Mr. Lucky

This TV series, very loosely based on the movie by the same title, is about a suave gambler, Mr. Lucky (John Vivyan), his faithful sidekick, Andamo (Ross Martin), and various guest stars (such as Frank Gorshin) who undergo their adventures on Lucky's yacht, the Fortuna II (Fortuna I sank in episode 1). Anchored beyond L.A.'s twelve-mile limit, the yacht is a center of gambling, classy dining, and intrigue. Lucky and Andamo get themselves into all kinds of danger, but always manage to get themselves out by the time the closing credits roll. While the setting is creative, the magic of this series is created by Hank Mancini's fabulous musical score. The theme "Mr. Lucky" plays throughout, as does Mancini's "Chime Time" and other lovely numbers (e.g., "Blue Satin").

Sadly, this series lasted just one season. Even sadder is the fact that these few episodes have not been reissued in DVD. Just a handful have been released in VHS mode. Maybe this will change. I certainly hope so.

Some of us who enjoy this show in general and Ross Martin's work on it in particular, have been discussing it episode-by-episode at www.andamoinmrlucky.proboards.com.

Here's an example, from one of my own posts, which provoked argument from another member:

"Anyway, back to 'The Money Game': Notice the difference between how natural Rovacs sounds when he says, "The bird from Wilbur College?" and how unnatural Lucky sounds when he says, "The bird who said this country has no respect for mathematicians . . . ." I think the writer missed it with that line. Lucky just can't use slang terms like "bird." And the writer did it again, though not so blatantly, with Lucky's dialogue with Eddie about the "fish." Lucky has too much respect for his customers to refer to them with derogatory words like that. Poor John Vivyan-- what he must have thought when he saw this week's script. In addition to having to speak out of character, he sure got stuck with some lame lines this time."

In retrospect, I'm not sure I agree with myself there about the fish. We'd sure welcome other voices, other opinions, from people who'd like to watch and seriously discuss the show with us.

I was nine-years old (and living in New York) when this show premiered, and it quickly became my favorite series. Friday nights meant "77-Sunset-Strip" and then staying up to watch "Mr. Lucky" with a big bottle of Coke and a bag of Fritos. I can still remember the car he drove -- a black 1959 Chrysler Imperial. To me, Mr. Lucky was the epitome of "class."

During the summer of 2004 we happened upon the derelict, rusting hulk of the Fortuna moored to a dock in Eureka, California. The harbor master pointed it out to us as what was left of the yacht used on the TV series.

Lord only knows what the poor thing had gone through after being decommissioned by Hollywood. The harbor master intimated it might have been used as a drug running boat to and from Mexico.

In any event, a peek through its windows from dockside revealed it is now being used as a storage facility for various boat machinery and parts.

I recently got the DVD set of this classic TV show which I haven't seen in 60 years. Back then I had a genuine fascination with Mr. Lucky and his adventures. It may have been the dark edgy atmosphere, the mystery surrounding star John Vivyan's character, or the strong chemistry between the cast members themselves. Above all, it was Henry Mancini's magnificent music that really made the show a hit.

One point that needs to be mentioned is the reason why the show went off the air. Those of us who were alive back in 1959 recall that America was a very different place when it came to public mores, and for its time, Mr. Lucky was quite daring for a television show. Its protagonist was a complex character with a shady past, a professional gambler running a barely legal casino outside the three-mile limit. Along with all the gambling, there was lots of excessive drinking, smoking, partying, and overt sexual innuendos in the dialogue. Not to mention that Lucky and his lady friend Maggie had an "open relationship" when it came to commitment.

Soon CBS and sponsor Lever Brothers received flak from viewers in the South and Midwest concerning the show's alleged "immorality". This is partly why the show's format was changed mid-season from a casino to a swank supper club. However, this was not enough to placate viewers in the Bible belt. Thus, in spite of the shows' strong viewership and high ratings, Lever Brothers refused to renew its contract. Because the show was so hot, CBS was unable to find another sponsor. And so, to the great regret of its audience, Mr. Lucky was subsequently canceled, its last episode airing in September of 1960.

Back then Mr. Lucky was considered to be way too much over the top and paid the penalty for being ahead of its time. Today a show such as this would be a hit on TV but also probably be rated PG because of all the smoking and drinking.

For myself however, seeing this classic TV show once again and hearing the beautiful Henry Mancini score brings back warm memories of a simpler time, when television was indeed real entertainment.

And now, as Andamo ( Ross Martin) would say- "That's it and that's all!"