Les aventuriers du Lucky Lady

Check out Nocturnal Pictures online. They sell Lucky Lady on DVD for $14.00 and some change. I have been looking for this movie on VHS or DVD for quite a long, long time, without success. All I have is an LP soundtrack. This may not be the best movie there is, but I collect Liza Minnelli movies, and this is one (of a few) are not available to buy anywhere. Liza Minnelli's musical numbers are a standout in this movie. I came across Nocturnal Pictures online. However, I am afraid this is a bootleg company that sells DVDs made in their kitchen. Some bootlegs copies are fine. However, I want to make sure this DVD is watchable. Nocturnal Pictures is probably the only company that carries it. Just the same I want to make sure it is a good purchase. If you own such a copy will you kindly email me? Thank you very much.

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!

I still remember seeing this movie, way back in 1976, at the Fortway theater in Brooklyn, NY. It was a second run theater that showed double features, usually movies that were originally released 6 months earlier, for only $2.00 (ahh those were the days). Lucky Lady played on a double bill with Sky Riders, which starred James Coburn, Susannah York and Robert Culp. I was around 13 at the time, and had a little idea of what Sky Riders was about, no idea of the story to Lucky Lady, though I know it received poor reviews. I have to admit I enjoyed them both, but had a grand time watching Lucky Lady. It seemed a bit episodic, and the humor at times was kinda dumb, but I got to like the characters, even the minor ones like Robbie Benson as their "first mate," Michael Hordern as the old captain, and even Geoffrey Lewis as the zealous but loony Coast Guard captain out to sink any bootleggers he comes across. But the villains really stole the show, especially John Hillerman as the machine-gun toting main villain.

One complaint was that the final boat battle was a rip-off of the James Bond battles. Who cares, as long as it's done well--in fact Mr. Donen should have been approached to do some of the Bonds after this movie.

I may have seen the movie on tv shortly after its release. I don't remember if i liked it as much, seeing it on tv wasn't quite the same. I don't know if I would like it as much now either, but I would certainly be interested in seeing it on video. As another person commented, so much dreck is being released on DVD, I don't see why Lucky Lady shouldn't be made available. At least it tried to be a class act, which is more than you can say for many of today's releases.

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, Liza and Gene as a trio of rum runners during prohibition in the 1930's who have a menage-a-trois! Liza sings!

Favorite Line: "You ever get tired of having yourself around?" - Claire (Liza Minnelli) (to Kibby) (Gene Hackman)

Stanley Donen directed, he had a very hard time filming on the ocean, and the three main cast members all recall it being one of the hardest films they ever made.

The title refers to the name of the yacht they use to run rum, but I suppose it could apply to Claire who has two men in her life at once!

Another "flop" at the time, but I liked seeing these three interact together on screen, and the movie is good too. Nice to see Burt's frequent costars John Hillerman, Geoffrey Lewis and Robby Benson with him here again.