Lady Luck (1946) Robert Young, Barbara Hale, Frank Morgan, James Gleason Movie Review

Lady Luck (1946)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Robert Young and Barbara Hale in Lady Luck (1946)

Gambling on Love

For years men have gambled and their granddaughters have pleaded with them not to and Mary Audrey (Barbara Hale) is no different as after years she has convinced her grandfather William (Frank Morgan) to stop gambling or at least she thinks she has. But William can't resist and it is through a bet with a stranger Larry Scott (Robert Young) that Mary unwittingly ends up going to dinner and falling for the charming young man until she reads the headlines the next morning and sees that he has been busted for running a gambling racquet. Showing up at Mary's book shop Larry convinces he has given up gambling and wants to marry her... in VEGAS of all places.

Watching "Lady Luck" I found myself wondering what audiences would think if this movie was released now both in content and style. I don't think it would work yet as an old movie it does and it has that nostalgic charm which makes you warm to it despite being incredibly slim on story. Slim may not be fair but what we get is Larry Scott saying he is a reformed character for a woman, he slips, she catches him and so thinks he is mistake cue Larry trying to make amends and convince her he is now a good guy whilst others interfere as they want Larry to remain a gambler. That is it and somehow it is enough to sustain the movie.

Ironically "Lady Luck" is also slim on the humour as there are few real jokes in the movie but more character based humour from Grandfather being a wily old fox to Larry trying to do good but being mistaken for bad. None of it is amazing and most of the time the comedy of the character is embellished by the accompanying soundtrack but it works and fills out the slim storyline just enough so that "Lady Luck" is one of those movies you watch but don't really concentrate on. As such the cast does a solid job with Robert Young and Barbara Hale giving us plenty of comedy facial mannerisms but their characters are not the most memorable. In fact Frank Morgan is more memorable as the crafty old grandfather.

What this all boils down to is that "Lady Luck" is a charming little comedy from 1946 which now is more of a pleasant distraction and not the sort of movie which demands or commands your attention fully.


LATEST REVIEWS