Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Mr. Lucky Blu-ray Movie Review

Lucky at cards, lucky in love.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 20, 2024

An underrated little romantic drama in Cary Grant's illustrious career, H.C. Potter's Mr. Lucky was later adapted into a short-lived CBS TV series created by Blake Edwards. It's carried by Grant's usual amount of charm and charisma, yet he plays a somewhat more conniving character than usual with Joe Adams, a notorious gambler who tries to scheme a WWII relief charity out of a fortune in winnings. But as luck would have it, the charity is co-headed by lovely socialite Dorothy Bryan (Laraine Day) who, along with other circumstances, helps Joe to finally re-think his life a little.

Swindler. Rascal. Womanizer. Draft dodger? That's the long list of strikes against Joe Adams, who escapes combat by assuming the identity of Joe Bascopoulos, a recently-dead henchman who was already issued a 4-F card rendering him ineligible for military service. Joe wins the card, the new identity, and control of the gambling ship Fortuna in a game of dice poker against his partner Zepp (Paul Stewart) who cheats and loses anyway, making Joe look downright honorable in comparison. (Zepp ends up missing the war, though, after ironically failing his physical exam.) Yet one big problem remains: they don't have enough money to keep the Fortuna afloat, so the new Joe Bascopoulos and his right-hand man Crunk (Alan Carney) devise a plan to rip off a local war relief organization through an illegal "charity casino" for wealthy donors aboard their ship. Secretly planning to take most of the cash via cleverly-made false-bottom donation boxes, all that's left to do is charm the female volunteers. Meanwhile, Zepp secretly goes rogue.

Charming ladies is the easy part for Joe, whose silver tongue can get him out of almost any situation, but he soon meets his match with Dorothy Bryan (Day). She's the skeptic of the bunch but eventually falls for his way with words, though her wealthy grandfather (Henry Stephenson) absolutely doesn't approve of the potential swindler or the idea of gambling to raise money. This only creates a wall between her and grandpa, of course, but Zepp's secret plot might expose Joe for who he really is... which might not be too bad, considering the real Bascopoulos' rap sheet.

So which one wins out: love or money? Mr. Lucky's post-Hays Code release date answers that question, but the film's engaging story and solid performances make this journey as enjoyable as the destination. It has an unavoidably light tone until it absolutely doesn't, with its third act featuring a hokey but well-acted act of repentance, one surprisingly violent exchange, and a near-miss that threatens to end Mr. Lucky on a weepy note. Thankfully it knows better and all other speed bumps are absolutely paved over by the film's razor-sharp script, breezy pacing, and of course Grant and Day's inarguable chemistry. At the end of the day this one's a real crowd-pleaser, light on its feet and loaded with solid one-liners, memorable characters, and more than enough winking charm that mirrors that of its main character. For a film that's essentially told as one giant flashback, Mr. Lucky does pretty damn well for itself.

As they've done before, Warner Archive has resurrected this forgotten film with a new Blu-ray edition that replaces an earlier DVD, and it's led by a new 4K-sourced restoration of the original camera negative. Add in lossless restored audio and a few era-specific extras and you've got yet another Cary Grant gem on disc within the last month.

Mr. Lucky Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative, Warner Archive's exclusive 1080p transfer of Mr. Lucky looks about as dazzling as any other in their recent release slate, though it's occasionally slightly hampered by some rather challenging source material. The bookending sequences -- as well as several other shorter scenes sprinkled throughout the film -- take place in either extremely foggy or dark environments and show trace levels of posterization and perhaps the smallest hints of black crush. (The latter likewise sports reduced levels of film grain, though certainly nothing that I'd call distracting.) Elsewhere it's basically smooth sailing as the majority of Mr. Lucky looks clean and authentic to its source, with excellent fine detail and a satisfying silvery sheen on soft close-ups, beautifully-lit interiors, and occasional bustling outdoor landscapes that give this film loads of time capsule appeal. As seen in these direct-from-disc screenshots, it's a largely consistent effort that likely stands far above previous home video editions and likely rivals or perhaps even eclipses original first-run showings. In short, buy with confidence.

Mr. Lucky Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix stands tall with a clean, uncluttered, and trouble-free presentation that prioritizes dialogue while leaving plenty of room for background ambiance and RKO house composer Roy Webb's excellent original score. No obvious age-related wear-and-tear could be detected along the way aside from negligible amounts of hiss during a few exchanges. In short, it's a fine effort that gets the job done and doesn't call attention to itself.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.

Mr. Lucky Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with vintage poster-themed cover art and a trio of vintage extras.

• Lux Radio Theater Broadcast - This audio supplement, which originally aired on 10/18/43, serves up a condensed version of the film with Cary Grant and Laraine Day reprising their roles.

• Screen Director's Playhouse - Another audio-only extra from before the days of TV, this 30-minute show was originally broadcast much later on 1/20/1950 and features Cary Grant and director H.C. Potter.

• Theatrical Trailer - This vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

Mr. Lucky Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Did Cary Grant's character in H.C. Potter's Mr. Lucky really inspire Ian Fleming to create James Bond? That nugget is perhaps nothing more than an urban myth, but one thing's for sure: this crowd-pleasing 1943 romantic drama has loads of appeal even more than 80 years after its original release. Though not perfect, it survives any and all minor speed bumps thanks to the sharp script, memorable characters, brisk pacing, and of course Grant's charismatic lead performance, which is as on-brand as any he's ever played. Warner Archive's Blu-ray offers solid support as usual with another rock-solid A/V restoration and a few vintage extras. Recommended to fans and first-timers alike.