A Lady Takes a Chance

Molly Trousdale (Jean Arthur) is a big city girl with an awful lot going for her. She evidently had a pretty good job and three guys (Malcom, Greg and Bob) vying for her affections. But for Molly something is definitely missing. Maybe that is why she has decided to embark on a two week vacation out West. The poster at the bus station in her hometown of New York City promises "Romance and Adventure: 14 Breathless Days In the West". And all for only $137.50. Perhaps Molly thought that a change of scenery would do her some good. But Molly Trousdale would get a whole lot more than she ever bargained for on this trip. "A Lady Takes A Chance" is producer Frank Ross' (Jean Arthur's husband at the time) relatively obscure 1943 film that also stars John Wayne in a most unusual role as cowboy bachelor Duke Hutkins. This is a flick I had never even heard of until i came across it online just a few weeks ago.One of the stops on Molly's itinerary is a Championship rodeo. She is quite taken by the sights and sounds of this event and is determined to get some great photos of her experience to share with the folks back home. As she prepares to snap her next photo her subject is abruptly thrown from his animal and lands in the stands right on top of Molly! A more unusual introduction you will never see and hilarious to boot! Duke asks if the young lady is OK then tips his hat and jumps back into the ring. But when the competition is over Molly goes out of her way to find Duke and asks him for his autograph as another momento of her trip. He is more than happy to oblige and it quickly becomes apparent that Duke is quite smitten by the charming young lady from back East. He had never met anyone quite like her. Furthermore, it also becomes clear that the feeling is mutual when Duke asks Molly out for a drink and she confides "nothing like this was included in my all expenses paid package." But Molly will quickly learn that Duke could be a handful. He is a confirmed bachelor and a man used to having his own way with the ladies. Molly was having none of it. Furthermore, Duke lies about the time and causes Molly to miss her tour bus. It would appear that the two of them would have nothing more to discuss.But the simple fact of the matter was that Molly was a single girl in a strange town. She had very few options open to her. If she was lucky she could catch up with her bus for the return trip to New York in about a week. Molly does her best to avoid Duke but it seems that destiny has other ideas. She winds up hitching a ride with Duke and his trusty old sidekick Waco (Charles Winninger). They are headed for a town called Gold City when they are forced to bed down for the night in the middle of the desert. This would be an entirely new experience for the clueless city girl and when she got cold Molly steals the blanket off the back of Duke's beloved horse Sammy. When the sun rose the next morning it was clear that Sammy was very sick and if pneumonia had set in he would have to be put down. It would be touch and go all day long at the vets but the incident had a profound effect on Molly. She tells Waco "He is the most unusual fella I have ever met. He certainly is the right fella for the right girl. Any fella who can love a horse can love a girl." Now Molly puts on a full court press to win her man. She invites him to her cabin and cooks him a great dinner. Everything is perfect and I was certain she was going to seal the deal. But unfortunately this evening will not end the way Molly had hoped. Still one gets the feeling that it is only a matter of time..........So there you have it. "A Lady Takes A Chance" is a romantic comedy with a definite western flair. There is magnificent chemistry between John Wayne and Jean Arthur that I simply never would have expected. I am a huge Jean Arthur fan and she was great but John Wayne reveals a side of him in this film that I have never seen before. I purchased this film a couple of weeks ago and have already watched it three times. It is an unexpected treat. Highly recommended!

Jean Arthur sparkles in this wartime comedy, as Molly Truesdale, a sweet, pretty salesgirl overwhelmed by 3 overzealous suitors! To get some peace and quiet, she takes a bus tour out west, a trip that sounded romantic in the travel brochures, but grows tedious, after monotonous days pass, and she has to fend off passes by the tour guide (Phil Silvers, in one of his many terrific comic relief roles of the '40s)!Truesdale finally decides to combat her 'cabin fever' on the bus by attending a rodeo. She has a wonderful time, until one of the contestants literally falls into her lap! As the two disentangle themselves, she gets a good look at Duke Hudkins (John Wayne), and it's love at first sight!Duke is the suitor she'd always dreamed of; handsome, virile, and 'all-man', and she begins a pursuit of the cowboy that is both uncharacteristic for her, and confusing for him! Despite warnings from his best friend, Waco (Charles Winninger) that this girl was after more than just a night of partying and passion, Duke invites Molly out, and the innocent city girl experiences her first evening of carousing! When, at evening's end, she puts the brakes on his amorous advances, he discovers she's not just another 'groupie', and that he's falling in love with her, too...nearly as much as he loves his horse!A romantic comedy of 'opposites' finding true love, 'A Lady Takes a Chance' benefits from the delightful performances of the two leads! Jean Arthur had a Meg Ryan-like quality of projecting both innocence and sexiness, and she makes Molly's transition from 'pursued' to 'pursuer' both believable, and understandable! John Wayne is equally good, sexy and easy-going, yet conveying Duke's confusion at the feelings he has for Molly, and his gradual realization that he'll have to 'take a chance', himself, to earn her love!True, the tale follows your basic 'boy meets girl-boy loses girl-boy gets girl' scenario, but under the sure direction of pros William A. Seiter (who directed Astaire and Rogers in 'Roberta', and Shirley Temple, in 'Stowaway'), and Henry Hathaway (the legendary filmmaker who would direct Wayne's Oscar-winning performance in 'True Grit', 26 years later), the story has a freshness and charm that is unbeatable!Whether you're a Wayne and Arthur fan, or you just love a romantic comedy with a happy ending, 'A Lady Takes a Chance' will bring a smile!

I watched this years ago when it was on a DVD collection ( I wish I still had ) and for that reason alone, is why I purchased this movie. It's one of John Waynes hard to find movies. I'm not sure if it's even on DVD anymore. It's an early John Wayne flick that's not entirely just another dime a dozen, bang bang shoot em up western.It's a story about a city girl going into the wild west and the girl ends up under John Waynes wing.. so to speak. There is some good hearted comic moments, as well as romance and of course the bar brawls and the cowboy way of life, as per Hollywoods standards at the time. It's not the gem of a movie as say "The Spoilers," but it is a gem in it's own way.

This is a real forgotten gem from the golden days of Hollywood romances. Jean Arthur, as always, is delightful as a city gal that decides to escape her three annoying suitors by taking a bus trip out West. There she accidentally meets John Wayne while taking pictures at a rodeo. Wayne is very low-key but effective in his role as an old fashioned western rodeo rider who eventually falls for Jean Arthur though he keeps telling himself that he's not cut out for marriage. The romantic chemistry bewteen Wayne and Arthur, though not as magical as that with Jimmy Stewart in the Frank Capra classics Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and You Can't Take it With You, is nonetheless very nice.Phil Silvers, in a very early role, adds some nice comedy as the overbearing tour guide on the bus.Overall, a very entertaining romantic comedy that works well and is another reminder of how Hollywood used to make movies before immorality and profanity took hold in the late 1950's and 60's. They just don't make-em like this anymore

I don't know if this is meant to be a screwball comedy as there really are only two scenes that would qualify, this is much more of a gentle romance and as such it's OK, both Wayne and Arthur give likable performances, the film could do with a lot more of Phil Silvers, but he really only appears in the beginning and the end.My copy of the DVD is the one issued by Second Sight (the one with the quote 'finally available in the UK' on the cover) and as such only has the film and no subtitles, in fact I couldnt find a version that had subtitles, which is a pity, maybe in the future someone will issue a DVD of this film with subtitles

Genial comedy that shows both Wayne and Arthur to good effect. Easygoing entertainment. And it's always nice to see Wayne in a romantic role.

I am an avid JW fan and also a fan of jean Arthur. I relly enjoyed this movie, it is not only gently funny, but is also a bit of social history of attitudes and behaviour of the 40's. It is quite expensive, don't know why and there are no sub titles, as the sound of the picture, just older than I, has fared better than my hearing, detracted a little from my enjoyment. But what the hell, "more beer, more beer".

so he had to watch it agins, all the way through.

Another John Wayne to add to my ever growing collection. Look forward to watching it.