If I'm Lucky (film)

Last updated
If I'm Lucky
If I'm Lucky.jpg
Cover of the DVD release of the film.
Directed by Lewis Seiler
Screenplay by George Bricker
Robert Ellis
Helen Logan
Snag Werris
Story byEdwin Lanham
Produced by Bryan Foy
Starring Vivian Blaine
Perry Como
Carmen Miranda
Harry James
Cinematography Glen MacWilliams
Edited byNorman Colbert
Music by Leo Robin
Harry Warren
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
September 2, 1946 (1946-09-02)
Running time
78 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

If I'm Lucky is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring Vivian Blaine, Perry Como, Phil Silvers and Carmen Miranda in the leading roles. The film also featured bandleader Harry James.

Contents

The film was a re-make of Thanks a Million , a 1935 musical produced and released by 20th Century Fox. [1]

Plot

Band agent Wally Jones sends telegrams to members of a band he represents, which is presently "between engagements;" leader Earl Gordon is blowing bugle at a race track, singer Linda Farrell is selling tickets at a movie theater, harpist Michelle O'Toole is working as a hat-check girl and other band members are playing golf. They are all instructed to go to Centerville, where Wally has arranged for them to audition for the Titan Tire Company's president, Mr. Gillingwater, who wants new talent for his company's radio show. When the band arrives in Centerville, however, they are told by Wally that Gillingwater has hired Benny Goodman instead. Although they have hotel rooms for the night, they are low on cash and contrive to get a free meal at a "Magonnagle for Governor" political rally. The small crowd pays paying little attention to the candidate until Earl and the band start playing, so Magonnagle hires the band to accompany him on the rest of his campaign tour. Magonnagle is running with the slogan, "A Vote for Magonnagle Is a Vote for the Common Man," but has little hope of beating the political machine that is backing corrupt, incumbent Governor Quilby. Composer Allen Clark shows up at one campaign stop, wanting to sell the band a song he has written. Earl buys the song for Linda, but Allen really wants to join the band as a singer. Wally finally hires him, partly to help carry his girl friend Michelle's harp. At one rally, Magonnagle is too drunk to speak and Allen delivers a brief pitch on his behalf. Mark Dwyer, a member of the corrupt State Campaign Committee decides to drop the ineffectual Magonnagle and instead run Allen as a candidate to avoid accusations of fraudulent election practices. Allen doesn't want to be involved, but Wally convinces him that it would be good exposure for his singing talents. Dwyer then introduces Allen to several political appointees, who are all cronies of his, and dupes him into signing continuing "appointments" for them. Allen does so, as he, too, fully expects Quilby to win. After Allen and Linda fall in love, Gillingwater asks the band to join his radio show, and Wally negotiates a thirty-nine-week contract at $10,000 per week. To Allen's surprise and distress, however, the polls indicate that he could win the election. Despite further inducements from the political machine, Allen wants to quit, but Dwyer threatens to break them all by revealing the phony "appointments." To protect them, Allen dismisses the band. Magonnagle then returns and tells Linda about the political crooks backing Allen, and thinking that Allen has become one of them, she leaves with the band. In his closing campaign speech, prompted by Magonnagle, Allen denounces Dwyer and his political machine. Linda and the band hear Allen's speech on their bus's radio and return to help him escape from Dwyer. With Allen safely on board, the bus is pursued by police. When the police finally catch up with the bus, they inform Allen that Quilby has conceded the election to him. His friends convince Allen that he can be both governor and radio singer. [2]

Production

If I'm Lucky offered Perry Como the most significant of his three roles for 20th Century Fox. [3] This film's working titles were That's for Me and You're for Me. Edgar Buchanan was borrowed from Columbia Pictures for the production. According to the Twentieth Century-Fox Records of the Legal Department, the Batucada number was the last sequence to be shot and was photographed by Joseph La Shelle. The picture is very similar to the 1935 Twentieth Century-Fox production Thanks a Million , but neither credits nor studio information acknowledge that If I'm Lucky is a remake of the earlier film. [4]

That was also the last film of Carmen Miranda with Fox, ending her contract with the studio. [5] In April 1947, Perry Como terminated his 20th Century Fox contract.

Cast

Soundtracks

All the songs for the film, were written by the team of Josef Myrow and Edgar de Lange and were generally weak affairs. Como's recording of "If I'm Lucky" was a minor hit, reaching #19 in the Hit Parade and spending one week in the charts. [6]

Critical reception

Los Angeles Times film critic Edwin Schallert said: “Notwithstanding the length to which it goes to present a plausible story, ‘If I’m Lucky’ is not much above the wholly nonsensical.” [8] New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther said: “All sorts of half-witted fancies are regularly popping up in the plots of musical pictures, but one of the silliest we’ve ever struck is in the story of Twentieth Century-Fox’s ‘If I’m Lucky,’ at the Victoria!” [9] Nelson Bell, writing in The Washington Post , said that the film was aimed "strictly at thoughtless and ephemeral diversion" while others dismissed the plot as no more than a vehicle for transporting the audience from one musical scene to another.

DVD release

The film was released on DVD in June 2008 as part of Fox's "The Carmen Miranda Collection." [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmen Miranda</span> Portuguese-born Brazilian singer, dancer and actress (1909–1955)

Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, known professionally as Carmen Miranda, was a Portuguese-born Brazilian singer, dancer and actress. Nicknamed "The Brazilian Bombshell", she was known for her signature fruit hat outfit that she wore in her American films. As a young woman, she designed hats in a boutique before making her first recordings with composer Josué de Barros in 1929. Miranda's 1930 recording of "Taí ", written by Joubert de Carvalho, catapulted her to stardom in Brazil as the foremost interpreter of samba.

"A Bushel and a Peck" is a popular song written by Frank Loesser and published in 1950. The song was introduced in the Broadway musical Guys and Dolls, which opened at the 46th Street Theater on November 24, 1950. It was performed on stage by Vivian Blaine and a women's chorus as a nightclub act at the Hot Box. It is the first of two nightclub performances in the musical. Although Blaine later reprised her role as Miss Adelaide in the 1955 film version of the play, "A Bushel and a Peck" was omitted from the film and replaced by a new song, "Pet Me, Poppa."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missouri Waltz</span> Official state song of Missouri

"Missouri Waltz" is the official state song of Missouri and is associated with the University of Missouri.

<i>The Gangs All Here</i> (1943 film) 1943 film by Busby Berkeley

The Gang's All Here is a 1943 American Twentieth Century Fox Technicolor musical film starring Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda and James Ellison. The film, directed and choreographed by Busby Berkeley, is known for its use of musical numbers with fruit hats. Included among the 10 highest-grossing films of that year, it was at that time Fox's most expensive production.

"Prisoner of Love" is a 1931 popular song, with music by Russ Columbo and Clarence Gaskill and lyrics by Leo Robin.

Wallace Edgar Brown was an American actor and comedian. In the 1940s, he performed as the comic partner of Alan Carney.

<i>Thanks a Million</i> 1935 film by Roy Del Ruth

Thanks a Million is a 1935 musical film produced and released by 20th Century Fox and directed by Roy Del Ruth. It stars Dick Powell, Ann Dvorak and Fred Allen, and features Patsy Kelly, David Rubinoff and Paul Whiteman and his band with singer/pianist Ramona. The script by Nunnally Johnson was based on a story by producer Darryl F. Zanuck and contained uncredited additional dialogue by Fred Allen, James Gow, Edmund Gross and Harry Tugend.

<i>Springtime in the Rockies</i> 1942 American musical comedy film directed by Irving Cummings

Springtime in the Rockies is an American Technicolor musical comedy film released by Twentieth Century Fox in 1942. It stars Betty Grable, with support from John Payne, Carmen Miranda, Cesar Romero, Charlotte Greenwood, and Edward Everett Horton. Also appearing were Grable's future husband Harry James and his band. The director was Irving Cummings. The screenplay was based on the short story "Second Honeymoon" by Philip Wylie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Terran</span> American trumpet player

Anthony Terran was an American trumpet player and session musician. He was part of the Wrecking Crew, a group of largely uncredited session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who helped famous artists record hit records in the 1960s.

<i>Johnny Apollo</i> (film) 1940 film by Henry Hathaway

Johnny Apollo is a 1940 American film noir crime film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Tyrone Power and Dorothy Lamour.

<i>That Night in Rio</i> 1941 film by Irving Cummings

That Night in Rio is a 1941 Technicolor American musical comedy film directed by Irving Cummings and starring Alice Faye, Don Ameche and Carmen Miranda. It is one of several film adaptations of the 1934 play The Red Cat by Rudolf Lothar and Hans Adler. Others are Folies Bergère de Paris (1935) and On the Riviera (1951).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Always Chasing Rainbows</span> Vaudeville song composed by Harry Carroll

"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" is a popular Vaudeville song. The music is credited to Harry Carroll, but the melody is adapted from Fantaisie-Impromptu by Frédéric Chopin. The lyrics were written by Joseph McCarthy, and the song was published in 1917. It was introduced in the Broadway show Oh, Look! which opened in March 1918. The song was sung in the show by the Dolly Sisters. Judy Garland sang it in the 1941 film Ziegfeld Girl. It was subsequently sung by Jack Oakie in the 1944 film The Merry Monahans and was again featured in the 1945 film The Dolly Sisters, where it was sung by John Payne. It was also included for part of the run of the 1973 revival of Irene.

<i>Week-End in Havana</i> 1941 film by Walter Lang

Week-End in Havana is a 1941 20th Century Fox Technicolor musical film directed by Walter Lang and starring Alice Faye and Carmen Miranda. It was the second of three pictures the two stars made together and the second Faye film to have a Latin-American theme, typical of Fox musicals of the early 1940s. Faye was pregnant during filming.

<i>Doll Face</i> 1945 film by Lewis Seiler

Doll Face is a 1945 American film released by 20th Century Fox and directed by Lewis Seiler starring Vivian Blaine as "Doll Face" Carroll. It also stars actor Dennis O'Keefe and singers Carmen Miranda and Perry Como. The film is based on the 1943 play The Naked Genius written by Gypsy Rose Lee. In the opening credits, she is billed under her birth name, Louise Hovick. The film is also known as Come Back to Me in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha Stewart (actress)</span> American actress (1922–2021)

Martha Ruth Stewart Shelley, better known as Martha Stewart, was an American actress. She was noted for playing Mildred Atkinson in In a Lonely Place (1950) alongside Humphrey Bogart.

<i>Greenwich Village</i> (film) 1944 film by Walter Lang

Greenwich Village is a 1944 American comedy-drama musical film from Twentieth Century Fox directed by Walter Lang. It stars Carmen Miranda and Don Ameche.

<i>Something for the Boys</i> (film) 1944 film by Lewis Seiler

Something for the Boys is a 1944 musical comedy film directed by Lewis Seiler. It stars Carmen Miranda, with Michael O'Shea, Vivian Blaine, Phil Silvers, Sheila Ryan and Perry Como.

The Naked Genius is a 1943 American play written by Gypsy Rose Lee. The work premiered on Broadway on October 21, 1943, at the Plymouth Theatre where it ran until November 20, 1943, for a total of 36 performances. The work was produced by Mike Todd, used sets designed by Frederick Fox, and costumes designed by Billy Livingston. The play was staged by George S. Kaufman, and starred Joan Blondell as Honey Bee Carroll, Pauline Myers as Angela, Millard Mitchell as Stuart Tracy, Rex O'Malley as Fred-Eric, Byron Russell as Williams, Bertha Belmore as Lollie Adams, Doro Merande as Myrtle McGuire, Donald Randolph as Charles Goodwin, Lewis Charles as Sam Hinkle, Rosemary Rice as Emily, Georgia Sothern as Alibassi, Phyllis Povah as Pansy, John Souther as Judge Taylor, Bernice Maison as Sally Martin, and Gil Maison as Teddy Martin.

<i>The Carmen Miranda Collection</i> American film

The Carmen Miranda Collection is a box set featuring five top movie titles starring Carmen Miranda. It was released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on June 17, 2008.

<i>Heir to Trouble</i> 1935 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet

Heir to Trouble is a 1935 American Western film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and written by Nate Gatzert. The film stars Ken Maynard, Joan Perry, Harry Woods, Martin Faust, Harry Bowen and Wally Wales. The film was released on December 17, 1935, by Columbia Pictures.

References

  1. ↑ Hanson, Patricia King; Institute, American Film (1999). "Afi: American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States : Feature Films 1941-1950 Indexes, Volumes 1-2;Volume 4". p.  American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures. ISBN   9780520215214 . Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Brief Synopsis: If I'm Lucky". p. Watch Turner Classic Movies on TCM. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  3. ↑ MacFarlane, Malcolm; Crossland, Ken (7 May 2015). "Perry Como: A Biography and Complete Career Record". Malcolm Macfarlane and Ken Crossland. ISBN   9781476600246.
  4. ↑ "American Film Institute Catalog: 'If I'm Lucky (1946)'". p.  American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures.
  5. ↑ Garcia, Tânia da Costa (2004). "O "it verde e amarelo" de Carmen Miranda (1930-1946)". Tânia da Costa Garcia. ISBN   9788574194509.
  6. ↑ Perry Como: A Biography and Complete Career Record. ISBN   978-07-864-7166-9
  7. ↑ "Ouvrir If I'm Lucky (1946) Trilha sonora". p. RingosTrack. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  8. ↑ Los Angeles Times (Sept. 21, 1946)
  9. ↑ "MOVIE REVIEW: If I m Lucky (1946) THE SCREEN". Bosley Crowther . September 20, 1946. p.  The New York Times . Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  10. ↑ "New York Times online - New DVDs: "The Carmen Miranda Collection"". DAVE KEHR. 17 June 2008. p.  The New York Times . Retrieved March 10, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.