Lotsa Luck (1973)

Lotsa "didn't luck out"

Bus driver Stanley Belmont is unmarried, yet he lives with a houseful of dependents: his mother, his sister Olive and her lazy husband Arthur, who avoids work at all costs. LOTSA LUCK was created by Carl Reiner. Prominent guest stars included LAUGH-IN's Ruth Buzzi and Johnny Brown, Harold Gould (Mary's dad on THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW), Ronnie Schell (Pvt. Slater, GOMER PYLE U.S.M.C) and Suzanne Somers (THREE'S COMPANY).

This early '70s sitcom lasted only one season on the NBC network, but not for lack of quality-- in the wake of "All In The Family," its spinoffs and a number of other urban comedies, this one just got lost in the shuffle.

In direct competition with LOTSA LUCK on Monday nights was ABC-TV's THE ROOKIES. (This particular box set is the program's complete 1972 season.)

CAST MEMBERS for LOTSA LUCK:
Dom DeLuise-- Stanley Belmont
Kathleen Freeman-- Iris Belmont (mom)
Wynn Irwin-- Arthur Swann
Beverly Sanders-- Olive Swann
Jack Knight-- Bummy Pfitzer (Stan's friend)

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Episode list includes original airdates and guest stars.

(#_1) Olive's Present (9/10/73) Beverly Carter/Bella Bruck/Jimmy Martinez
(#_2) The Bare Facts (9/17/73) - Patricia Heide
(#_3) Trial Separation (9/24/73) -
(#_4) Stanley and the Librarian (10/1/73) - Jackie Joseph
(#_5) The Suit (10/8/73) - John Furlong/Barbara Minkus/Roderick Cook
(#_6) Mom's Secret (10/15/73) - Harold Gould
(#_7) The Winning Purse (10/19/73) - Danny Wells/Janice Carroll/Martin Ashe
(#_8) The Family Plot (10/29/73) - Tom Pedi/Henry Corden
(#_9) The Shrink (11/5/73) - Elliot Reid
(#10) The New Stan (11/12/73) - Cliff Pellow/Sammy Shore/Bobbie Mitchell/Erin O'Reilly
(#11) Arthur's Inheritence (11/26/73) -
(#12) The Belmont Connection (12/3/73) - J.J. Barry/Mark Gordon/Jennifer King
(#13) Will You Marry Me? (12/10/73) - Pat Finley
(#14) Do Me A Favor (1/11/74) - Richard Evans/Barbara Brownell/Alex Rocco/Mel Carter
(#15) Stan and the Wealthy Widow (1/18/74) - Ruth Buzzi/Helen Page Camp
(#16) The Talent Show (1/25/74) - Johnny Brown/Danny Wells/Louisa Moritz
(#17) A Little Order of Law and Order (2/1/74) - Ike Ivarson
(#18) You Oughta Be In Pictures (2/8/74) - John Harlan/Tim Herbert/Ronnie Schell
(#19) Stan's Assistant (2/15/74) - Cliff Norton/Stuart Nisbet
(#20) Arthur Makes His Move (2/22/74) - Alan Oppenheimer
(#21) Bummy's Girl (3/8/74) - Suzanne Somers
(#22) Get Off My Back (3/15/74) (series finale) Robert F. Hoy/Gene Elman

ST. CLAIR DVD multi-packs are reasonably priced, and offer fine quality video/audio transfers of unrestored public domain material. Discs are single-side recorded, plastic storage cases fairly sturdy, program liner notes appear on box's back cover. November 29, 2007

Every episode a winner!

I remember watching this television series when it originally aired, and was very upset when it was cancelled after the first season. This is one series that I never expected to see on DVD. The show is just as funny today as it was when it originally aired in 1973-1974. All 22 episodes are crystal clear. The pilot episode, which is considered an "extra" is not the same quality as the other episodes. All I can say is, if you like good old fashioned humor, you will love this series. "Losta Luck" brings lotsa laughs! July 25, 2006

Brutal...just brutal

I had remembered this show as being really funny when it was first broadcast.

However, I've got to tell you...the first few episodes are brutally bad. I am a big Dom DeLuise fan, but they were totally unwatchable. The episode where Stanley dates the librarian is the first one that's really watchable. They are OK from that point on, but the repititious jokes in every episode ("Do I have a son, or do I not have a son?") wear thin. The use of the same jokes in every episode reminded me of later seasons of Sanford And Son where the writers got lazy and the same jokes were used over and over to get a sure laugh.

All of the characters, other than Dom DeLuise's Stanley Belmont, are so over the top and unbelievable, it's impossible to connect with any of them. Seriously, his family is so unpleasant, especially Arthur, that it's tough to watch. Even Archie Bunker had redeeming qualities, and they didn't give Stanley's family any. You spend the entire time watching and saying to yourself "Why doesn't he make Arthur get a job?"

Out of the 20+ episodes in the set, there were a few really great moments...and really all of them were sight gags with Dom DeLuise. When DeLuise is doing the type of comedy as he did in Silent Movie, he's a riot.

For fans of TV from that era, look for Alvy Moore (Mr. Kimball from Green Acres) in a small role in one episode. And, in the second-to-last episode, "Bummy's Girl", look for Suzanne Somers as the femme fatale in one of her earliest TV roles.

If you are a HUGE Dom DeLuise fan, this might be worth a look, especially after the first few episodes. March 5, 2006

"I used to buy a pickle, it only used to cost a nickel . . ."

. . . so began the opening theme song of "Lotsa Luck," the Dom DeLuise sit-com that ran on NBC during the 1973-74 season. This is a very humorous, well written show that showcases DeLuise's comic acting abilities and features a fine supporting cast, notably Kathleen Freeman as Dom's mother and Wynn Irwin as his lazy brother-in-law. I hadn't seen this show since its original airings and was pleased to see that it still holds up very well so many years later.

The 22 regular season episodes look great for a 30+ year old show, but the series' pilot episode is of lesser visual quality and appears to have been sourced from a VHS tape, complete with some video blips in the early goings and a voice-over promoting another series over the end credits. Still, I'm happy that the pilot has been included as an extra for the sake of completeness, and even happier that a relatively obscure show like "Lotsa Luck" has been given first-class treatment on DVD. Most of the other extras included on this release from S'more Entertainment include interview segments with Dom DeLuise (he's a great storyteller), but one wishes that an episode commentary or two from Dom were included, perhaps on his favorite episode.

For Dom DeLuise fans this is a must, but those who enjoy classic sitcoms will appreciate discovering or re-discovering this largely forgotten comedy . . . Lotsa Luck!
February 7, 2006

Lotsa Luck=Lotsa Fun

It's like welcoming back an old friend. What fun to watch this forgotten show. Loosely based on the BBC-TV program "On The Busses", this version was adapted by (among others) Carl Reiner and was Dom DeLuise's first and only starring role. And it works! You may not know her name but when you see Kathleen Freeman as his Mom you'll recognize her and she is hysterical. Even though watching the episodes back-to-back can make any series seem repetitious, this one has enough laughs per show to make it easy to enjoy. Keep an eye out especially for "The Librarian" episode. The BEST! More of these wonderful 'one season classics' please ("He & She" anyone?) February 7, 2006

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