A woman walks on a pier, her eyes fixed on the sea. The waterfront guard, fearful that she is a potential suicide, is about to confront her when he is stopped by a sailor. The sailor, Hard Swede (Charles Bickford) proceeds to tell her story. Our film for tonight is Mr. Lucky (1943). Cary Grant is magnificent as the somewhat shady Joe Adams. He walks a fine line in making Joe (who'll use the name Joe Bascopolous throughout the film) both suspect and likeable. Classified as 1-A by the Draft Board, Joe gambles for, and wins the identity of the dying Bascopolous, as well as the gambling ship Fortuna from his former partner, Zepp (Paul Stewart), an equally devious character who's quite willing to cheat to get what he want. Joe then sets about finding some suckers to rent the ship. He focuses on a War Relief charity, run by Dorothy Bryant (Laraine Day). She's suspicious of his motives, but is eventually won over by his charm and seeming dedication to the war efforts. We, the audience, know that Joe is up to no good, but with Cary Grant in charge, it's easy to understand Dorothy's change of heart. And, as he gets to know her, we learn more about his life - Joe has not had it easy, and he's determined that nothing, not even war (it's not his war, he tells us) will alter his path. His growing affection for Dorothy is displayed by a tie she gives him as a gift - watch as he refuses to remove it (she tied it on for him).
Laraine Day is a good match for Mr. Grant - she's smart and determines. One doesn't feel that she is an easy mark, which makes her changing relationship with him all the more convincing. Both Ruth Warwick and Anna Lee tested for the part (and Mr. Grant's new wife Barbara Hutton wanted to play Dorothy as well. Mr. Grant nixed that idea. (TCM article)), Ms. Day, however is ideal casting. The scene in which she uses the Australian (or Cockney) rhyming slang that Joe taught her to warn him away is beautifully done.
There are a number of wonderful actors in supporting parts. Charles Bickford's part is small but pivotal (we wish we'd seen more of him). Gladys Cooper (Mrs. Steadman) finally gets to play a good person - she is lovely as Dorothy's colleague in the charity. She, too, is intrigued by Joe; she's also immensely supportive of Dorothy when the going gets tough. Alan Carney (The Crunk) is amusing as Joe's henchman, and Paul Stewart is properly intimidating as Joe's enemy (when Mr. Stewart plays evil, he is most convincing).
We had a bit of a problem with Mr. Bryant, as played by Henry Stephenson. Mr. Stephenson is prim as Dorothy's grandfather, but he also has a loving relationship with his granddaughter. Is is hard to imagine him calling the police when it is sure to get Dorothy arrested.
As a knitter, I'm terrifically intrigued with Cary Grant learning to knit for the cause (you can see him in his early efforts here).
And though the film gets chuckles out of men learning to knit, they
also show him and The Crunk appreciating the craft after
they learn it. Joe's admiration for a hand-knit tea cosy ("nice work")
is endearing Dorothy also points out that many men in England who are
unable to serve in the military are learning to knit so they can provide
warm clothing for the troops. If you would like to learn more about
knitting in World War II, visit Knitting for Victory. Efforts still continue for today's veterans at the National World War II Museum (Knit Your Bit).
Based on Milton Holmes' story "Bundles for Freedom," which appeared in Cosmopolitan, the original ending of the story was far different that the one we see (AFI catalog), and it is for the best. Cary Grant asked RKO to purchase the film rights for him, and they obliged. Mr. Holmes and Adrian Scott were credited with the screenplay (Radical Innocence: A Critical Study of the Hollywood Ten by Bernard F. Dick).
Mr. Lucky opened at Radio City Music Hall and received a positive New York Timesreview - they called it "is a picture of many moods, and they are all handled expertly by Director H. C. Potter." Ms. Day and Mr. Grant reprised their roles for Lux Radio Theatre in October 1943. In 1959, a television series, loosely based on the film, premiered with John Vivyan (as Mr. Lucky) and Ross Martin.
If you've never seen this film, you are in for a treat. Here is the trailer:
The war is raging in England, and filmmakers rally to do their bit for the war effort. The results of one of those endeavors is That Hamilton Woman (1941), starring Vivien Leigh as Emma Hart, Lady Hamilton and Laurence Olivier as Horatio Nelson. The film was recently shown as part of AFI 100th Anniversary tribute to Vivien Leigh. Leigh, still basking in her post-Gone With the Wind fame gets top billing here, in this story of passion and devotion to country. Clearly, the love affair between Nelson and Lady Hamilton becomes an example of England's strength in the face of attack, with tyrant Napoleon standing in for dictator Hitler, and the lovers representing England giving up everything to preserve the nation. The story sticks pretty close to history - and juicy history it was. Told in flashback, this is the story of Emma Hart, the lover of Charles Francis Greville, who arrives in Naples to visit Greville's uncle, the wealthy Sir William Hamilton (Alan Mowbray). Hamilton is a lover of beauty, in music, in art - and in women. Unbeknownst to Emma, Hamilton has literally purchased her from his nephew. Within a few years, Emma, already the darling the English art circle, becomes the wife of Hamilton, as well as his hostess, and a major player in the Naples diplomatic circles. Enter Horatio Nelson, a young Captain of the fleet. Emma helps him approach the Queen of Naples for military assistance; afterwhich he departs. Five years later, he returns; this time, they find themselves deeply in love. Only problem is, both are married: Nelson's wife, Frances (Gladys Cooper) is at home in England. and quite naturally, she is none too pleased about her husband's involvement with the now notorious Lady Hamilton.
That the film is attempting to put the past into the context of the present conflict facing England is quite apparent. As mentioned above, the use of the term "dictator" in connection with Napoleon is a clear pointer to Adolf Hitler. Nelson, of course, stands in for all the men who would give their lives for the nation. while Emma stands in the for the women who will lose all they love in the fighting. The film even brings in some of the pictures done of Emma Hamilton: the picture on the left is used as an emblem in the film. Next to it is the original George Romney painting of the real Lady Emma.
The film caused some real consternation among some representatives in Washington, DC, who were eager to stay out of the war. They even went so far as to subpoena Alexander Korda. His appearance was to be on December 17, 1941, but the events of December 7th eliminated the need for his visit. This TCM Article goes into more on the history of the film.
This was the only film that the always wonderful (and so spectacularly beautiful) Vivien Leigh, and her equally talented spouse, Laurence Olivier did together during the period of their marriage. The film is also filled with splendid supporting actors. Gladys Cooper is excellent as Frances Nelson. The scene in which she sits down to knit as she is forced to converse with her rival, Emma, is great. Obviously, Ms. Cooper was a knitter - and her needles do as much of the talking as does her voice. Also good are Sara Allgood as Emma's lower-class mother, Mrs Cadogan-Lyon and Henry Wilcoxon as Captain Hardy.
As a knitter myself, I was interested to see the use of crafts to further our understanding of the main female characters. As mentioned before, Frances knits. Knitting, in the era, would have been a middle-class craft, used to create usable clothing for the members of the family. Knitting was no hobby here; it was a necessary skill to keep the family warm. Emma however, embroiders. Embroidery was an upper-class craft, used to create pieces of art. It was a hobby - an occupation for a woman who had no real work. The lower-class Emma has risen to the position of having no need to work, while Frances remains the middle-class housewife, despite her husband's rise in status.
