''Lucky Ghost'' is a 1942 American film directed by

William Beaudine William Washington Beaudine (January 15, 1892 – March 18, 1970) was an American film actor and director. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films in remarkable numbers and in a wide variety of genres. Life and car ...

. The film is a sequel to the 1941 film ''

Mr. Washington Goes to Town ''Mr. Washington Goes to Town'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and Jed Buell, and starring F. E. Miller, Mantan Moreland and Maceo Bruce Sheffield. The film was marketed primarily to black audiences and written and fil ...

''. The film is also known as ''Lady Luck'' (new American title).

Plot

Washington Delaware Jones has never done much good for his town, and ultimately he is ordered by a judge to leave for good. In following the judge's order he brings his friend and collaborator Jefferson, and the two men go on a search for a new place to live. Both lack professional experience and start thinking about what kind of jobs they might get. Since they both agree on liking food, they decide on becoming food tasters. When they come to the first destination on the road, they pretend to be food inspectors and start stealing chickens from a farm, but the farmer shoots at them. They meet a man of some wealth named Brown, whose car has stopped alongside the road, and his friend Dawson. While Brown's chauffeur runs along to find gas, the four remaining men start throwing dice. Washington and Jefferson win all the other two have, including the car, and they are driven by the chauffeur to a nearby country club run by Dr. Brutus Blake. Blake is a swindler, and when he sees the two men arrive in their elegant car, he decides to take all they have. Blake arranges a crap game where outcome is fixed to his advantage. Since Blake's partner Blackstone doesn't approve of his tactics, they argue, and Blackstone threaten to reveal to the guests what Blake is up to. Blake has a thing for the club hostess, and later that night he sees Washington dance with her. He becomes jealous and challenges Washington to a fight. Blake manages to knock himself out during the fight, and when he wakes up he is more determined than ever to take the two guests' money. Everyone is unaware that the place is haunted by Blake's dead relatives, who are quite disappointed with how Blake has turned out. They also regret leaving the place to him in their wills and send one of them, uncle Ezra Dewey, to set Blake straight. The gambling begins, and soon Washington and Jefferson have won the whole club from Blake through shooting

craps Craps is a dice game in which players bet on the outcomes of the roll of a pair of dice. Players can wager money against each other (playing "street craps") or against a bank ("casino craps"). Because it requires little equipment, "street ...

. Ezra finds that the place is just as sinful and decadent under the management of Washington and Jefferson as it was under Blake. The former owners start scheming to get the place back, and they get the local sheriff to arrest them for made-up criminal offenses. Ezra finds out about Blake's wicked plans and scares him off. All the ghosts then scare off Washington and Jefferson by haunting the club, and the two men flee for their lives.

Cast

Mantan Moreland Mantan Moreland (September 3, 1902 – September 28, 1973) was an American actor and comedian most popular in the 1930s and 1940s. He starred in numerous films. His daughter Marcella Moreland appeared as a child actress in several films. E ...

as Washington * F.E. Miller as Jefferson * Maceo Bruce Sheffield as Dr. Brutus Blake *Arthur Ray as Blackstone *Florence O'Brien as Hostess *Harold Garrison as Brown *Jessie Cryer as Dawson *

Napoleon Whiting Napoleon Whiting (September 21, 1910, Mississippi – October 22, 1984, Los Angeles, California), was an American character actor. He played many bit parts, often uncredited, as a menial worker such as the African American butler, a stereoty ...

as Chauffeur *

Jess Lee Brooks Jess Lee Brooks (June 10, 1894 – December 13, 1944), also known as Jesse Brooks, was an American actor. He is perhaps most famous for playing the African-American church preacher in the critically acclaimed motion picture ''Sullivan's Travels'', ...

as Door Man *Ida Coffin as Hat Check Girl * Nathan Curry as Farmer *Millie Monroe as First Waitress *Louise Franklin as Second Waitress *Lucille Battle as Third Waitress *Avanelle Harris as Fourth Waitress *

Monte Hawley Monte Hawley (? - November 30, 1950) was an American actor from Chicago, Illinois. Biography He began his entertainment career as one of the original Lafayette Players. He studied under Richard B. Harrison and, after moving to New York City, acte ...

as Masher * Vernon McCalla as First Man Guest *Harry Levette as First Man Diner *Henry Hastings as Uncle Ezra's Ghost *Florence Field as Mrs. Ezra's Ghost *

John Lester Johnson John Lester Johnson (born John Leslie Johnson; August 13, 1893 – March 27, 1968) was an American professional boxer and actor. He is perhaps best known for his 1916 boxing match against Jack Dempsey, and his 1933 performance as Bumbo, the titul ...

as First Ghost * Edward Thompson as Second Ghost *Lester Christmas as Third Ghost *

Reginald Fenderson Reginald Hartley Fenderson (December 28, 1911 – August 16, 1986) was an American actor in theatrical productions and films in the United States. He appeared in various films with African American casts in the 1930s and 1940s. Reginald Fenderson ...

as Dealer

Soundtrack

* Lorenza Flennoy and His Chocolate Drops - "If Anybody Cares" (Written by Don Swander and

June Hershey June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the second of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the third of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. June contains the summer solstice in ...

) *Lorenza Flennoy and His Chocolate Drops - "When You Think of Loving, Think of Me" (Written by Don Swander and June Hershey) *Lorenza Flennoy and His Chocolate Drops - "Can't Use It Anymore" (Written by Don Swander and June Hershey) *Lorenza Flennoy and His Chocolate Drops - "Down in Old Darktown"

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lucky Ghost 1942 films American comedy thriller films 1940s English-language films American black-and-white films 1942 comedy films Films directed by William Beaudine Race films 1940s comedy thriller films Toddy Pictures Company films 1940s American films