Lucky Jordan

Paramount had enough confidence in ALAN LADD (after THIS GUN FOR HIRE and THE GLASS KEY) to give him solo star billing above the title for LUCKY JORDAN. He fits the role of the cynical, wise-cracking Jordan, every inch the cocky wise guy who keeps getting into one scrape after another until the fadeout.

Instead of Veronica Lake, we have HELEN WALKER as the WAC he's forced to kidnap when she threatens to report him to the authorities for minor infractions. It's Walker's first film and she handles her chores with great assurance.

But the scene-stealer is MABEL PAIGE as an old wino who is chosen to act as Ladd's mother, so he can call her a dependent and avoid the military draft. Trouble brews when Ladd's own henchman (SHELDON LEONARD) is part of a scheme to turn over military plans to the enemy during World War II. Ladd gets back at Leonard on a few occasions but really throws the book at the mob when they beat up "his old lady."

All of it is directed at a fast pace by Walter Tuttle. The script is full of one-liners that draw a laugh, most of them delivered in crisp style by Ladd himself. It's easy to see why his popularity as the hottest male star at Paramount was cemented with this film. He's very believable as the cynic with a heart of gold. It's an energetic performance that made the studio realize they had a good prospect for stardom on their hands.

Only quibble: The print shown on TCM was a poor one needing restoration.

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.

I never really rated Alan Ladd but he's quite decent in this wartime thriller. He's the gangster "Lucky" who finds himself drafted! Despite the best efforts of his lawyer "Higgins" (Lloyd Corrigan) to get him off, he is duly posted - and promptly absconds. Not before, though, he encounters "Jill" (Helen Walker) who disapproves heartily of his unpatriotic attitude. She ends up his hostage and the briefcase she was carrying becomes the hottest property in town. We discover it contains some top secret army designs and that there's a group of Nazi fifth columnist's out to retrieve it. Now "Lucky" has to make some tough choices (and a fairly impassioned speech at the end) before their secrets fall into enemy hands. The drama itself is quite well put together and decently paced. There's a solid, if unremarkable, effort from Walker and a few scene stealing quips from Mabel Paige's rather astute "Annie" - the sharpest, shrewdest and wittiest of the bunch. It's all fairly standard fayre, but is an easy watch as it sows the seeds for US involvement in WWII.

Lucky Jordan is an entertaining movie, and it highlights the many talents of Alan Ladd. His deadpan comic delivery of funny lines was one of his great strengths as an actor. There are several of those instances in this production.

There is a romantic interest, of course, but it does not complicate the basic premise; Lucky is a wise guy hood who wants to beat going into the Army during WW2. Initially, he is willing to do anything to achieve that goal; even sell out his country to spies. But, we all know by this time, that Ladd will eventually see the light and make his past mistakes a thing ro forget. An entertaining hour and change of fantasy.

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.