A Lady Takes a Chance (1943)

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

Director:

William A. Seiter

Writers:

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

Stars:

Jean Arthur, John Wayne, Charles Winninger

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Arthur	...	Molly J. Truesdale
John Wayne	...	Duke Hudkins
Charles Winninger	...	Waco
Phil Silvers	...	Smiley Lambert
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
Joan Blair	...	Lilly
Tom Fadden	...	Mullen

Storyline

A New York bank clerk,Mollie Truesdale (Jean Arthur), in the late 1930s, finds that her cherished dream of making a 17-day all-expenses-paid bus trip to the Pacific Coast and back, isn't all she thought it would be...until she reaches Oregon and a bucking broncho tosses a rodeo performer on top of her and knocks her flat. Duke Hudkins (John Wayne), by way of apology, shows her the sights of Fairfield, Oregon, and she misses her bus, quarrels with the bewildered Duke, hitchhikes across a lot of desert...and a romance is born.

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Plot Keywords:

rodeo | oregon | 1930s | apology | rodeo cowboy | 

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Taglines:

JOHN WAYNE Rides Hell-For-Leather (1954 reissue poster)

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 August 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cheyenne

Company Credits

Production Co:

Frank Ross Productions, RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Waco: Love is the best thing there is, I guess, but you're barking up the wrong cowboy.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: John Wayne (1961)

User Reviews

East meets west. AKA The Cowboy and the Girl.

This is a funny and enjoyable movie. Jean Arthur plays Molly Truesdale, a young woman that needs a break from her job and the pursuit of three fellows wanting her companionship. She signs up for a fourteen day bus trip west. The vacation gets interesting when she meets a cowboy at a rodeo. That cowboy is Duke Hudkins (John Wayne), who is smitten with her coy flirtations. There is a magical interaction between Arthur and Wayne that seems to make the black and white film glow.

Phil Silvers plays the tour bus guide. The cowboy's side kick, Waco, is played by Charles Winninger. Also in the cast is Mary Field and Jean Stevens.