A Lady Takes a Chance (1943)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

William A. Seiter
(more)

Writers:

Robert Ardrey (screenplay)
Jo Swerling (story)
(more)

Release Date:

19 August 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Western

Tagline:

IT'S SCREWY...And So Funny! IT'S RIOTOUS...And Romantic! (1950 reissue title)

Plot:

A city girl on a bus tour of the West encounters a handsome rodeo cowboy who helps her forget her simpy city suitors. |

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Horse | Rodeo

Cast

Jean Arthur	...	Molly J. Truesdale
John Wayne	...	Duke Hudkins
Charles Winninger	...	Waco
Phil Silvers	...	Smiley Lambert (bus tour director)
Mary Field	...	Florrie Bendix
Don Costello	...	Drunk
John Philliber	...	Storekeeper
Grady Sutton	...	Malcolm Scott
Jean Stevens	...	'Jitterbug' (as Peggy Carroll)
Grant Withers	...	Bob Hastings
Hans Conried	...	Gregg Stone
Ariel Heath	...	Flossie
Sugar Geise	...	Linda Belle (bargirl)
Joan Blair	...	Lilly
Tom Fadden	...	Mullen
Eddy Waller	...	Bus station attendant
Nina Quartero	...	Carmencita (bargirl)
Alex Melesh	...	Bartender #1
Cy Kendall	...	Gambling house boss
Paul Scott	...	Bartender #2
Charles D. Brown	...	Dr. G.W. Humboldt
Billy Lenhart	...	Butch (as Butch and Buddy)
Kenneth Brown	...	Buddy (as Butch and Buddy)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Polly Bailey	...	Beggar Woman (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Bit (uncredited)
Benny Bartlett	...	Henry (uncredited)
Hank Bell	...	Mustached Gold City cowboy (uncredited)
Joseph E. Bernard	...	Bit (uncredited)
Eddie Borden	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Fred Burns	...	Team Driver (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Slim (uncredited)
Robert Cherry	...	Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited)
J.W. Cody	...	Indian Bellhop (uncredited)
Monte Collins	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Armand Cortes	...	Al (uncredited)
Jack Daley	...	Bit (uncredited)
Roy Darmour	...	Bit (uncredited)
George DeNormand	...	Truck Driver (uncredited)
Eddie Dew	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Bert Dillard	...	Cowboy (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Butler (uncredited)
George Ford	...	Wealthy Young Man (uncredited)
Bud Geary	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Fred Graham	...	Saloon brawler (uncredited)
Dorothy Granger	...	Hot Dog Girl (uncredited)
Ralf Harolde	...	Croupier (uncredited)
Warren Jackson	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Ray Jones	...	Saloon brawler (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Bit (uncredited)
Robert McKenzie	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Dorcas McKim	...	Mother (uncredited)
Frank Melton	...	Otto (uncredited)
Patsy Moran	...	Counter Girl (uncredited)
Horace Murphy	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Artie Ortego	...	Saloon brawler (uncredited)
Jack O'Shea	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Bit (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Poker Player (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Greek (uncredited)
Mysty Shot	...	Sammy (horse) (uncredited)
Clarence Straight	...	Henry (uncredited)
Chalky Williams	...	Bit (uncredited)
Hank Worden	...	Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Seiter
Henry Hathaway		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert Ardrey		screenplay
Garson Kanin		uncredited (unconfirmed)
Jo Swerling		story

Produced by
Dick Ross	....	associate producer (as Richard Ross)
Frank Ross	....	producer

Original Music by
Roy Webb

Cinematography by
Frank Redman

Film Editing by
Theron Warth

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino
Alfred Herman

Set Decoration by
A. Roland Fields		(as Al Fields)
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Aldrich	....	second assistant director
Dewey Starkey	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Roy Meadows	....	recording director
James G. Stewart	....	sound re-recording mixer (as James Stewart)
Terry Kellum	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Stunts
George DeNormand	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Bud Geary	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Fred Graham	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Allen Pomeroy	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Phoenix Films (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Maple Pictures (2007) (Canada) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

The Cowboy and the Girl

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:6 (nf) | Sweden:15

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Quotes:

Waco: Remember what you told me? "Women is like socks... you gotta change 'em regular."

Sweet, funny, charming

I won't bother to rehash the plot details, as others have already done so, but simply wish to express how much I enjoyed this film. It was a real treat from start to finish - slightly offbeat & definitely funny (but not goofy enough to be screwball) and sweet & romantic but not sentimental enough to be sappy.

Director William A. Seiter (who helmed "Sons of the Desert", Laurel & Hardy's best film, as well as other successful comedies) takes what is perhaps a shopworn premise and turns it into something special with the help of two extremely capable stars. John Wayne reveals his often underrated talent for light comedy in this - coming across just as masculine as always but with a sweet, funny softness that makes his Duke Hudkins extremely endearing. Jean Arthur is in a familiar role, playing a quirky but sweet city girl (Molly J. Truesdale) with just the right amount of spunk. Note her unconsciously forward behavior when the two of them first meet - wow! They are surprisingly wonderful together - watch the gentle, tender way the scene in the hay is handled. And never once did I feel like Jean Arthur faded to the background in Duke's presence. (In quite a few of his films, he is so charismatic and powerful a presence that his leading lady winds up looking about as charismatic as wilted celery.)

There are some funny scenes involving long bus rides, cold desert nights, sneezing horses, rodeo "groupies," bucking broncos, and broken cameras. The supporting cast is great, but they haven't much to do as this is really a film about a boy and a girl. Sharp-eyed fans of Gene Kelly and/or Frank Sinatra will recognize Grady Sutton from "Anchors Aweigh" as one of Molly's unspeakably drab beaux.