You Can't Buy Luck (1937) User Reviews

An unusual and meandering film....but I liked it.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 3 April 2020]

The plot to "You Can't Buy Luck" is very unusual and seems to sort of meander towards the film's exciting finale. But, despite this strange style plot, it's well worth seeing because the acting of Onslow Stevens as Joe Baldwin is excellent.

Joe Baldwin is a professional gambler who is also mighty superstitious. During the course of the story, he falls in lover with a woman and decides to finally settle down to a domestic life. However, rather out of the blue, the film becomes a murder mystery...and Joe is on the lam trying to clear himself.

During the first half of the movie, there is no indication that it would turn into a crime film...let alone a murder mystery! It's a strange twist...but the acting and characters are very likable...making this B-movie worth seeing.

first half good second half no so good

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 11 June 2022]

New York gambler Joe Baldwin (Onslow Stevens) likes to get all the luck he can get. He owns the thoroughbred Sarcasm. Before the Kentucky Derby, he is trying to do good deeds to buy luck insurance. He lends an old acquaintance money to save his cab company. He buys an expensive trip for gold-digger Jean Jason. He visits an orphanage where Betty McKay (Helen Mack) teaches. Despite all the payouts, Sarcasm still loses. He believes that the orphans jinxed him when he wished for rain for the race. He intends to reverse the luck.

It's an interesting idea for a story. I like the first half a lot. It's set up for a light rom-com with a bunch of kids. It takes a dark turn. It's too dark. It needs to stay light and stay within the rom-com premise. I don't like a lot of the second half including its conclusion. I want to review the movie that it should have been. It would have been interesting to Santa Claus the orphanage and discover that all they want is a family. OMG I'm writing my version.

And you can't always be lucky in choosing good movies.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 14 June 2020]

This film seems to be going in so many directions that if it indeed was the track for a horse race, the horses would be going everywhere but back into the home stretch. Onslow Stevens is a superstitious Gambler, constantly involved in racing and with the wrong women, and when he is accused of murdering the jealous Maxine Jennings, it appears his luck has run out. But the face of the pretty Helen Mack sustains him even after he breaks out of prison to find the real killer even though he did confess. This film also is strange for starting several stories and really never going anywhere such as when Steven's sister, played by gossip columnist Hedda Hopper and her wealthy husband George Irving, visit the orphanage where Mac works, they want to adopt a child, but obviously that is only a setup for Stevens and Mack to interact. After a while, you just realized that B movies, like some racehorses, are never meant to be winners, and you just patiently wait for the film or the race to end. The issue here is a weak script, uncharismatic leads and a story that never really strikes a spark.

Another programmer with an unbelievable storyline and a predictable ending

[Sean_M_ · 12 August 2012]

Onslow Stevens and Helen Mack never achieved true greatness in movies, but they had some success in TV and Broadway, perhaps because of the many films they made for the studio system (like this one) that were of unexceptional quality. The plot summary listed above could be the storyboard for the movie, so I won't waste your time; however, a quick scan above should give you an idea of how odd the story is. Summing up the first half, Onslow Stevens is an extremely superstitious gambler, down on his luck. By way of an orphanage that has brought him his bad luck he finds instant love with an all too nice girl played by Helen Mack. The second half is best stated as an "innocent man framed for murder gets nice girl to find proof he's not guilty while on the lam then convinces cops to set up real killer in the nick of time--the end" type of story. Heard that one before? If you need background noise while working on a really late night then this is your movie.

If breaking jail were that easy

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 2 April 2020]

Gambler Onslow Stevens is a suspicious guy like Dave the Dude in Lady For A Day. Do a good deed and your luck will redound in your favor. So chariable gifts accompany some big bets.

He's also caught between nice girl Helen Mack and bad party girl Maxine Jennings. When Jennings is murdered Stevene needs good luck and good friends to pull him out of a jackpot.

This is an average programmer from RKO. The playere do their best with warmed over material.

This film also has the distinction of having one of the worst jailbreaks ever captured on film. If breaking out were only that easy.

moidah in the big city.... can they prove who dunnit ?

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 3 October 2016]

Hedda Hopper is the only big name name I recognize in this short version film from RKO. Joe Baldwin (Onslow Stevens) races horses, and is rather superstitious. His girl is Jean Jason (Maxine Jennings), and she wants to secretly toot off to europe with her "friend" Paul (Vinton Hayworth). Lots of intrigue, murder, mayhem. some story elements in here, about adopting, and helping out an orphanage home. Baldwin gets blamed for a killing, but did he really do it? We watch the courtroom drama, while his new girl runs around and tries to find the truth. Hedda Hopper has only a small role in this one. Too bad. Not a very exciting tale, but its not bad. Helen Mack is in here as "Betty". She worked with some of the greats of Hollywood. Check out her story on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Mack . Directed by Lew Landers, who had popped onto the scene in the early 1930s. Shown on TCM now & then, this one kind of has a murder noir feeling.

10/10

[stuckoutofthplumber · 10/10 · 15 June 2022]

Yep! It Does Exist! That Movie Was Exist! Hooray! 10/10 Stars! Amazing! My Young Brother Walter Will Watch The Show When He Was A Baby. At Least, Review Is Amazing!