'Lucky Lady' & Other Cine-bombs of My '70s Youth

 

The most memorable thing about 1975's 'Lucky Lady'
starring Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli, & Burt Reynolds
may be this beautiful Richard Amsel poster.

 

I discovered classic films during the early '70s, on TV afternoon movies. This coincided when Hollywood struck gold with modern cinematic gems that harkened to its studio era heyday: The Way We Were; The Sting; Chinatown; and That's Entertainment, to name the most notable.

Alas, there were an equal amount of much-hyped films that my '70s teen self couldn't wait to see, but which never made it to my local theater in Upper Michigan. And for good reason—most were flops!

One of the few film duds that did come to my hometown Manistique was 1974's The Great Gatsby. The 3rd version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel actually made money, but was a disappointment because of the enormous money spent making and promoting the lifeless movie. I was turned off because I already loved the book and couldn't imagine why anyone would pine after Mia Farrow for a decade. As for remote Robert Redford, he was not great as Gatsby. The supporting cast came off best in this fashion spread of a movie, which I never saw again.

My entertainment guru of the '70s was Rona Barrett, who really beat the
 drums for 1974's "The Great Gatsby." Note the Lucy headline at lower left!

I was also excited to see Lucille Ball as Mame in ’74. I watched all three of Lucy's series, which CBS was running: I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show in daytime reruns and Here's Lucy in prime time. The latest series should have been a warning. Canned comedy ensued whenever Lucy Carter met a celebrity and irritated them with her star struck antics or looked for an excuse to sing. On I Love Lucy, Ball's singing always caused intentional laughter. 

'Lucille Ball as Mame' was the hype mantra for this 1974 mammoth musical.

There were all kinds of promo for Mame. The gay geek that I was, I kept looking at the big spreads Rona Barrett's mags, marveling at how young Lucy looked. And there was the new fave, TV's Maude, Bea Arthur in a black Joan Crawford wig and ankle straps. I was awestruck —and so naive.

Love this headline for Rona Barrett's 1974 story on "Mame."
The short answer is NO!

Then the bad reviews for Mame came out… then there were stories about the reviews! I read one news story of Lucy at an event, dabbing tears away, distraught over the backlash. The news photo showed that she did not look young, despite Ball all dolled up like Mame. The film never shook the blues in my hometown! 

I saw Mame a couple times later on TV. My thought was that if the songs with Lucy's raspy singing were cut, Mame would have been much better. Only, then you would have Auntie Mame again. So why not just watch the 1958 Rosalind Russell as Mame Dennis?

Lucille Ball was a favorite veteran star for Rona Barrett magazines. 

Next, I was fascinated that my favorite star, Elizabeth Taylor, was heading an all-star musical remake of The Blue Bird, filmed in Russia. Directed by George Cukor, it was hyped as the ‘70s answer to The Wizard of Oz. I read gossip items on the troubled filming, but when I saw that Rona Barrett was promoting a big spread for the epic in her next issue, I was hopeful. Then the issue came out, and no sneak preview of Easter 1976’s The Blue Bird! I've only seen clips of the elusive epic on You Tube since and that was plenty. The Blue Bird looks like a chintzy costume party.

I was agog when I bought this People magazine with Elizabeth Taylor in
 costume in "The Blue Bird." I think I still have the Milton Greene cover shot.

A lovely poster for 1976's "The Blue Bird," a gawd-awful movie.

By 1976, I was becoming a jaded teen when it came to modern Hollywood cashing in on old-time Tinseltown. I loved the biography book, Gable and Lombard, which made me a new fan of Carole Lombard. When they cast Marcus Welby's James Brolin as Clark and newcomer Jill Clayburgh as Carole, I was appalled. When clips were previewed on TV talk shows, I knew once again that the onscreen Gable and Lombard was never coming to Upper Michigan. I finally watched Gable and Lombard during 2020's Covid lockdown, and found the film bio inaccurate at best, smutty and juvenile at worst.

I was hoping that 1976's "Gable and Lombard" wouldn't be as terrible
as it looked... sadly, it was!

And there was so much bad press about Barbra Streisand's ’76 remake of A Star is Born that I vowed not to go see it. In the '70s, people would flock to see Streisand sing from a phone book, so Star was a big hit. My female classmates loved it and when I sang the praises of Judy Garland's version over Babs', their sullen stares said, “Shut up, nerd!” I didn't see Streisand's Star until 2017, over 40 years later. It was indeed still awful, after all these years!

By the time 1976's "A Star is Born" came out, I never wanted to hear about this
 ego trip again. I finally watched Babs' version in 2017!

This brings me to 1975's Lucky Lady, which inspired all these movie memories. This was another event movie that I was all excited about back then: Cool Burt Reynolds! Judy Garland's daughter, Liza Minnelli! Gene Hackman, that guy from The Poseidon Adventure! And dreamboat Robby Benson, who sealed the deal! They were starring in a comedy caper like The Sting, which I loved. Once again, I pored over my bible, Rona Barrett’s magazines, trying to figure out what Lucky Lady was all about. Turns out, not much! The Christmas blockbuster was looked upon as a cinematic lump of coal and bad word of mouth trumped three superstars at the height of their appeal. This too didn't come to pass at my hometown's theater.

Just watched 1975's "Lucky Lady" for the 1st time in 2026! Better late than never?

I just saw a great copy of Lucky Lady for the first time on YouTube, in March 2026, over 50 years later. The disjointed story and style of Lucky Lady reflects its troubled filming. The plot of Lucky Lady was inspired by rum running stories on the western coast and classic buddy movies where the men fight over the sassy leading lady. What appeared onscreen was pretty thin, and no one knew how to end the movie. No one liked the original finale, where the men were killed, ala Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. One version that was quickly discarded had the trio reunited in their senior years and looking decomposed, not aged. 

The "old age" ending for 1975's "Lucky Lady" was quickly scrapped,
for good reason. The stars look mummified!

Stanley Donen, a classic era director fave of mine, was past his prime and out of his depth. As the romantic triangle, Gene Hackman fares well enough, displaying an early comic touch. Liza Minnelli, the leading lady, just wrote in her memoirs that Gene was extremely rude to her throughout filming. Hackman could be a curmudgeon, I think because he was rarely cast as a romantic leading man. Or perhaps it was because Gene was appalled by Liza's obnoxious performance as Claire. If you looked up "over the top," in the dictionary, I'm sure Liza's picture is on that page. And Liza goes beyond the pale in Lucky Lady. Minnelli is all over the place—character, comically, and she caterwauls her dialogue and two songs, both Kander and Ebb on autopilot. My guess is director Donen turned Liza loose, hoping the results would be triple threat Judy all over again. She looks like a deranged Clara Bow and whines and wheezes in her harried moments like Shelley Winters! Burt Reynolds is the surprise here. As the handsome but dim rum runner, Burt doesn't fall on his mock macho shtick and is quite endearing. Reynolds was a natural comic actor and could be a strong dramatic one, too. A shame Burt didn't prioritize those qualities over stardom.

Liza Minnelli, Gene Hackman, & Burt Reynolds take over the "Tonight Show"
 to promote 1975's "Lucky Lady." Everyone seems jovial here.

Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli,  & Burt Reynolds may be wondering how
they got stuck in 1975's "Lucky Lady" here.

It must be said while Gene, Liza, and Burt were at the top of their ‘70s stardom, independent modern day stars weren't any better at choosing scripts than the old studio star system. All three made some real clinkers during this time: Gene in Zandy's Bride and Bite the Bullet; Liza in A Matter of Time and New York, New York; Burt in W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings, At Long Last Love, and Nickelodeon. None of which I have seen, nor plan to, ever!

Of the superstar menage a trois with Burt, Liza, & Gene? I'd take only one!
 1975's "Lucky Lady."

As for Lucky Lady, what began with anticipation became a boondoggle, with a final film that satisfied no one. Visually, it's lovely despite the excessive soft focus, filmed along the water in Mexico. Some beautiful architecture serves as backdrops. Despite the incoherent story and unfunny dialogue, Gene, Burt, and Robby Benson, do decent work. But you have to be a hardcore Liza fan to enjoy her performance—she's one unlucky lady here. 

A sweet snapshot of the "Lucky Lady" cast: Robby Benson, Burt Reynolds,
 Liza Minnelli, & Gene Hackman.

Up next for Minnelli was New York, New York, which was another troubled production that flopped on first release. A few years later, a director's cut was released, to better effect. While Liza won praise for New York, New York, it's almost an anti-musical, not a tribute. To revamp a quip that Bette Midler made about another '70s song-laden movie disaster, "I never miss a Martin Scorsese musical.”

Well actually, I did. I don’t even recall if New York, New York came to Manistique—a Minnelli miss to be remedied at a later date!

Another big movie everyone was excited about... until it was released!
Rona Barrett gives the big build-up for 1977's "New York, New York."

My deep dish on Barbra Streisand's diva version of A Star is Born: 

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2017/08/barbra-streisands-star-is-born-still.html

 

 

 

 

Reynolds & Deneuve Do the ‘Hustle’ 1975

We'll always have Paris... or Rome. The lead characters of 'Hustle' long for an escape from life in LA.

I'm sticking up for Hustle, because the 1975 neo-film noir has a by-rote reputation as one of Burt Reynolds’ lesser efforts and a box office bomb. The Robert Aldrich directed precursor to Lethal Weapon is better than that. Hustle has a solid dramatic performance by Burt Reynolds and, while no classic, is one of the action star’s better movies. Word of mouth about this downbeat flick kept it from raking in the really big bucks, like The Longest Yard, the first Reynolds-Aldrich collaboration. But Hustle is still one of Burt’s top ranking hits.

Lethal what?! Burt Reynolds and Paul Winfield as the cocky and the by-the-book cops, respectively.

Hustle may offend the PC Police and by today's standards, there are situations that are indeed sexist and racist. But it also feels realistic, in an era that was just adjusting to both the women’s and racial equality movement. Just remember that this film is almost 45 years old, as of this writing.

The story is '70s gritty, with the only relief a glamorized duo of the weary cop and high class call girl, as played by Reynolds and Deneuve. Their characters, Lt. Phil Gaines and Nicole Britton, are tired of their professions and looking for a way out. She longs to go back to Paris, and he to Rome, where he apparently made wonderful memories. Both are in "agreement" about their current no-strings situation, but it is beginning to fray.

Burt's depressed cop doesn't like that call girl Deneuve brings her work home with her!

This movie has a feeling of a modern day Chinatown, though Hustle is obviously not in the same league. The story is adapted by screenwriter Steve Shagan’s own novel, City of Angels. There are essentially two stories going on. One is the cautionary tale of a young woman from an unhappy upbringing, a dicey adult life, and now a washed up corpse on the beach. The other is crime story of deadly corruption by a high powered lawyer, who is linked to the girl.

Ben Johnson, as the dead girl's father, seeks justice. That's Catherine Bach, pre-Daisy Duke, as the girl's roommate.

Frankly, I found the girl’s tragic trajectory more interesting, because it is a more timely topic than ever, of young women who are exploited by powerful men. Also, the characters surrounding her are more realistic and compelling. The story of the tangled web of the crooked lawyer, while entertaining, is nothing new and panders to the sleazy side of this film.

While Hustle sometimes feels like an elevated TV movie, the situations and language quickly demonstrate that this isn’t just a big screen episode of Reynolds' previous cop series, Dan August. What doesn't help the movie is Robert Aldrich's longstanding weakness for longwinded storytelling and sensationalism. The movie clocks in at two hours. And while not as rambling as say, Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, this cop with character flick should have clocked in at the standard 1 hour and 45 minute mark. For instance, the scene at the airport bar serves no purpose, yet meanders on. The bigger issue is with Aldrich’s pushing the taste envelope too far. On the one hand, the cops' world of the cesspool of criminals feels authentic, as does the dead girl's descent into stripping, porn, and prostitution. However, there is a lingering, lascivious quality at each stop that adds to this movie's exploitive reputation. Shock value was an Aldrich trademark, from The Big Knife to Baby Jane to Sweet Charlotte to The Killing of Sister George to The Legend of Lylah Clare and in his later cop movie, The Choirboys. 

Ernest Borgnine's broad performance as the chief of police is about as authentic as that B&W window view!

The movie has two climactic scenes. One feels false and the second comes out of left field. The first is when Phil tries to right the wrongs of the movie’s prior events—very movie-ish. The last scene, where Burt may be the first movie cop to make that seemingly ordinary yet fateful stop along the way home, ready to start a new life. Don't stop, Burt, keep driving home to lovely Deneuve!

Aldrich brings back some of his favorites here: Cinematographer Joseph Biroc provides no-nonsense photography for the crime story and a more moody look for the stars’ romantic scenes. Music is again by Frank DeVol. And long-time Aldrich actor Ernest Borgnine makes his 6^th appearance for the director.

Reynolds’ fondness for nostalgia is utilized. His character Phil loves old time movies, stars, and music. Burt often got classic era stars to appear in his films—here it’s Ben Johnson and Don "Red" Barry, two former cowboy stars. Burt's self-deprecating humor is on full display in Hustle, but there are tell-tale moments when Reynolds southern-style "Rat Pack" mentality started creeping in. Some critics then noted that the nostalgic aspect of Reynolds’ character was a bit much as movie shorthand for sentiment. They were right—way too many classic movies playing in the background and tearjerker old time songs, as well.

Burt Reynolds in his 1975 prime, in a role that requires more than his beefcake good looks.

Ultimately what makes this movie worth watching is the acting, by two great stars and a stellar cast of character actors. 

Burt Reynolds played a cop for about half his career—I'm surprised he wasn't given an honorary badge! Hustle is definitely one of his most straightforward film performances. As Phil Gaines, Burt is charming and blasé as always, but is preoccupied beneath the glib surface, wondering how much longer he can tap dance around the fact he’s burned out. Burt's wry, deadpan humor fits in perfectly with the gallows humor of the movie version of LAPD and the day to day hell Phil deals with. There’s moments when his character steps up and is the kind of man he wants to be, and Reynolds is quietly effective. One scene is when Phil Gaines admits to Ben Johnson's distraught father that they should have covered his daughter's body before showing him the corpse.

True, Deneuve and Reynolds aren't exactly typecast in 'Hustle,' as the weary LA hooker and cop.
But audiences probably wouldn't have flocked to see veteran supporting stars Eileen Brennan and Ben Johnson in the roles!

Reynolds’ scenes with Deneuve’s Nicole Britton feel authentic, that they have a history, and their scenes are alternately romantic, sexy, funny, and also sad.  Critics were quick to point out that there probably weren't too many high class French hookers in LA, much less ones who were devastatingly beautiful like Deneuve. True, but I doubt if there were too many weary veteran cops who looked like Burt Reynolds in his prime, either. The main concession to mainstream movie making is the glamour of Hustle's stars.

Catherine Deneuve in one of her few American films, as Nicole Britton, in 'Hustle.'

Catherine Deneuve is just as effective in her acting style as Nicole. And like many great film actors, Deneuve conveys a great deal with a flicker in the eye or a slight turn of the head. Catherine reminds me a bit of Garbo here. Her cool restraint complements Burt's more brash American style of movie star acting perfectly. Deneuve said much later that she enjoyed Burt’s charm and humor, though she felt the movie didn’t ultimately work. Reynolds’ dark masculine good looks and Deneuve’s picture perfect blonde beauty make them one of the most handsome movie couples ever.

Ben Johnson and Eileen Brennan give 'Hustle's' best performances as the bereaved parents with baggage.

Then there’s that supporting cast: As Sgt. Belgrave, Paul Winfield brings authority to the proceedings, as Burt's partner and the voice of justice for the dead girl. Ben Johnson is intense as the outraged, grieving father. And Eileen Brennan is just as good as the resigned, weary mother. As flawed but decent people, Johnson and Brennan as Marty and Paula Hollinger give the film's two best performances. Johnson’s escalating frustration with the investigation borders on scary. And Brennan has a great scene with Reynolds, her realistic mother opening up to the cop, at a cocktail lounge. Eddie Albert, always so likeable in film and on TV's Green Acres, got to be effectively nasty for Robert Aldrich here and in The Longest Yard, much like Fred MacMurray did for Billy Wilder in Double Indemnity and The Apartment. As evil lawyer Leo Sellers, Albert is a smiling cobra. Likeable Ernest Borgnine is encouraged to play to the broad side of his persona as police chief Santoro, and frankly his scenes are the movie's weakest.

'Green Acres' Eddie Albert enjoys an entirely different type of Hooterville as sleazy lawyer Leo Sellers.

Familiar faces show up for a single scene: Don “Red” Barry is the airport bartender and Queenie Smith is the whiny liquor store customer. Future familiar faces pop up, too: Fred Willard as the baby-faced interrogator; Catherine Bach as the dead girl's roommate; and Freddie Krueger himself, Robert Englund is the liquor store robber who seals Reynolds' fate.

Robert Englund, forever Freddie Krueger shortly after 'Hustle,' plays a hold up guy at the liquor store.

Bonus for baby boomers: If you're looking for a '70s nostalgia fix, look no further, Hustle has it all: Brown is the predominant color throughout; transistor radios, rotary phones, and televisions on stands; and 8-track tapes for the car, with vinyl for the living room! 

Hustle is worth checking out for the fine cast and a look back at mainstream ‘70’s filmmaking style.

A very good copy of Hustle can be found here, as of 4/12/19: 

https://rarefilmm.com/2018/09/hustle-1975/

Deneuve's Nicole gets the bad news, which Catherine admirably underplays at the finale of 'Hustle.'