You Can't Buy Luck 1937 Story by Martin Mooney, screenplay by Arthur T Horman and Martin Mooney, directed by Lew Landers. Arthur wrote a lot of films, many mysteries, many comedies including a couple for Abbot and Costello. Martin wrote quite a number of pictures, some stories, some screenplays, some uncredited. I know I've seen The Monster Maker, In Fast Company and Crime Inc. Lew directed nearly 150 movies and over 200 TV episodes. I've certainly seen much of his work.
You Can't Buy Luck starts as a silly comedy then turns into a murder story. Onslow Stevens plays a gambler who owns a race horse called Sarcasm. Onslow is a firm believer in luck and thinks he can generate good luck by being charitable. He sends his cheating girlfriend good luck charm on a trip to Europe too keep her happy. He doesn't know she's got her lover in another cabin. He did meet the guy, played by Vinton Hayworth, when he got a light for a cigarette from him.
Things go sour in the race game and Onslow tries to change his luck. It doesn't work and soon enough he's charged with the murder of his good luck charm. We know that Vinton did it but the police have no clues. Onslow is convicted but escapes jail to prove himself innocent. With the help of Paul Guilfoyle and Helen Mack he finds out who the real killer.
It delivers a decent story with some likeable characters. It's only a hour so there's a certain urgency in getting from one place to another. Enjoyable enough to get to the end, no rush to see it again.
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