Mr. Lucky (John Vivyan) was an honest professional gambler who had won a plush floating casino, the ship Fortuna, and used it as his base of operations. Staying beyond the 3-mile limit, where he could operate a gambling ship legally, Mr. Lucky played host to a wide variety of people, all of whom came to make use of his luxurious facility. Helping him run the casino, is his good friend Andamo (Ross Martin).This series finally got the re-do it deserved for being one of the most infectious, late-50s, series that sadly, was short-lived. The picture for the most part (exception in the opening pilot episode with Nehamiah Persoff and the next one)is well-contrasted with good sound.
Why would you want to botch the incredible soundtrack of Henry Mancini, so exceptionally cool and swinging as a martini on a hot night? The series was well controlled by Blake Edwards throughout, with scripts so sharp and dead-on you feel in just 25 minutes that you experienced an hour.
When I first saw this series, I thought it had run over 3 years. The camaraderie between Mr. Lucky (John Vivyan) and his compadre (Ross Martin) is unequaled and much imitated throughout the following decades. In fact when Ross Martin was in “Wild, Wild West” 6 years later, on occasion, he lampooned what he did so smoothly in “Mr. Lucky.”
You will see the likes of Jack Nicholson, Richard Chamberlain and Barbara Bain (pre-Mission Impossible)and Gavin Macleod if you are so observant. In fact, the resemblance of John Vivyan to Cary Grant was so obvious, cleft chin, tall and handsome, so comedic that I thought he was Grant. Unlike Grant, who disdained violence as a last resort, both Vivyan and Martin get very physical in every episode in cuffed tuxedoes most of the time, almost Bond-like. (another imitator: The Saint)The other signature mark restored in this collection is Lucky’s pulled stopwatch that signaled the call of Lucky in each episode.
All in all it is a supreme joy to see and hear this stylish series that stands apart from the many series to come (Starsky & Hutch, Miami Vice) that never quite reached the flair and sophistication of this Blake Edwards charmer. Action, adventure, danger, gun play, gun molls, gamblers, grifters they all make their parade in the action aboard the Fortuna II, for awhile a gambling casino, then later, a bona fide restaurant-at-sea. Enjoy with a glass of champagne.
Character to watch: John Vivyan as Mr. Lucky.
Journal your answers to the following questions after you watch the series.
- How does this particular character’s journey compare with yours?
- Did the character develop certain characteristics during the movie that you have or that you would like to have? If so, what are those characteristics?
- What obstacles did this character face? What was his or her biggest challenge?
- What would you have done differently if you had been in the same position as the character?
- Is this character the type of person you would be friends with? Why or why not?