It Could Happen to You
Cast & Crew
Alfred Werker
Stuart Erwin
Gloria Stuart
Raymond Walburn
Douglas Fowley
June Gale
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Awaken by his dog "Quirky," MacKinley "Mac" Winslow prepares for another work day. As his wife Doris attempts to prepare his breakfast, both the juicer and the coffee pot break down. After breakfast, Freddie Barlow and his wife Agnes arrive at the Winslows'. Freddie, Mac's best friend at the Word Advertising Agency, has made a name for himself by presenting Mac's ad ideas as his own. While Mac and Freddie discuss business in the kitchen, Agnes flaunts her new clothes and jewelry. Agnes tells Doris that Freddie is in line for a promotion to vice president in charge of publications. When Doris invites the Barlows to dinner to celebrate the Winslows' fifth wedding anniversary, Agnes tells her that Freddie has been invited to a party by his boss. After Freddie and Agnes leave, Doris confronts Mac, telling him he needs to be more assertive, that he has to make people "know he's good." At work, J. Hadden Quigley, the president of the company, calls Freddie to ask about the new malt meal breakfast slogan. Freddie calls Mac in, who tells him he can only be creative at night. Backed into a corner, Freddie agrees to take Mac to Quigley's party. At the party, Mac discovers that big businessmen are more interested in liquor and chorus girls than talking business and politics. After meeting Pedley, Mac thinks he has found a man of substance to sell his "movies on the subway" brainstorm, but discovers that Pedley is just a laborer with the W.P.A. While looking in his old college yearbook, Mac reads how he was voted "Most Likely to Succeed." Finally meeting his boss, Mac pitches his idea, and Quigley agrees to a lunch meeting the next day. On the drive home, a drunk Mac and Freddie stop at The Speckled Duck for a few more drinks. When Mac arrives home, Doris tells him she left her purse in the car and goes down to get it. Upon returning, she angrily informs Mac that there is a drunk girl in the back seat. In the garage, Mac discovers that the girl is dead and calls Freddie, who comes over immediately. Mac then calls the police, telling them that he was at the movies with Doris. With great fanfare, the district attorney announces that Mac is being charged with murder. Freddie tries to get lawyer Albert Wiman to defend Mac. When Mac can't pay his fee, however, Wiman refuses his case. Doris confronts Quigley and steals Freddie's black book, which contains the names of the chorus girls who attended the party. She then threatens Wiman, who was also at the party, with full disclosure of the party's guest and events. Quigley and Wiman meet with their friends, who all agree that Mac must somehow be bought. At the jail, Doris finds an ecstatic Mac, whose cell is filled with gifts. Mac informs her that he has been made vice president in charge of publications. Doris tells Mac that she is going find the real killer herself and takes Freddie in their car to retrace their actions. At The Speckled Duck, Doris discovers another car identical to hers which belongs to Steve Hugo, the bar's owner. Calling the district attorney from the bar, Doris is about to name Hugo as the killer when he comes up behind her and hangs up the phone. After Doris calls for Freddie's help, he jumps in the car and races to the district attorney. Chased by motorcycle policemen, Freddie makes a wild ride back to the bar where Doris is saved in the nick of time. Headlines proclaim Hugo's capture and Mac's release. At home, Mac and Doris prepare for bed. When Doris tells him she left her purse in the car again, Mac produces it from behind his back.
Director
Alfred Werker
Cast
Stuart Erwin
Gloria Stuart
Raymond Walburn
Douglas Fowley
June Gale
Clarence Kolb
Paul Hurst
Richard Lane
Robert Greig
Wright Kramer
Lionel Pape
Douglas Wood
Arthur Hoyt
Pietro Sosso
Arthur Rankin
Dick French
Lester Dorr
Cy Ring
David Macdonald
Don Brodie
Lee Shumway
James C. Morton
Fred Kelsey
Hank Mann
Abe Dinovitch
Jimmie Aubrey
Florence Wright
Mary Forbes
Ed Dearing
Tommy Mack
Max Hoffman
Billy Wayne
Frank Hagney
Ed Gargan
Eddie Marr
Romaine Callender
Barbara Mclean
Iva Stewart
Kay Griffith
Crew
William H. Anderson
Lou Breslow
Richard Day
Nick De Maggio
Bernard Freericks
Chester Gore
David Hempstead
Charles Hoffman
Samuel Kaylin
Thomas Little
Helen A. Myron
Ernest Palmer
Allen Rivkin
Saul Wurtzel
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Hollywood Reporter reported that this film was associate producer David Hempstead's first producing assignment under the Sol M. Wurtzel unit at Twentieth Century-Fox. News items in Motion Picture Daily and Hollywood Reporter stated that the film's story was published in Saturday Evening Post, however, the film's credits read "original story by." According to Hollywood Reporter, Fox wanted Lucille Ball for this picture, but RKO refused to loan her. Burgess Meredith was originally slated for the lead, but could not get free of his Broadway commitments.
