This short is in the "Crime Does Not Pay" series. Charlie Vurn is always looking for the 'big score.' He bets on the horses and owes his bookie. At work, he 'borrows' from his accounts. ...
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Title: The Luckiest Guy in the World (1947)
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Nominated for
1
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Barry Nelson | ... |
Charles Verne
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Eloise Hardt | ... |
Martha Verne
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George Travell | ... |
John, the hired driver
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Milton Kibbee | ... |
Mr. Ashland, Charles' Boss
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| Harry Cheshire | ... |
Mr. Mossley, Charles' Landlord
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
This short is in the "Crime Does Not Pay" series. Charlie Vurn is always looking for the 'big score.' He bets on the horses and owes his bookie. At work, he 'borrows' from his accounts. After a terrible accident, he comes into a large sum of money and thinks he has it made...or does he? Written by David Glagovsky <[email protected]>
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
25 January 1947 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Crime Does Not Pay #48: The Luckiest Guy in the World See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Luckiest Guy in the World, The (1947)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
The final entry in MGM's "Crime Does Not Pay" series seems more like a film noir than an actual film in the series but there's nothing wrong with that. Barry Nelson plays a compulsive gambler who has blown his rent money, stolen money from work and now needs money from his wife. She refuses and he accidentally kills her but this here sets off a string of good luck but of course his crime is eventually going to catch up with him. The "Crime Does Not Pay" series is one of my favorites and while this one here doesn't really feel like any of their previous films I'm okay with that because this is a very well made film that manages to have the look and feel of some of the best noirs of this period. Nelson does a very good job in the role of a loser who eventually catches a few breaks. He's totally believable as the man and really brings a lot to the character making him someone we can care about even though we don't like what he's doing. It's also worth noting that there's a comedian on the radio during one scene and this is none other than Red Skelton. This short received an Oscar-nomination, which it certainly deserved as this is one of the better examples of a noir in the shorts department.