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You're A Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith
a.k.a: Lucky Days (UK)
Universal Pictures
Released: October 22, 1943
Runtime: 64 minutes
Lynn Crandall, a young woman, must get married before she turns twenty-four in order to inherit $95,000 from her uncle’s will. She and her kid sister Peggy board a train on their way to Chicago to meet Lynn’s fiancée and aunt. However, Peggy knows she isn’t in love with him, and it’s only a matter of hours before Lynn’s birthday…
Just to their luck, a group of soldiers (played by the King’s Men) on leave are on the same train, including Tony Smith. They come aboard singing “Keep on Smiling,” much to Lynn’s annoyance as she is trying to sleep in her bunk. When she tells him to be quiet, all the boys tell him to sing a lullaby. Tony and the boys sing her a short llulaby, “Swing a Bye My Baby” as Peggy swoons over his voice. The next morning, the sisters sit with Tony and a young soldier named Squirt. Tony sings her another song, “On the Crest of a Rainbow,” along with the Kings Men.
He and Lynn go off to talk alone; he definitely likes her. Meanwhile, Peggy, along with Squirt’s guitar, sings “Ten Little Men with Feathers” for the boys. Afterwards, Peggy finds Tony kissing Lynn, who slaps him later. Convinced that he is the one for her sister, Peggy finds a way to stall the train, for it is only five hours until Lynn turns twenty-four. She pretends that she has caught the measles which forces the train to wait until she is cured so the disease won’t spread. Of course, Lynn is outraged that her time could run out, but then Peggy explains that she should marry Tony, whom she thinks is wonderful. On the other hand, Lynn sees it as the opportunity to get a quick marriage, inherit the money, and then annul it later. She and Tony talk again, and he sings her “What is This Thing Called Love?” Taking advantage of his romantic mood, she tricks him into signing a marriage license (the doctor who sees Peggy happens to be a judge). At first, Tony is angry, but it isn’t too long before he schemes up his own plan for Lynn.
The next day, they reach Chicago, where Aunt Harriet and Lynn’s fiancé, Harvey, are waiting. Tony, still on a three day leave, asks his wife to introduce him to the family. Aunt Harriett is simply delighted with him while Harvey is appalled. Tony insists that they have their honeymoon and tries to carry her away. Angry as ever, Lynn kicks and screams and eventually gets away. The next day, she contacts her lawyer about the inheritance. However, she soon learns that in order to get the money she must stay married to Tony. Peggy learns without Lynn’s knowledge that Tony must also sign every check that Lynn writes when using the money. Seeing it as an opportunity to keep them together, she visits Tony the next day. The other soldiers, the Kings Men, Peggy, and Tony all join in and sing, “Hup Hup Blues.” Tony, who would like to teach Lynn a lesson, agrees to not sign any of the checks. As a result, merchandise men bombard Lynn with checks that are worthless without a signature. Determined to get what she wants, Lynn picks Tony up the next day. He agrees to sign the checks, but then she takes him up to her uncle’s cabin. She locks him in the kitchen until he agrees to write a letter of annulment. Tony only has twelve hours left of his leave and is relieved when he finds a secret door behind a wall unit. He surprises her outside of the kitchen and makes his way out the door.
Later, Peggy invites Tony to a party at Aunt Harriet’s house. He arrives and sings, “Your Eyes Have Told Me So.” He and Lynn agree to go to the court house and reach an annulment. However, the judge realizes that she married out of convenience and wants them to prove that they must have shared some love for each other. So, Tony sings again, “What is This Thing Called Love?” Lynn, who does like him deep down, shows her admiration as he sings to her. Convinced that they love each other and don’t need an annulment, he sends them off. As they leave the courthouse arm in arm, the soldiers sing “You’re a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith,” with Tony chiming in at the end, and they live happily ever after.
Credits
Director...Felix E. Feist
Writers…Ben Barzman, Louis Lantz, Lawrence Riley, Oscar Brodney (story)
Music Director…Charles Previn
Associate Producer…Edward C. Lilley
Executive Producer…Milton Schwarzwald
Cinematography…Paul Ivano
Film Editing…Ray Snyder
Costumes…Vera West
Art Direction…Ralph M. DeLacy, John B. Goodman
Set Decoration…Russell A. Gausman, Leigh Smith
Assistant Director…Melville Shyer (uncredited)
Sound Department…Bernard B. Brown (director), Jess Moulin (technician), Edwin Wetzel (sound)
Composer: incidental music…Frank Skinner
Composer: stock music…Ralph Freed (uncredited)
Cast
Allan Jones…Tony
Evelyn Ankers…Lynn
Billie Burke…Aunt Harriet
David Bruce…Harvey
Patsy O’Connor…Peggy
Stanley Clements…Squirt
Luis Alberni…Goreni
Francis Pierlot…Doc Webster
Harry Hayden…Judge
Mantan Moreland…Porter
The Kings Men…
Ken Darby
Jon Dodson
Bud Linn
Rad Robinson
Soundtrack
Credited Composers: Frank Skinner, Sonny Burke, Inez James, Buddy Pepper, Hugh Prince, Don Raye
• “Ten Little Men with Feathers”
o Sung by Patsy O’ Connor
o Written by Buddy Pepper and Inez James
• “On the Crest of a Rainbow”
o Sung by Allan Jones, The Kings Men
o Written by Al Sherman and Harry Tobias
• “Soldier Speciality”
o Possibly in the film
o Written by Buddy Pepper and Inez James
• “You’re a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith”
o Sung by the Kings Men, Allan Jones
o Written by Buddy Pepper and Inez James
• “What is This Thing Called Love”
o Sung by Allan Jones on train and in courthouse
o Written by Cole Porter
• “Hup Hup Blues”
o Sung by Allan Jones, Patsy O’ Connor, The King’s Men, and chorus
o Music: -
o Lyrics: -
• “Keep on Smiling”
o Sung by Allan Jones and the Kings Men
o Music: -
o Lyrics: -
• “Your Eyes Have Told Me So”
o Sung by Allan Jones
o Music: Walter Blaufuss
o Lyrics: Gus Kahn, Egbert Van Alstyne
• “Swing a Bye, My Baby”
o Sung by Allan Jones, the Kings Men
o Music: -
o Lyrics: -