- Published on
“An Irish romance”
Exhibitors Herald World (July 6, 1929)
Date of Release: Aug 17, 1929
Studio: Pathé
Director: Kenneth Webb
Screenplay: Gene Markey
Music: Sammy Stept, Bud Green
Leading Actors: Morton Downey (Michael O'More), Betty Lawford (Lady Mary Cardigan), Colin Keith-Johnston (Capt. Brian Fitzroy), Halliwell Hobbes (Earl of Balkerry), J. M. Kerrigan (Connors), Edward McNamara (Tim O'More), Richard Taber (Paddy), Edward O'Connor (Rafferty), Mary Murray (Kate), Mackenzie Ward (Cyril), Louis Sorin (Abe Feinberg), Sonia Karlov (Lulu Bellew), Tyrrell Davis (Potts), Elizabeth Murray (Landlady)
Advertised as “All-singing, all-talking sensation. New, original, and fascinating,” Lucky in Love was another Irish-themed musical featuring Morton “Irish Nightingale” Downey. Having also appeared in Syncopation and Mother’s Boy, the film marked Downey’s third screen appearance. Often referred to as the tenor with the “golden voice,” Downey was listed as “a face to watch” in the November 1929 edition of Photoplay. Later in his career he hosted radio programs, and television shows. He was married to fellow actor Barbara Bennett, and was the father of television personality Morton Downey Jr.
The other leads were for the most part English-born stage and screen actors who went on to varying degrees of success following the introduction of talkies. Leading lady Betty Lawford was a stage and screen actress for over twenty years. Her Broadway credits included King Henry IV, Part I (1926), and The Women (1936).
Studio: Pathé
Director: Kenneth Webb
Screenplay: Gene Markey
Music: Sammy Stept, Bud Green
Leading Actors: Morton Downey (Michael O'More), Betty Lawford (Lady Mary Cardigan), Colin Keith-Johnston (Capt. Brian Fitzroy), Halliwell Hobbes (Earl of Balkerry), J. M. Kerrigan (Connors), Edward McNamara (Tim O'More), Richard Taber (Paddy), Edward O'Connor (Rafferty), Mary Murray (Kate), Mackenzie Ward (Cyril), Louis Sorin (Abe Feinberg), Sonia Karlov (Lulu Bellew), Tyrrell Davis (Potts), Elizabeth Murray (Landlady)
Advertised as “All-singing, all-talking sensation. New, original, and fascinating,” Lucky in Love was another Irish-themed musical featuring Morton “Irish Nightingale” Downey. Having also appeared in Syncopation and Mother’s Boy, the film marked Downey’s third screen appearance. Often referred to as the tenor with the “golden voice,” Downey was listed as “a face to watch” in the November 1929 edition of Photoplay. Later in his career he hosted radio programs, and television shows. He was married to fellow actor Barbara Bennett, and was the father of television personality Morton Downey Jr.
The other leads were for the most part English-born stage and screen actors who went on to varying degrees of success following the introduction of talkies. Leading lady Betty Lawford was a stage and screen actress for over twenty years. Her Broadway credits included King Henry IV, Part I (1926), and The Women (1936).
Outside the Colony Theatre, Exhibitors Herald World (Jan 11, 1930)
Pathe used a multi-prong attack to advertise Lucky in Love around the country. Various businesses displayed posters, ads were placed in newspapers, the theme song “Love is a Dreamer” was played on high rotation on the radio, and the sheet music and Victor records were made available for purchase. In the trade magazines, the film was rarely advertised alone and was part of Pathe’s campaign to bolster the name of the studio using the tag line, “While others make pictures, PATHE makes RECORDS.”
Lucky in Love told the story of an Irish farm boy, Michael (Morton Downey) who falls in love with the Earl’s daughter, Lady Mary (Betty Lawford). After punching his rival, Michael flees to America where he eventually makes his fortune. He returns to Ireland, and marries Lady Mary.
Most critics agreed the story was awful, but were divided in their opinions of the film. The Film Daily (Dec 15, 1929) thought Downey wasn’t a great actor, but that his charm and singing helped “to overcome many of the film’s shortcomings.” Exhibitors Herald World and Motion Picture News both praised Downey’s singing, stating he had one of the finest voices heard on screen, while The New York Times called his performance “deplorable.”
When it came to the quality of the sound, the New York Times felt it was “badly recorded,” while Harrison’s Reports claimed it to be some of the best they had ever heard. Motion Picture News agreed that the sound was well done, but suggested that sound engineers “test the pulse of the public” before using “foreign” sound effects – such as an Irish locomotive horn – which were not recognizable to American audiences.
Lucky in Love told the story of an Irish farm boy, Michael (Morton Downey) who falls in love with the Earl’s daughter, Lady Mary (Betty Lawford). After punching his rival, Michael flees to America where he eventually makes his fortune. He returns to Ireland, and marries Lady Mary.
Most critics agreed the story was awful, but were divided in their opinions of the film. The Film Daily (Dec 15, 1929) thought Downey wasn’t a great actor, but that his charm and singing helped “to overcome many of the film’s shortcomings.” Exhibitors Herald World and Motion Picture News both praised Downey’s singing, stating he had one of the finest voices heard on screen, while The New York Times called his performance “deplorable.”
When it came to the quality of the sound, the New York Times felt it was “badly recorded,” while Harrison’s Reports claimed it to be some of the best they had ever heard. Motion Picture News agreed that the sound was well done, but suggested that sound engineers “test the pulse of the public” before using “foreign” sound effects – such as an Irish locomotive horn – which were not recognizable to American audiences.
Record promotions, Exhibitors Herald World (Jan 11, 1930)
While the sound effects and “Irish lingo” were unfamiliar and therefore deemed “too foreign,” audiences were certainly intimate with the theme song, “Love is a Dreamer.” The song was used heavily to promote the film, and was repeated at least four or five times throughout the film itself. Motion Picture News (Sept 14, 1929) reported that the audience applauded “heartily” after the first rendition, but had grown bored of it by the fifth.
The music was composed by the prolific duo Sammy Stept and Bud Green, who had also worked on Syncopation and Mother’s Boy. In addition to the oft-repeated theme song, the film included "For the Likes o' You and Me" and "When They Sing the 'Wearing of the Green' in Syncopated Time.”
Russian born Sammy Stept, also known as Sam Stept, was a highly prolific composer and jazz pianist. He wrote hundreds of songs, including “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me),” “Johnny Get Your Gun,” and “I’ll Always Be in Love With You”. His songs appeared on stage and in film, and have been covered by artists from a wide range of genres including The Andrews Sisters, the Beatles, Eartha Kitt, Frank Sinatra, and many more.
Austrian born Bud Green was also an immensely successful writer who started out in vaudeville, and made his way west in the 1920s to become a staff writer in Hollywood. He wrote hundreds of songs, including “Sentimental Journey,” Oh, Boy, What a Girl,” and “Alabamy Bound.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975.
Overall, the critics either loved or hated Lucky in Love. Even those that enjoyed it were divided as to whether it would play well to a wide audience, and several reviewers condescendingly suggested the film would only play well in smaller towns. Despite the mixed reviews, it proved to be a solid earner for Pathe and continued to be screened until February 1930.
The New York Times reviewer wrote that “Lucky in Love promises to take a prime position in any list of vapid films.” Be that as it may, it has now joined the long list of vanished films. It is considered lost, though according to the Vitaphone Project two of eight reels have been located.
The music was composed by the prolific duo Sammy Stept and Bud Green, who had also worked on Syncopation and Mother’s Boy. In addition to the oft-repeated theme song, the film included "For the Likes o' You and Me" and "When They Sing the 'Wearing of the Green' in Syncopated Time.”
Russian born Sammy Stept, also known as Sam Stept, was a highly prolific composer and jazz pianist. He wrote hundreds of songs, including “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me),” “Johnny Get Your Gun,” and “I’ll Always Be in Love With You”. His songs appeared on stage and in film, and have been covered by artists from a wide range of genres including The Andrews Sisters, the Beatles, Eartha Kitt, Frank Sinatra, and many more.
Austrian born Bud Green was also an immensely successful writer who started out in vaudeville, and made his way west in the 1920s to become a staff writer in Hollywood. He wrote hundreds of songs, including “Sentimental Journey,” Oh, Boy, What a Girl,” and “Alabamy Bound.” He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975.
Overall, the critics either loved or hated Lucky in Love. Even those that enjoyed it were divided as to whether it would play well to a wide audience, and several reviewers condescendingly suggested the film would only play well in smaller towns. Despite the mixed reviews, it proved to be a solid earner for Pathe and continued to be screened until February 1930.
The New York Times reviewer wrote that “Lucky in Love promises to take a prime position in any list of vapid films.” Be that as it may, it has now joined the long list of vanished films. It is considered lost, though according to the Vitaphone Project two of eight reels have been located.
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