On This Day...Mr. Lucky (1943)

 Released today back in 1943, Mr. Lucky was Cary Grant's 43rd full length feature film

Summary:

Joe Adams (Cary Grant) takes on the identity of a dead gangster in order to avoid the draft. Adams plans to use a war relief charity to get his gambling operation up and running, until he falls in love with Dorothy Bryant (Laraine Day) and has a change of heart.

Cast:

Cary Grant ... Joe Adams posing as Joe Bascopolous
Laraine Day ... Dorothy Bryant
Charles Bickford ... Hard Swede
Gladys Cooper ... Captain Veronica Steadman
Alan Carney... Crunk
Henry Stephenson... Mr. Bryant
Paul Stewart... Zepp
Kay Johnson... Mrs. Mary Ostrander
Erford Gage... Henchman
Walter Kingsford... Commissioner Hargraves
Florence Bates... Mrs. Van Every

Did You Know?

RKO's second biggest hit of 1943, netting $1.603 million, it was only outperformed at the box office by the vastly lower-budgeted Hitler's Children (1943).

The rhyming slang used by Cary Grant's character is a form of slang in which a word is replaced by a rhyming word, typically the second word of a two-word phrase (so stairs becomes "apples and pears"). The second word is then often dropped entirely ("I'm going up the apples"), meaning that the association of the original word to the rhyming phrase is not obvious to the uninitiated. For example: "Sherman" for an American (Sherman tank = Yank). The exact origin of rhyming slang appears to be unclear, partly because it exists to some extent in many languages. In English, rhyming slang is strongly associated with Cockney speech from the East End of London.

Quotes:

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: [to Crunk] Never give a sucker an even break and always keep an eye on your pals.

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: Now watch this.

[rolls dice]

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: Seven.

Captain Veronica Steadman: How do you do it?

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: Influence. You bring me the right people, I'll get you that hundred thousand.

Captain Veronica Steadman: But it's gambling!

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: Not the way I do it.

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: Well, now this is quite a surprise!

Dorothy Bryant: Not particularly. It so happens I rather expected it. And if you think your persistence is going to have any effect on me, you're mistaken.

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: Well, I can't see how you people can pass up $80,000 for the cause.

Dorothy Bryant: For whose cause? If you're so interested in serving your cause, why don't you join the Army?

Blood Bank Nurse: Next, please!

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: Oh...

[produces draft card]

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: 4F.

Dorothy Bryant: You look 1A to me.

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: Hey, you don't look too bad yourself!

[He chuckle, she stares, he lets out awkward groan]

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: Well, it's my arteries.

Blood Bank Nurse: Right this way...

Dorothy Bryant: Well, should you be giving blood?

Joe Adams aka Joe Bascopolous: Oh, well... my blood's 1A, just my arteries are 4F.

Lobby Cards:

Directed by H.C. Potter.

Distributed by R.K.O Radio.

Running time: 100 minutes.

Artwork by Rebekah Hawley at Studio36.