This week’s mystery movie was the 1933 RKO picture Lucky Devils, with Bill (William) Boyd, Dorothy Wilson, William Gargan, Robert Rose, Rosco Ates, William Bakewell, Julie Haydon, Bruce Cabot, Rochelle Hudson, Creighton (Lon Jr.) Chaney, Phyllis Fraser and Betty Furness.
Screenplay by Agnes Christine Johnston and Ben Markson.
Original story by Casey Robinson and Bob Rose.
Photographed by J. Roy Hunt.
Recorded by Earl A. Wolcott.
Edited by Fred Knudtson.
Special Effects by Vernon Walker.
Associate producer Merian C. Cooper.
Directed by Ralph Ince.
Further information about Lucky Devils is available from the AFI Catalog.
Lucky Devils is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Videos.
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I picked Lucky Devils by going through the trades, but instead of using Harrison’s Reports, as usual, I opted for The Film Daily. (Harrison’s Reports called it “good entertainment for the masses.”) I’m always surprised to see William Boyd in anything but a Hopalong Cassidy movie, so this was a treat for me.
I’m guessing that we are in Mordaunt Hall territory and that he mildly approved of such goings-on.
Not exactly. It was reviewed by one of the alphabet critics, A.D.S., probably Andre Sennwald (The New York Times, Feb.20, 1933):
Lucky Devils, which came to the Palace on Saturday, deals with the picturesque young men of Hollywood who replace the gilded stars when the scenario calls for a dangerous bit of action. It shows the reckless fellows at work in outdoor thrillers and in gangster pictures, standing atop of burning buildings, crashing automobiles into shop windows, hurtling down staircases and through skylights, leaping off prison walls and otherwise risking their necks for $50 a day and up. At night they get together and share cocktails and conversation in a little restaurant off the beaten Hollywood track. They have their pet superstitions, too, and grow pale when a careless drinker lets a bottle crash — that presaging a fatality on the morrow.Here is the stuff of hearty, pungent entertainment, and the fact is that Lucky Devils, for the first half hour, describes the humors and excitements of the stuntmen with considerable success. After that the script lets the boys down. Once the Skipper, hardboiled leader of the group, succumbs to the wide-eyed ingenue, the picture slips hastily into a formula, and in almost no time is repeating the old commonplaces of love, motherhood and sacrifice.
For Monday, we have a couple of mystery persons.
Update: This is Rochelle Hudson and Robert Rose.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious woman. Her companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear later in the week.
Update: This is Marion Byron as Peanuts and William Gargan.
Brain Trust roll call: Harried Costumer (you are correct!)
For “Aha Thursday,” adding mysterious gent who was previously cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious fellow. He (and I know this will come as a great surprise) does not approve of such goings-on.
Note to Mary Mallory: No, but your hunch about Monday’s mystery guest is correct.
Update: This is Creighton (Lon Jr. ) Chaney and Sylvia Picker as Midge in the background.
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mysterious couple.
Update: This is William Bakewell and Julie Haydon.
Brain Trust roll call: Blackwing Jenny (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman, Wednesday’s mystery man), Greg (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mysterious man), Incredible Inman (Wednesday’s mystery man), Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery man), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sheila (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery man) and Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery man).
Note: Many people had people who are in our mystery movie, but in other roles. Additionally, the credits in the AFI Catalog are lacking some of the actors on IMDB. This is presenting a challenge.
For Friday, we have our mysterious leading lady.
Update: This is Dorothy Wilson.
And our mysterious leading man in a newsboy cap! (See, he didn’t always wear a cowboy hat).
Update: This is Bill (William) Boyd.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Monday’s mystery fellow, Tuesday’s mystery fellow and Thursday’s mystery guests), Greg (mysterious leading man arriving Friday), Incredible Inman (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery fellow No. 1), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests) and Sylvia E. (Monday’s mystery guests, Tuesday’s added mystery guest and Thursday’s mystery guests, predicting Friday’s mysterious leads).
ladailymirror.com 
I can’t not say Stewart Granger.
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I call Fancy Lad, a ref to Chris Elliot in CABIN BOY
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I’ll be quite interested to see the answer to this one, as the person on the right, whom I can’t recognize, looks to be a man dressed as a woman. I’m guessing 1930’s.
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Could the lady on Monday be Norma Shearer?
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SMART WOMAN. Noel Francis and Lillian Harmer (though it looks like a guy) on Monday and Ruth Weston and Edward Everett Horton out of frame today.
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The profile and nose of Monday’s gent is that of Leslie Nielsen but I think this movie is way too early for him.
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Lon Chaney Jr.-though in what I have no clue!
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Lon Chaney Jr. in “Lucky Devils.”
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Rochelle Hudson on Monday.
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LUCKY DEVILS. Julie Haydon and Roscoe Ates as our operator, Dorothy Wilson and William Boyd out of frame, and Phyllis Fraser and Lon Chaney Jr. today. You forgot to add the +.
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Rochelle Hudson instead of Julie Haydon Monday.
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Tuesday’s mystery woman is Dorothy Wilson. Hm Wednesday’s man is Lon Chaney, Jr. with Julie Wilson standing in back of him in the speckled dress. The movie is “Lucky Devils”.
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Today’s mystery man is Lon Chaney Jr., leading to the guess that is “Girl o’My Dreams”?
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Today’s movie is Lucky Devils with Lon Chaney Jr..
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And Sylvia Picker from yesterday.
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Rochelle Hudson, Bob Rose, Sylvia Picker and Lon Chaney, jr. in LUCKY DEVILS.
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Sylvia Picker for Tuesday, Lon Chaney Jr. for Wednesday, ‘Lucky Devils’?
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Lucky Devils 1933
Monday – Dorothy Wilson and William Boyd (stunting for a woman in the movie within a movie)
Tuesday – Sylvia Picker (maybe William Gargan next to her). Found a photo from a different angle where William Boyd joins the group.
Wednesday – Lon Chaney Jr+my way into the picture)
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Helen Broderick on Tuesday?
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Ha! See I’ve got the movie but really off on who’s playing which parts. Back to the drawing board on that.
Love that opening sequence of the movie within the movie.
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Bob Rose on Monday, Sylvia Picker and William Gargan on Tuesday, Dorothy wilson with Chaney, and William Bakewell and Julie Haydon today.
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William Boyd should be hoppin’ along soon.
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The addition of William Gargan makes this “Lucky Devils.”
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William Gargan, William Bakewell and Julie Haydon.
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Lucky Devils 1933
Monday – Rochelle Hudson is our lady screen left. I think our pseudo lady might be Bob Rose, the stuntman who co-wrote the screenplay. He did a lot of stunts for women. I could only find photos of the older Bob, so not sure.
Tuesday – I’m sticking with Sylvia Picker and William Gargan, but not sure
Wednesday – Lon Chaney Jr. I think the woman in the polkadot dress standing behind him might be Phyllis Fraser (later Mrs Bennett Cerf) there’s another angle where she’s seated on Roscoe Ates lap.
Thursday – William Bakewell and Julie Haydon
William Boyd and Dorothy Wilson tomorrow.
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Do’h missed Marion Byron for Tuesday. Dorothy Wilson and William Boyd today. director Ralph Ince was thomas Ince’s older brother and he was also an actor. Mary McLaren as script girl? So good in SHOES.
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William Boyd today?
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Dorothy Wilson and William Boyd.
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