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

Frank Loesser Frank Henry Loesser ( "lesser"; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals ''Guys and Dolls (musical), Guys and Dolls'' and ''How to Succeed in Business ...

in 1950 and first performed by Robert Alda. The song was featured in the musical ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical theater, 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 Run ...

''. 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 ele ...

, Sky Masterson, 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. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

sang the song in the ''

'' ( 1955) 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. *Later, it became a signature song for

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

(who also starred in ''Guys and Dolls'' 1955 film adaptation), first released on the compilation '' Reprise Musical Repertory Theatre'' (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, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

recorded the song for her album '' Back to Broadway'' (1993). *Sinatra released it as a duet with Chrissie Hynde on '' Duets II'' (1994). * Dee Snider performed it as a duet with Clay Aiken on Snider's album '' Dee Does Broadway'' (2012). *The Cherry Poppin' Daddies recorded a version on their

Rat Pack The Rat Pack was an informal group of singers that, in its second iteration, ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business friends, s ...

tribute '' Please Return the Evening'' (2014). * Seal recorded it for his 2017 album ''

Standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object t ...

''.

In popular culture

;Advertising *In December 2011, Cîroc began airing an advertising campaign featuring Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and others in scenes reminiscent of the original

, 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'' (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 comedie ...

' character, Daniel Hillard, is given a makeover to "become" a woman. *The song was used in the original sound track from '' The Cooler'' (2003), a movie which deals with casino life (and death) in Las Vegas. ;Music *The electronica group Fila Brazillia references the song in the title of their album '' Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight'' (1997). ;Television *One line is sung by

the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...

in the ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' episode, "

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

" (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 series that aired on Showtime in the United States from 2004 to 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated wit ...

''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 and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

'' episode " Mayored to the Mob" (December 20, 1998), as " Luke be a

Jedi Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are fictional characters, and often protagonists, featured in many works within the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Galactic Republic, the Jedi Order is depic ...

". *The song is featured in the ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...

'' episode " Roads to Vegas," which aired May 19, 2013. *The song is featured briefly in '' The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' Season 3 Episode 3 "Panty Pose". *The song is performed by Adam Arkin 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