“Gun moll” Liza Minnelli in Lucky Lady, 1975
Lucky Lady stars Liza Minnelli, Gene Hackman and Burt Reynolds as a team of rum runners in Prohibition-era San Diego. The movie, directed by Stanley Donen, hit theaters on Christmas day, 1975.
The story goes that Gene Hackman wasn’t interested in doing the movie but eventually gave in when his pay-out hit $1.25 million.
My dad took me to see this pic when I was but a wee lad and I remember enjoying it. Heck, it was a period gangster piece with Tommy guns blasting and boats exploding. The charming cast also helped keep me enthralled and I was glad Robby Benson had a role. I was a fan of Benson’s after seeing his teenage love story, Jeremy (1973).
After the credits rolled on Lucky Lady and we exited the theater, I told my dad how much I’d enjoyed it. I asked if he liked it too and he mumbled something like “Oh, yeah.” I could tell he hadn’t felt the same way. I haven’t seen Lucky Lady since. I wonder if it holds up when viewed as an adult. Time to find out.
On a recent two-hour documentary on the making of “Jaws”, Steven Spielberg himself says that when the opportunity to direct “Jaws” came up, he rejected it because he wanted to direct “Lucky Lady” instead.
I didn’t know that. Good thing he didn’t. Been meaning to watch that documentary.