Directed by William A. Seiter and written by Robert Ardrey, based on a story by Jo Swerling, A Lady Takes a Chance concerns a New York working girl who travels to the American West on a bus tour and meets and falls in love with a handsome rodeo cowboy.
Grade: B
John Wayne is cast as Duke Hudkins (Duke was Wayne’s nickname), a simple, easy-going rodeo rider who treasures his independence.
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Theatrical release poster
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The supporting cast includes Phil Silvers, Hans Conried, Charles Winninger and Mary Field.
Three of her suitors protest when Molly J. Truesdale, on a whim, boards a bus from New York City to discover the American West. Molly attends a rodeo, where a bucking bronco tosses rider Duke Hudkins right into her lap. Duke buys her a beer and Molly brings
Nonetheless, he finds himself getting involved with Molly Truesdale (Jean Arthur), a bank teller from New York.
At first, he makes sure to tell Mollie that he does not believe in marriage; he is, in fact, contemptuous of his married friends. “They pretend they like it,” says Duke, “because they’re ashamed to admit they made a mistake.”
Refusing to settle down, Duke appears to care more about horses than women. When his sneezing horse is rushed off to a veterinarian, Mollie observes: “Any fellow who can love a horse can love a girl.” That’s how sophisticated the script is! The horse survives, but the Duke does not see Molly at the bus station off to New York. She recoils when seeing one of her old admirers (Grady Sutton) at the station
But at the end, Wayne shows up and claims Arthur for himself–though not before defeating three suitors. He tells Molly that h has divorced his sidekick Waco (Charles Winninger) and takes her off to a new life out West.
To describe “Lady Takes a Chance” as a naive movie is an understatement; its scenario is replete with awkward scenes. In one, Molly asks to touch Duke’s muscles to feel his strength. And in another, when he tries to kiss her, she summarily orders him out.
The publicity campaign for the movie is revealing concerning the kinds of audiences it was targeted at. One ad stated: “When a starry-eyed maid from Manhattan tames the wildest ‘wolf’ of the West–that’s Fun!” It described the movie as “a cross-country comedy of a girl with a two weeks’ vacation and a lifetime yen for the kind of kisses you dream of. She gets ’em–but plentry!…in a picture made for the big money!”
The movie was produced by Jean Arthur’s then husband, Frank Ross, for RKO release, and as such was conceived as a star vehicle for her. Arthur was then one of Hollywood’s most popular actress, having made in the same year “The More the Merrier,” not to mention “The Devil and Miss Jones” and “Talk of the Town,” opposite Cary Grant.
The New York Times critic Theodore Strauss wrote: Mr. Wayne, with his muscles and slow drawl, makes a sturdy partner in this romantic duet. Put down ‘A Lady Takes a Chance’ as a plain, ordinary good time—which is what it sets out to be. What more can you ask?”
With the critics’ blessings, the movie was popular at the box-office, even if it did not do much for Wayne’s career as a major player.
More significantly, few biographers have noted that, for a whole decade, John Wayne served leading female stars such as Stanwyck, Claire Trevor, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Jean Arthur, Claudette Colbert and other, usually getting second or third billing to them.
Cast
Jean Arthur as Molly J. Truesdale
John Wayne as Duke Hudkins
Charles Winninger as Waco
Phil Silvers as Smiley Lambert, bus tour director
Mary Field as Florrie Bendix
Don Costello as Drunk
John Philliber as Storekeeper
Grady Sutton as Malcolm Scott, suitor
Grant Withers as Bob Hastings, suitor
Hans Conried as Gregg Stone, suitor
Jean Stevens as “Jitterbug”
Ariel Heath as Flossie
Sugar Geise as Linda Belle
Joan Blair as Lilly
Tom Fadden as Mullen
Cy Kendall as Gambling Boss
Credits:
Directed by William A. Seiter
Screenplay by Robert Ardrey, story by Jo Swerling
Produced by Frank Ross
Cinematography Frank Redman
Edited by Theron Warth
Music by Roy Webb
Production company: Frank Ross Productions
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date: Sep. 15, 1943
Running time: 86 minutes
Box office $2.5 million (U.S. rentals)
