Lucky Lady

Director: Stanley Donen Stanley Donen

Overview

During the Prohibition era, Walker and Kibby run a liquor-smuggling operation in Mexico. They team up with cabaret entertainer Claire, but complications ensue when both men fall in love with her. Escaping the law and a gang of rival crooks, the threesome set sail on a small boat.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/01/2011
UPC:	0826663123319
Original Release:	1975
Rating:	PG
Source:	Shout Factory
Region Code:	1
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:58:00
Sales rank:	22,914

Special Features

Vintage Featurettes; Original Trailers; TV Spot

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Gene Hackman	Kibby
Liza Minnelli	Claire
Burt Reynolds	Walker
Geoffrey Lewis	Capt. Aaron Mosley
John Hillerman	Christy McTeague
Robby Benson	Billy Webber
Michael Hordern	Capt. Rockwell
Anthony Holland	Mr. Tully
John McLiam	Rass Huggins
Val Avery	Dolph
Louis Guss	Bernie
William H. Bassett	Charley
Emilio Fernandez	`Ybarra'
Duncan McLeod	Auctioneer
Milt [Lewis] Kogan	Supercargo
Milt Kogan	Supercargo
Suzanne Zenor	Brunette
Marjorie Battles	Redhead

Technical Credits

Stanley Donen	Director
Michael Gruskoff	Producer

Editorial Reviews

A major, high profile commercial flop at the time of its release, Lucky Lady is not quite as bad as the critics claimed at the time -- but that's about the best thing that can be said of it. The biggest problem is the screenplay, which is unfocused and veers wildly in terms of tone -- at times low comedy and slapstick, at others too deadly serious (and sometimes too violent, in the context of the rest of the film). The creators could not decide how seriously to take the basic situation, robbing it of necessary reality, and the dialogue is generally poor. (The general level of wit is exemplified by Liza Minnelli's comment at one point that it's so quiet "you can hear a fish fart.") Stanley Donen's direction is weak and generally unimaginative, and some of the editing is jarring. Minnelli is good in the production number, "Get While the Getting is Good," but is otherwise abrasive, shrill and annoying. Gene Hackman is okay but unusually dull; of the stars, only Burt Reynolds turns in a decent performance. He's fun and makes much of the film watchable. A follow-up to her excellent Cabaret, this unlucky Lady was still much better than Minnelli's next starring role, the deadly A Matter of Time.