"Luck Be a Lady" is a song written and composed by

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser (; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', among others. He won a Tony ...

in 1950 and first performed by

Robert Alda Robert Alda (born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo; February 26, 1914 – May 3, 1986) was an Italian-American theatrical and film actor, a singer, and a dancer. He was the father of actors Alan and Antony Alda. Alda was featured in a ...

. The song was featured in the musical ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

''. The lyrics relate the point of view of a

gambler Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elem ...

Sky Masterson ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on " The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also ...

, who hopes that he will win a bet, the outcome of which will decide whether or not he is able to save his relationship with the girl of his dreams.

Notable uses and recordings

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

sang the song in the ''

'' (

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

) film adaptation. In 2004, that version finished at No. 42 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema. * Jack Jones recorded it for his album, ''Bewitched'' (1964), arranged by

Shorty Rogers Milton "Shorty" Rogers (born Milton Rajonsky; April 14, 1924 – November 7, 1994) was an American jazz musician, one of the principal creators of West Coast jazz. He played trumpet and flugelhorn and was in demand for his skills as an arran ...

. *Later, it became a signature song for

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

(who also starred in ''Guys and Dolls'' 1955 film adaptation), first released on the compilation ''

Reprise Musical Repertory Theatre ''Reprise Musical Repertory Theatre'' is a series of four 12" long playing vinyl albums recorded in Los Angeles in 1963. The four albums were sold through mail order as a box set in 1963, then released separately to retail in 1964. They were con ...

'' (1963) and re-released on the album '' Sinatra '65: The Singer Today'' (1965). *

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

recorded the song for her album ''

Back to Broadway ''Back to Broadway'' is the twenty-sixth studio album by American singer Barbra Streisand, released in 1993. The album was Streisand's second collection of songs from Broadway musicals, after 1985's ''The Broadway Album''. It debuted at number 1 ...

'' (1993). *Sinatra released it as a duet with Chrissie Hynde on '' Duets II'' (1994). * Dee Snider performed it as a duet with

Clay Aiken Clayton Holmes Aiken (''né'' Grissom; born November 30, 1978) is an American singer, television personality, actor, politician, and activist. Aiken finished second place on the second season of ''American Idol'' in 2003, and his debut album, ' ...

on Snider's album ''Dee Does Broadway'' (2012). *The Cherry Poppin' Daddies recorded a version on their Rat Pack tribute ''

Please Return the Evening ''Please Return the Evening — the Cherry Poppin' Daddies Salute the Music of the Rat Pack'' is a tribute album and seventh studio (ninth overall) album by American ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released on July 29, 2014 by Space Age ...

'' (2014). *

Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

recorded it for his 2017 album '' Standards''.

In popular culture

;Advertising *In December 2011,

Cîroc Cîroc is a brand of alcoholic beverages produced in France since 2003 and distributed by the British-based multinational alcoholic beverage maker Diageo. The brand family includes vodka, flavored products containing vodka, and brandy. Since ...

began airing an advertising campaign featuring

Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent direct ...

and others in scenes reminiscent of the original Rat Pack, with a recording of Frank Sinatra singing "Luck Be a Lady" playing throughout the commercial as mood music. ;Films *Frank Sinatra's version features prominently in the film ''

Mrs. Doubtfire ''Mrs. Doubtfire'' is a 1993 American comedy-drama film directed by Chris Columbus. It was written for the screen by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, based on the 1987 novel ''Alias Madame Doubtfire'' by Anne Fine. Robin Williams, who also s ...

'' (1993), when

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

' character, Daniel Hillard, is given a makeover to "become" a woman. *The song was used in the original sound track from ''

The Cooler ''The Cooler'' is a 2003 American crime drama film directed by Wayne Kramer, from a screenplay by Frank Hannah and Kramer. The film stars William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston, Estella Warren, Paul Sorvino, and Alec Bald ...

'' (2003), a movie which deals with casino life (and death) in Las Vegas. ;Music *The electronica group

Fila Brazillia Fila Brazillia is an English electronica duo from Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England, formed in 1990 by Steve Cobby and David McSherry. History Their early albums were released on Pork Recordings, also based in Hull: '' Old Codes New Chao ...

references the song in the title of their album ''

Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight ''Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight'' is an album by the British electronica group, Fila Brazillia, released on Pork Recordings in 1997. The title of the album comes from the lyrics of the 1950s song "Luck Be a Lady "Luck Be a Lady" is a song written ...

'' (1997). ;Television *One line is sung by the Doctor in the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' episode, "

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

" (March 26, 2005). * ''Full House'' season 2, episodes 43 and 44, titled "Luck Be a Lady" (Parts 1 and 2), aired April 28, 1989 and May 5, 1989, respectively. *A cover of the song features in ''Lucifer'', sung by the titular character. * "Luck Be a Lady" (October 24, 2017) is the title of season 4, episode 72 of ''The Flash''. *

Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...

performed the song on ''

The L Word ''The L Word'' is a television drama that aired on Showtime from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated with Ilene ...

''s soundtrack in season 4, episode 6: "Luck Be a Lady" (February 11, 2007). *The song is parodied in ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' episode "

Mayored to the Mob "Mayored to the Mob" is the ninth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 20, 1998. After Homer prevents Mayor Quimby and Mar ...

" (December 20, 1998), as "

Luke People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...

be a

Jedi Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi ...

". *The song is featured briefly in ''

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' is an American period comedy-drama television series, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, that premiered on March 17, 2017, on Amazon Prime Video. Set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it stars Rachel Brosnahan as ...

'' Season 3 Episode 3 "Panty Pose". *The song is performed by

Adam Arkin Adam Arkin (born August 19, 1956) is an American actor and director. He is known for playing the role of Aaron Shutt on ''Chicago Hope''. He has been nominated for numerous awards, including a Tony (Best Actor, 1991, '' I Hate Hamlet'') as well ...

in the episode "Brain Salad Surgery" of '' Chicago Hope.''

References

External links

* Allmusic Entry* Songs about luck Songs from Guys and Dolls Songs from musicals Songs written by Frank Loesser Vocal duets Pop standards Barbra Streisand songs Frank Sinatra songs {{Show-tune-stub