This week’s mystery movie has been the 1946 Twentieth Century-Fox film “If I’m Lucky,” with Vivian Blaine, Perry Como, Harry James, Carmen Miranda, Phil Silvers, Edgar Buchanan, Reed Hadley and Harry James’ Music Makers. The screenplay was by Snag Werris, Robert Ellis, Helen Logan and George Bricker, music and lyrics by Josef Myrow and Edgar De Lange, choreography by Kenny Williams, photography by Glen MacWilliams, art direction by James Basevi and Leland Fuller, set decorations by Thomas Little and Frank E. Hughes, costumes by Eleanor Behm and Carmen Miranda’s costumes by Sascha Brastoff. The movie was produced by Bryan Foy and directed by Lewis Seiler.
In selecting a mystery movie, I thought a musical was overdue. The political theme during the Republican National Convention was a bonus.
“If I’m Lucky” opened Sept. 20, 1946, at Loew’s State, Grauman’s Chinese and the Fox Uptown in a double feature with “Strange Triangle,” with Signe Hasso and Preston Foster. It played against “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, “Notorious,” “The Big Sleep” and “Henry V.”
Los Angeles Times film critic Edwin Schallert said (Sept. 21, 1946): “Notwithstanding the length to which it goes to present a plausible story, ‘If I’m Lucky’ is not much above the wholly nonsensical.”
New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther said (Sept. 20, 1946): “All sorts of half-witted fancies are regularly popping up in the plots of musical pictures, but one of the silliest we’ve ever struck is in the story of Twentieth Century-Fox’s ‘If I’m Lucky,’ at the Victoria!”
Several members of the Brain Trust suggested our mystery film was “Doll Face,” which opened in Los Angeles and New York in March 1946, also directed by Lewis Seiler, with Perry Como in his film debut, Vivian Blaine, Reed Hadley and Carmen Miranda.
The movie is available on DVD from Amazon.
For Monday, we have a mystery gent with a dazzling tie and very wide lapels.
Update: This is Harry Hayden.
For Tuesday, truly amazing lapels. And a mystery gent.
Update: This is Reed Hadley.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery gent), Jim Brooks (Monday’s mystery gent), Mark A. Vieira (Monday’s mystery gent), Stanhope (Monday’s mystery gent) and Floyd Thursby (Monday’s mystery gent).
For Wednesday, we have a mystery gent with a bow tie.
Update: This is Perry Como.
Brain Trust roll cal: Ed (Tuesday’s mystery gent), Jenny M. (Tuesday’s mystery gent), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery gent), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and mystery guests), William (Tuesday’s mystery guest, wrong movie), Sheila (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Lee Ann, Megan and Thom (mystery movie and mystery guests) and Mary Mallory (mystery movie and mystery guests).
And for Thursday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Vivian Blaine.
Brain Trust roll call – Wow!
Stanhope (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Rick Scott (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Beachgal (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests, wrong movie), Sheila (Wednesday’s mystery guest, wrong movie), Benito (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery guest), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mystery guest, wrong movie), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Candy Cassell (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Gary Martin (Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Jenny M. (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery guest), Dan Nather (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Charles Kjelland (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests, wrong movie), William (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery guest), Sarah (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery guest), Patrick (mystery movie and mystery guests), Floyd Thursby (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Patricia van Hartesveldt (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Diane Ely (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Rick (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Michael Ryerson (mystery movie and Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Lee Ann (Wednesday’s mystery guest), LC (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests, wrong movie) and Bob Hansen (Wednesday’s mystery guest).
Bonus points to Michael Ryerson for a long quote of a scene featuring Monday’s mystery guest in another film that is too well known to ever turn up as a mystery movie.
And for Friday…..
Update: This is Harry James and Carmen Miranda.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guest), Beachgal (mystery movie, Monday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Michael Ryerson (Thursday’s mystery guest) and Candy Cassell (Thursday’s mystery guest).
ladailymirror.com 
Harry Hayden.
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Frank Orth?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Had the same wrong guess.
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HARRY HAYDEN
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Harry Hayden.
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Harry Hayden?
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This is Harry Hayden.
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Tuesday is Reed Hadley
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George Nader for Tuesday?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Reed Hadley
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You chose a political satire, IF I’M LUCKY. Today we greet Reed Hadley.
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How could I miss Harry Hayden. With Reed Hadley thrown in this should be IF I’M LUCKY. 1946.
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Tuesday:….Reed Hadley in “Shock”, 1946
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Tuesday is Reed Hadley.
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Is Monday’s gent Donald Houston, of Mosquito Squadron 633 fame?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Reed Hadley & Harry Hayden are the guests for Tuesday and Monday, respectively, in “If I’m Lucky”.
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Sneaky one! Tying in with the Convention this week. IF I’M LUCKY is the film. Harry Hayden Monday and Reed Hadley today. Nice clew with the button.
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Is Wednesday’s Gent Perry Como?
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Tuesday was Reed Hadley. Wednesday is Perry Como.
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Perry Como crooning to the mike.
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Wen is Perry Como
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Is the movie this week Doll Face?
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Perry Como in ‘Dollface’.
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Hey, that looks like Perry Como. Guessing the movie is IF I’M LUCKY (1946).
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Perry Como in Doll Face.
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Perry Como.
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Wednesday’s gent looks like a very young Perry Como.
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In observation of this political week I can Identify Harry Hayden and Perry Como in if I’m Lucky.
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Perry Como in If I’m Lucky.
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Could that be Perry Como today?
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Perry Como sings again.
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Perry Como today, Doll Face with Vivian Blaine, Reed Hadley?
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Perry Como in “If I’m Lucky”
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It’s Perry Como today, and the movie is “If I’m Lucky” (1946).
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Harry Hayden, Reed Hadley and Perry Como in If I’m Lucky from 1946.
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Tuesday was Reed Hadley, Wednesday is Perry Como, the movie is “If I’m Lucky,” and the year of wide lapels is 1946.
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Tues gent looks like Reed Hadley
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Wednesday … maybe Perry Como?
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Monday: Ben Alexander?
Wednesday: Perry Como
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Perry Como on Wednesday?.
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Perry Como today, Reed Hadley Tuesday – If I’m Lucky
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Reed Hadley on Tuesday and Perry Como today. Doll Face (1945)?
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Hey! It’s Perry Como! His mother and brother lived in the house behind ours when I was a child. Nice folks!
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This is Doll Face (1945) w/Frank Orth, Reed Hadley, Perry Como, Vivian Blaine, Dennis O’Keefe & Carmen Miranda. Play written by Gypsy Rose Lee.
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That’s Perry Como on Wednesday, but I don’t know the movie.
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George: That’s not ready yet.
Max: Then what’s it on the card for?
George: Well, that’s on the dinner. You can have that at six o’clock. That clock is ten minutes fast. The dinner isn’t ready yet.
Harry Hayden, Monday’s guest, in The Killers (1946)
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Which I guess makes this If I’m Lucky (1946), which I mistakenly thought might be Doll Face (1945). So wrong, but with an explanation.
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Vivian Blaine.
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Vivian Blaine says “does anyone remember me”
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A blonder Vivian Blaine.
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Thus guest is Vivian Blaine — the movie this week is If I’m Lucky
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I bet Friday’s guest is going to be Carmen Miranda!
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Vivian Blaine. Quite lovely.
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Today’s lady is “Miss Adelaide” Vivian Blaine.
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Monday’s gent must be Harry Haden
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Friday is Harry James and Carmen Miranda
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Mr. Betty Grable, Harry James today, with the lady in the tutti fruiti hat, Carmen Miranda.
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Fri is Harry James with Carmen Miranda.
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Harry James and Carmen Miranda.
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Wednesday’s mystery gent with a bow tie is Perry Como. Thursday’s mystery woman is Vivian Blaine. Friday’s mystery guests are Harry James and Carmen Miranda. Could the mystery movie be If I’m Lucky (1946)?
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Friday: Harry James and Carmen Miranda.
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Okay, just to get this in before all is revealed . . . Thursday’s gal is Vivian Blaine, Harry James and Carmen Miranda today, which means the film is IF I’M LUCKY. Which also means that Tuesday’s guy is Reed Hadley, and I still can’t place Monday’s mystery gent.
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Harry James and Carmen Miranda.
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