogue based comedy, or even romantic comedy (dare I say: the caliber of Cary Grant?!). I'm buying this one for my collection of Ladd's movies. :D

This is one of my favorite wartime crime/espionage/comedies. It's played mostly straight, but a few of the comedy sequences are priceless. Ladd plays Lucky Jordan, a man who makes his living in the rackets. He is a bookie and also makes money in slot machines. Basically letting the saps gamble away their dough. Business is good, but there is a problem. Jordan has been drafted into the army. You know the film isn't taking itself totally serious when Lloyd Corrigan plays Lucky's lawyer.

Jordan looks out for number one and thinks the government should look after itself. He finds nothing but trouble in the army and decides to skip and hide out until the war blows over. He gets away but inadvertently comes into the possession of some blueprints of a new tank design. Spies are after the documents and so is Slip (Sheldon Leonard), his old partner. His main nemesis however, is a spunky idealist (Helen Walker), who wants to see Lucky suffer for his unpatriotic attitude.

Also in the cast is Mabel Paige, who is hired to play Lucky's long lost mother. This is where most of the best laughs are found. But also it becomes quite touching, when the two loners find they have someone they can trust. The spies end up with the blueprints, but they have to beat up Paige to get it. This makes Lucky decide to join the fight. As Lucky says in the film, "I don't want to see my country run by a bunch of guys who beat up old ladies."

Jordan gets a tip that Slip has a connection to Kilpatrick Gardens, a high end garden nursery. This is where the final fireworks will start as we learn that Kilpatrick's is a front for the spies. It's all breezy and filled with snappy patter. The two leads, Walker and Ladd, are beautiful and work well off each other. Ladd's role is very physical here and he's up to meet the challenge. He was a star athlete in high school and you can see it here.

Alan Ladd was the perfect actor to play a tough guy. Handsome, underplayed, with kind of a monotone delivery, he can come off as a swine. Hard-boiled detective or western hero with ease.

Here he's a mobster named Lucky Jordan, who is so repulsive he hires people the same height and coloring to double for him and exit a building first in case someone tries to shoot him.

When he gets drafted, Lucky insists that his lawyer (Lloyd Corrigan) get him out of it. The attorney isn't successful and suggests that Lucky find himself a parent that he has to support. He offers a drunken bag lady (Mabel Paige) begging for quarters $50 if she will pose as his mother.

It doesn't work. Lucky, who likes to sleep late, finds himself rousted out of bed at 5 a.m. For breakfast. Hanging out at the canteen more than he should, Lucky finds himself attracted to no-nonsense WAC Jill Evans (Helen Walker).

It doesn't take Lucky long to steal the car and coat of an army scientist, who just happens to be carrying confidential tank drawings in a briefcase, left in the car. He is also forced to kidnap Jill.

Lucky wants to sell the plans to foreign agents, despite Jill's protests. One of Lucky's nefarious associates, Slip (Sheldon Leonard) locates some spies who will pay mucho bucks for the plans.

This film combines drama, comedy, and propaganda and does it beautifully. We get to that Lucky isn't a bad guy after all when he develops a soft spot for "Ma."

Ladd does a wonderful job in a great role for him. This was the debut film for Helen Walker, whose career was cut short by scandal. Here she is an attractive ingenue and gets to show a dynamite pair of gams - quite different from her role as a ruthless psychiatrist in Nightmare Alley.

Sadly her career withered away when she gave three soldiers a ride to LA. She was in a horrible accident, and one of the soldiers died. The survivors accused her of being drunk, and she was brought to trial. Though acquitted, the bad press signalled the end of a promising career.

This movie is such a surprise and highly recommended.