"Lucky Night" is a very good comedy romance that pairs Myrna Loy and Robert Taylor in the leads as Cora Jordan and Bill Overton. The fact that the U. S. and world were not yet out of the Great Depression is present in this story. Taylor's Bill Overton is man out of work who nevertheless has an overly happy attitude about life. Loy's Cora Jordan has just spent a day in lines for jobs at numerous places, when they meet on a park bench that evening. In reality, though, she's the daughter of a very rich man, Calvin Jordan; but she's fed up with her life amidst the wealthy and frivolous younger set of silver-spoon heirs. So, she has left home to defy her dad by making it on her own.
As others have noted, the runaway heiress is a much used plot outline for Hollywood comedies. It became a particularly favorite base after the 1934 Academy Awards when "It Happened One Night" ran away with the Oscars - best picture, best director, best actor (Clark Gable) and best actress (Claudette Colbert). So, such plots were the basis for many a motion picture over the next couple of decades. And Hollywood continued to use the plot for an occasional film after that even into the 21st century. I've enjoyed most of those films that were made through the mid-20th century, if for no other reason than the variety of very good actors and actresses who played the leads, with often top caliber supporting casts. Each story has enough variation to make the comedies, at least, entertaining.
Well, this only pairing of Loy and Taylor has a very unusual twist to the plot. And, it's all about a couple meeting and clicking and having a night of super luck at gambling and chance and fun. It's not a hedonistic thing, but a sort of spur of the moment carefree venture that is filled with only lucky instance after instance of the couple coming into money. They wind up married, and the story takes a predictable turn toward the end, with a good conclusion. But the comedy in this story is in a screenplay with a script that has some very amusing scenes and very funny dialog.
I think Loy and Taylor hit it off with a smashingly good comedy in this picture. MGM had great hopes and publicity in promoting the film with this pair. And, the movie was well liked and did okay at the box office. But, one must recall that this was the year that many historians and movie buffs (me included, in the latter group) consider the greatest year in Hollywood's history. Well into the 21st century, no single year has produced so many top movies that continue to be watched and enjoyed by succeeding generations. At the top of that list are "Gone with the Wind," "The Wizard of Oz," "Stagecoach," "Wuthering Heights," "Dark Victory," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Ninotchka," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," "Beau Geste," "Gunga Din," "Of Mice and Men," and then a slew of comedies, mysteries and other films interspersed with more dramas, adventure, Westerns and musicals.
And one of those top comedies would be the comedy mystery, "Another Thin Man," that stars Loy and William Powell - in their third pairing in the very popular series of film that would continue for three more through 1947. "Lucky Night" came out in May of 1939, and both Loy and Taylor had more films that year. Besides the next Thin Man picture in November, Loy would star in the September release of "The Rains Came," with Tyrone Power and George Brent. Taylor had finished a Western, "Stand and Fight," that was released in January, and he would be in a drama, "Lady of the Tropics," with Hedy Lamarr that came out in August, and finish the year with another comedy romance, "Remember," with Greer Garson and Lew Ayres, released in December.
"Lucky Night" is my second favorite comedy of 1939, after "Ninotchka." Here are some favorite lines from this film.
Bill Overton, "We love you, George." George, "Really?" Bill, putting an arm through George's, "Really. We think you're sweet, George." George, "Oh, well, that's fine." Cora Jordan, "Do you love us, George?" George, "Sure, you bet." Cora, putting an arm through George's other arm, leaning against him, and looking at Bill, "Isn't that beautiful? I love you and you love me, and we love George and George loves us." Bill, "Beauuuuutiful."
George, "You wouldn't want me to give up my business entirely, just to look after you two?"
Bill, "It's a tribute to you, George - a tribute. Always remember, those who ask you for favors love you the dearest." George, "You must be crazy about me."
Calvin Jordan, "Is it worth something to build a bridge across a river?" Bill Overton, "Is it?" Jordan, "How else do you get across?" Bill, "Whaddaya do after you get there?" Jordan, "Go where you wanna go, you fool." Bill, "Oh, I've been across a lot of bridges, but I've never found anything on the other side that wasn't on this side."
Bill, "Of course, that's a matter of opinion, Mr. Jordan -- and shared mostly by me, alone."
Bill, "I'd just as soon have an anchor tied to me and drag it around."
Before he puts a wedding ring on Cora's finger, Bill looks up and says, "I promise, dear God, that I know very well what you dropped from the sky into my hands, and that a star is missing."
Bill, "We ain't gonna lose the apartment, pal. We just ain't gonna get lost in it.
As others have noted, the runaway heiress is a much used plot outline for Hollywood comedies. It became a particularly favorite base after the 1934 Academy Awards when "It Happened One Night" ran away with the Oscars - best picture, best director, best actor (Clark Gable) and best actress (Claudette Colbert). So, such plots were the basis for many a motion picture over the next couple of decades. And Hollywood continued to use the plot for an occasional film after that even into the 21st century. I've enjoyed most of those films that were made through the mid-20th century, if for no other reason than the variety of very good actors and actresses who played the leads, with often top caliber supporting casts. Each story has enough variation to make the comedies, at least, entertaining.
Well, this only pairing of Loy and Taylor has a very unusual twist to the plot. And, it's all about a couple meeting and clicking and having a night of super luck at gambling and chance and fun. It's not a hedonistic thing, but a sort of spur of the moment carefree venture that is filled with only lucky instance after instance of the couple coming into money. They wind up married, and the story takes a predictable turn toward the end, with a good conclusion. But the comedy in this story is in a screenplay with a script that has some very amusing scenes and very funny dialog.
I think Loy and Taylor hit it off with a smashingly good comedy in this picture. MGM had great hopes and publicity in promoting the film with this pair. And, the movie was well liked and did okay at the box office. But, one must recall that this was the year that many historians and movie buffs (me included, in the latter group) consider the greatest year in Hollywood's history. Well into the 21st century, no single year has produced so many top movies that continue to be watched and enjoyed by succeeding generations. At the top of that list are "Gone with the Wind," "The Wizard of Oz," "Stagecoach," "Wuthering Heights," "Dark Victory," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Ninotchka," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," "Beau Geste," "Gunga Din," "Of Mice and Men," and then a slew of comedies, mysteries and other films interspersed with more dramas, adventure, Westerns and musicals.
And one of those top comedies would be the comedy mystery, "Another Thin Man," that stars Loy and William Powell - in their third pairing in the very popular series of film that would continue for three more through 1947. "Lucky Night" came out in May of 1939, and both Loy and Taylor had more films that year. Besides the next Thin Man picture in November, Loy would star in the September release of "The Rains Came," with Tyrone Power and George Brent. Taylor had finished a Western, "Stand and Fight," that was released in January, and he would be in a drama, "Lady of the Tropics," with Hedy Lamarr that came out in August, and finish the year with another comedy romance, "Remember," with Greer Garson and Lew Ayres, released in December.
"Lucky Night" is my second favorite comedy of 1939, after "Ninotchka." Here are some favorite lines from this film.
Bill Overton, "We love you, George." George, "Really?" Bill, putting an arm through George's, "Really. We think you're sweet, George." George, "Oh, well, that's fine." Cora Jordan, "Do you love us, George?" George, "Sure, you bet." Cora, putting an arm through George's other arm, leaning against him, and looking at Bill, "Isn't that beautiful? I love you and you love me, and we love George and George loves us." Bill, "Beauuuuutiful."
George, "You wouldn't want me to give up my business entirely, just to look after you two?"
Bill, "It's a tribute to you, George - a tribute. Always remember, those who ask you for favors love you the dearest." George, "You must be crazy about me."
Calvin Jordan, "Is it worth something to build a bridge across a river?" Bill Overton, "Is it?" Jordan, "How else do you get across?" Bill, "Whaddaya do after you get there?" Jordan, "Go where you wanna go, you fool." Bill, "Oh, I've been across a lot of bridges, but I've never found anything on the other side that wasn't on this side."
Bill, "Of course, that's a matter of opinion, Mr. Jordan -- and shared mostly by me, alone."
Bill, "I'd just as soon have an anchor tied to me and drag it around."
Before he puts a wedding ring on Cora's finger, Bill looks up and says, "I promise, dear God, that I know very well what you dropped from the sky into my hands, and that a star is missing."
Bill, "We ain't gonna lose the apartment, pal. We just ain't gonna get lost in it.