SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23 @ 06:00 AM (ET)
Mr. Lucky is a wartime keep-your-spirits-up comedy/drama with Cary Grant and Laraine
Day. Grant is Joe—a Runyonesque charmer and con man, who insists “I’m a gambler not a gangster.” He goes by two last names: his own, Adams, and Bascopolous, the name of a dead comrade whose identity Joe assumes in order to dodge military service.
Day is Dorothy Bryant, a “society dame” who’s deeply involved in the war relief effort. When Joe pitches the idea of a casino-night fundraiser for all the park avenue-type potential donors, she’s immediately suspicious. And with good reason: Joe plans to skim most of the take and leave only the crumbs. To win her over, Joe goes as far as to join the relief organization and take up knitting for the cause. Not surprisingly, he eventually suffers a crisis of conscience.
Cary Grant is perfect for this role. Joe is like a fast-talking Walter Burns, but with a sinister edge. He’s not fatal, but he can be dangerous (check out the scene where his breaks his roll of dimes). He’s a likable character the audience can identify with; for most of the film, he’s not only a draft dodger but schemes to rip-off money collected to aid victims of the London Blitz. Yet you root for him to do the right thing in the end.
