Mr. Lucky

This is a very well-made and enjoyable film. While not exactly a wonderful film, it is very worth watching and an excellent example of Cary Grant's acting and charm. It's a wartime propaganda film that takes a different slant--instead of being heavy-handed and centering on war, it focuses on a con man who thinks he's slick for avoiding the draft--fighting is only for "suckers". As the film progresses, his unshakable bravado suddenly becomes shaken when he meets lovely Loraine Day. Somehow, she gets through to this charming jerk and he knows he can't continue as he's been doing. It's an interesting character study and a welcome change from the usual.

Cary Grant is "Mr. Lucky," a 1943 films also starring Laraine Day, Charles Bickford and Gladys Cooper. Grant plays a self-serving swindler named Joe who takes the identity of a dying man who's 4F so that he won't have to go into the service. The name he takes is that of a Greek man, Joe Bascopoulos, but the name will bring him more than just a 4F classification. Needing money to get his gambling ship started, he sees an easy mark in Dorothy Bryant (Day), one of the administrators of a War Relief Fund. He uses his considerable charm to persuade her to let him run a casino night as part of the organization's big fundraiser. The plan is to use cash boxes with false bottoms and take off with nearly all of the money. Just one hitch - Joe has fallen in love with Dorothy.

This is a slightly different role for Grant - he plays a real low-life and at that, one with no style. One of the running jokes is his rotten ties and inability to tie them right. Grant is perfect in the role, as well as incredibly handsome. But it's only a slightly different part - like Tyrone Power, who tried so hard to change his image in 1947 with "Nightmare Alley," Grant tried too, and like Power, was sabotaged by the producing studio. In Power's case (who actually would have done well had Zanuck let him have more traditional Cary Grant type roles), he was allowed to make the film and play a low character, but his studio, 20th Century Fox, did not publicize the film nor release it widely. In Grant's case, he'd happily accept a role - such as this one or his part in "Suspicion" - only to have the script changed so that he's not a total heel. It had to be frustrating for these actors who were capable of so much more than they were allowed to do.

Lovely Laraine Day is just right as the young, rich Dorothy who passionately believes in helping the war effort. Day had an air of sophistication that lent itself well to these wealthy society girl roles.

"Mr. Lucky" is beautifully photographed in black and white, with lots of interesting shadows and fog. The film also has some very funny moments - Grant learning to knit is just one.

This is a very good movie and somewhat of a departure for Grant, a cousin to his role in "Suspicion."

My main reason for seeing 'Mr Lucky' was for Cary Grant, who gave so many great performances even when the film wasn't as good. Especially because he apparently considered it one of his favourites of his films/roles because of his character being closer than most of his roles at the time to the real him, which did surprise me considering to me and most other fans his role here is a departure type of role. There are some other talented names in the cast and although his output was not huge HC Potter was no slouch in the directing department.

Is 'Mr Lucky' one of Grant's best? No in terms of overall films and he has given better performances as well. It was still very charming and enjoyable, deserving of more attention, and it does boast one of Grant's better attempts at going against type. It is among Potter's better faring films too (and of the films seen most of them are good, 'Second Chorus' being an exception), and mainly because the cast are so good. How could they not be considering their calibre?

Visually, 'Mr Lucky' looks attractive. Some lovely stylish shots that capture Larraine Day and her eyes in full photogenic glory and the use of light and shadow has a good deal of atmosphere. Roy Webb's score is both sumptuous and moody, without being overwrought or intrusive. Potter directs with skill, and doesn't allow the comedy to get overdone or the romance to get sickly sweet.

There is a nice balance of subtly witty comedic moments, thought-probing intelligence, some never too dark tension and heartfelt drama in the script, without an overload of either of them. The story is mostly very charming and warms the heart without going too heavy on the froth, the romance doesn't distract and mostly it's not too sappy. The characters are nicely written and worth caring for, that's including the not initially likeable title character.

Although his role here was atypical for the time, Grant's charm and sophistication really shines. Day looks wonderful and has a sparkling personality without over-doing it. Charles Bickford and Gladys Cooper, both always solid, are sterling support.

Only the rather too melodramatic final 15 minutes or so disappoints a little, as well as the momentum bogging down a little in the middle.

Concluding though, very nicely done and well worth watching if you love Grant. 8/10

I just caught Mr. Lucky on TCM and agree this film rates about 7.5 out of 10. What would have otherwise been a discordant mix of comedy & drama are harmonized by the genius of Cary Grant. And this is a Cary Grant in a period of his acting life when he seems deeply aware of & willing to play out the dark, cynical side of life – as in his brilliant & underrated portrayal of the cockney lad Ernie Mott in 1944's None But The Lonely Heart (directed by Clifford Odets!). What's particularly fascinating is Grant's character portrayals in both Mr. Lucky & None But The Lonely Heart is that they start out being cynical in the sense of guys who are prematurely disappointed in the future. He lives like a dog that will succeed by biting and out-foxing everyone. Then he is humanized – without loosing his cynical edge. On the contrary we see here a key into the elegance that was Grant. He lives by denying & accepting society; this suave, cool-hearted knave. You can see that he denies society for the very reason that he is convinced that it will not fail. He accepts life's contradictions. He gets on with it. Most important of all: he is loyal to the few good things in life. In short, we were fortunate to have Grant and '43's Mr. Lucky and '44's None But the Lonely Heart – these Grant-branded jewels cast in timeless celluloid.

A good, solid 1940s gangster picture with the luck to have Cary Grant in it. I had never heard of this movie before I saw it on the shelf and decided to give it a try. What a great surprise! Grant's presence is at first strange because he's a heartless swindler and I'm not used to that from him, but he plays it like he's gone wrong somehow - like the world owes him a living because they're too shallow and stupid not to fall for him. I can't imagine this movie without him.

There are some great comedy touches, like how he is forced to learn how to knit in order to carry his plan off [later he has a classic Cary Grant moment in a banker's office commenting on a hand-knitted tea cozy].

And although the love story is a little sappy most of the way through, it's not out of place or unpleasant to watch. In fact, Dorothy undergoes a remarkable character change that comes as a nice surprise - Laraine Day is terrific portraying her.

There are even some great shots. The uses of light and shadow go beyond the classic black and white "look". In some places this movie is staged beautifully - the director has a remarkable eye and helps turn what could have been just a vehicle for Grant into a real work of art.

The videotaped print that I saw was badly in need of restoration, especially the first reel.