Just My Luck (1957)

Norman works in a jewellers workshop and fantasises (in the nicest way) about meeting the window dresser across the road from his workshop. He wants to buy her a diamond pendant but ... See full summary »

Director:

John Paddy Carstairs

Writers:

Peter Cusick (anecdote), Alfred Shaughnessy (screenplay),

Stars:

Norman Wisdom, Margaret Rutherford, Jill Dixon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Norman Wisdom	...	Norman Hackett
Margaret Rutherford	...	Mrs. Dooley
Jill Dixon	...	Anne
Leslie Phillips	...	Hon. Richard Lumb
Delphi Lawrence	...	Miss Daviot
Joan Sims	...	Phoebe
Edward Chapman	...	Mr. Stoneway
Peter Copley	...	Gilbert Weaver
Vic Wise	...	Eddie Diamond
Marjorie Rhodes	...	Mrs. Hackett
Michael Ward	...	Cranley
Marianne Stone	...	Tea Bar Attendant
Felix Felton	...	Man in Cinema
Michael Brennan	...	Masseur
Cyril Chamberlain	...	Goodwood Official

Storyline

Norman works in a jewellers workshop and fantasises (in the nicest way) about meeting the window dresser across the road from his workshop. He wants to buy her a diamond pendant but calculates it will take him over 100 years to save up for it. He is talked into betting a pound on a six horse accumulator at the Goodwood races with a slightly shady bookmaker. When he has won on the first five races, the bookie owes him over 16,000 pounds and everyone begins to worry. Everyone's future depends on a single race ... what can be done ?

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Plot Keywords:

betting on horse | three word title | based on novel | actor shares first name with character

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 January 1958 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Kvit eller dobbelt, Norman

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rank Organisation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Norman goes to the coffee shop, the bun and tea cup disappears and reappears in between shots and they switch places in between every shot before Miss Daviot arrives.

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Quotes

Norman Hackett: Well, shall I go and get the tea now then?
Powell: Tea? We don't have tea till half three. Half an hour to go yet.
Norman Hackett: I thought, you know, perhaps you might like it early today, cos it being so hot and all that, and on account of the heat making us all so parched and everything. Nothing like a nice hot cup of tea to unparch it is there? You imagine it: all running round your mouth inside and then it goes down to your throat and then it gives you all that lovely feeling inside your stomach. You imagine it ...
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User Reviews

JUST MY LUCK (John Paddy Carstairs, 1957) *1/2

The poorest Wisdom vehicle I've seen so far, despite being the only one with no pauses for song and even features the star in a dual role: Norman is a jeweller's assistant who, in order to buy a gift for his sweetheart, tries his hand at gambling on horse-races; his winnings keep piling up and the book-makers decide to outwit him and run off with the money themselves!

While the plot had possibilities, there is very little going on here and none of it is terribly funny - despite the support of Edward Chapman (the first of 5 collaborations with Wisdom) and cameos by Margaret Rutherford (playing a dotty millionairess with a passion for animals) and Jerry Desmonde (his unbilled split-second appearance, though, is more of an in-joke than anything else)!