Mr. Lucky

Considering the talent in front of the camera and behind it, Mr Lucky's scripts and fights were lame. The fights were also poorly blocked by the directors. Hovering between comedy and mystery, the show should have lasted at least two years. The show needed more intriguing gambling stories. And were Lucky and Andamo the only crew? A ship like that would need 30 men to run it. They had one janitor.

"Mr. Lucky" was a half-hour television series attempting to cash in on "Peter Gunn"'s success. Based on an old '40's feature film that had starred Cary Grant, the t.v. "Mr. Lucky" starred John Vivyan as the title character, Ross Martin as his partner Andamo, Pippa Scott as Mr. Lucky's girlfriend, Maggie, and Tom Brown as Lt. Rovaks of the police department, Lucky's sometimes friend, sometimes adversary. Mr. Lucky was the owner of the ship Fortuna, a floating gambling casino moored off of the California coast's 12 mile limit. Each week Lucky and Andamo would become entangled with an assortment of con-men, gamblers, fugitives, even entertainers working for Lucky aboard the gambling casino. Inevitably it would appear that Lucky was either involved in some type of illegal activity or at the least aiding those involved with the activities. This was all done to a modern jazz musical score supplied by "Peter Gunn"'s Henry Mancini.

The series ran one season (during the '59-'60 season) and is probably best remembered for spawning two hit record albums from Henry Mancini, "Theme from Mr. Lucky" and "Mr Lucky Goes Latin".

Mr Lucky was one of a series of half hour crime shows of the late 50's and early 60's.But unlike "Peter Gunn" "Richard Diamond" etc,the hero is not a detective,but a vaguely shady, but basically honest,club owner.The series "Dante" with Howard Duff is probably Mr Lucky's closest relation(that show began the season after "Mr Lucky")."Mr Lucky" is a smooth, enjoyable show with a lot of comedy mixed in the dramatics.John Vivyan,as Lucky is suave and likable. The ever reliable Ross Martin is his sidekick Andamo.It seems strange that Vivyan's career never went anywhere after this show. Martin went on to greater fame in "The Wild Wild West".The shows title sequence, featuring cats,and Henry Mancini's music are great.Interestingly, Mr Lucky's gambling boat,"The Fortuna",turned into just a restaurant about half way through the series-probably in response to the moral criticisms then being directed at some TV shows.

During the summer of 2004 we happened upon the derelict, rusting hulk of the Fortuna moored to a dock in Eureka, California. The harbor master pointed it out to us as what was left of the yacht used on the TV series.

Lord only knows what the poor thing had gone through after being decommissioned by Hollywood. The harbor master intimated it might have been used as a drug running boat to and from Mexico.

In any event, a peek through its windows from dockside revealed it is now being used as a storage facility for various boat machinery and parts.

I recently got the DVD set of this classic TV show which I haven't seen in 60 years. Back then I had a genuine fascination with Mr. Lucky and his adventures. It may have been the dark edgy atmosphere, the mystery surrounding star John Vivyan's character, or the strong chemistry between the cast members themselves. Above all, it was Henry Mancini's magnificent music that really made the show a hit.

One point that needs to be mentioned is the reason why the show went off the air. Those of us who were alive back in 1959 recall that America was a very different place when it came to public mores, and for its time, Mr. Lucky was quite daring for a television show. Its protagonist was a complex character with a shady past, a professional gambler running a barely legal casino outside the three-mile limit. Along with all the gambling, there was lots of excessive drinking, smoking, partying, and overt sexual innuendos in the dialogue. Not to mention that Lucky and his lady friend Maggie had an "open relationship" when it came to commitment.

Soon CBS and sponsor Lever Brothers received flak from viewers in the South and Midwest concerning the show's alleged "immorality". This is partly why the show's format was changed mid-season from a casino to a swank supper club. However, this was not enough to placate viewers in the Bible belt. Thus, in spite of the shows' strong viewership and high ratings, Lever Brothers refused to renew its contract. Because the show was so hot, CBS was unable to find another sponsor. And so, to the great regret of its audience, Mr. Lucky was subsequently canceled, its last episode airing in September of 1960.

Back then Mr. Lucky was considered to be way too much over the top and paid the penalty for being ahead of its time. Today a show such as this would be a hit on TV but also probably be rated PG because of all the smoking and drinking.

For myself however, seeing this classic TV show once again and hearing the beautiful Henry Mancini score brings back warm memories of a simpler time, when television was indeed real entertainment.

And now, as Andamo ( Ross Martin) would say- "That's it and that's all!"