Candy Williams is a member of a struggling Vaudeville troupe that is stranded in Miami when creditors take all their money. After the troupe's leader Hap Schneider tries to scam a restaurant out of dinner, they are forced to work in the hotel to pay for the meal. While cleaning a hallway, Flo Neely hears Dick Carson singing songs that are for his new Broadway show. She tells Hap and Duke McGee that Dick is staying in the hotel. Candy has met Dick but believes he is a mechanic named Eddie. She arranges a date with him and is enjoying it when Hap joins them and spills the beans about Eddie being Dick Carson. Candy leaves thinking that Dick was trying to take advantage of her. To make up for the trouble he caused, Hap arranges a rehearsal of a new song so Dick can watch the troupe and audition Candy for his show. However, Candy thinks he is just trying to trick her again. He convinces her that he really wants her to star in the play. But his backer's daughter Lorraine Thayer is jealous and says she will not let her father back Dick's show if Candy is in it. The troupe is leaving the hotel when Dick's manager reveals he is giving upthe show and going back to New York. Candy realizes that Dick really loves her. She returns to her room and disguises herself to get into Otis Thayer's birthday party to perform Dick's songs and get Thayer's backing for the show. The troupe goes along and gets Lorraine out of the way so Candy can save the day.
Doris Day had begun to suffer from panic attacks before filming Lucky Me, and kept putting the start of the project off, despite Warner Bros.' pushing her to begin. She was also unhappy with the script, writing in her 1976 autobiography, Her Own Story, "Robert Cummings, Phil Silvers, Nancy Walker, and Eddie Foy, Jr., were all talented, funny people, but I knew by now that no amount of talent can overcome an inferior script, especially if it is a comedy." She considered allowing the studio to suspend her rather than doing the film, but, on the advice of a friend, ended up fulfilling her contractual obligation. Nevertheless, the film was physically difficult for her due to the attacks.
Angie Dickinson made her film debut in Lucky Me, having won the chance as the result of a television contest. She has an uncredited bit part in the party scene.
Robert Cummings' singing voice was provided by Hal Derwin
Production
Although an early announcement said that the film would be made in 3-D, it was actually made only in CinemaScope, the first musical to use that wide-screen process. The role played by Robert Cummings was originally intended for Gordon MacRae, who had worked with Doris Day several times before. Cummings was cast in September 1953. In October 1953, Warners announced filming would be pushed back to allow Day to recover from nervous exhaustion. Location shooting for the film took place in Miami.
Reception
Lucky Me was not well-received upon its original release.
