Mr. Lucky

Late one winter night, Swede rows to a public dock in a dinghy and hides as a young woman walks to the end of the pier. A night watchman notices her and Swede stops him from bothering her. The sailor begins recounting her story, and the film segues into a long flashback.

Joe 'the Greek' Adams is a gambler facing mounting trouble as draft notices loom and his treacherous partner Zepp circles him. They scheme to swap identities with their recently deceased underling Bascopoulos to dodge service. The plan foreshadows the ruthless tactics they will use to stay afloat.

Bascopoulos has died, leaving a 4F status to exploit. Joe and Zepp gamble for his identity to dodge the draft, and Zepp cheats, but Joe still wins the potential advantage. The scheme sets the tone for their ruthless approach to money and war-time survival.

Joe persuades Captain Veronica Steadman, head of War Relief, to authorize a 'charity' casino to fund a relief ship. He begins courting Dorothy Bryant, a wary socialite who is drawn to his charm. He even teaches her Australian rhyming slang as their relationship deepens.

To honor Dorothy, Joe renames his gambling ship the Briny Marlin, signaling a blend of romance and risk. The ship becomes a symbol of their cause as it operates in the shadows of war-time fundraising. The crew treats the name as a badge of daring and devotion to the plan.

On the day of the charity ball, Joe receives a letter addressed to Bascopoulos from his mother in Axis-occupied Greece. He brings it to a Greek Orthodox priest for translation and learns that villagers fought to the death when German paratroopers landed. Moved, Joe rethinks his life and priorities.

During the ball, Joe's men use false bottoms in cashboxes to steal most of the money. Joe has a change of heart and tells his right-hand man Crunk that the money should go to war relief. Zepp overhears and tensions rise as the plan unfolds.

Zepp overhears Joe's pledge to send the loot to relief and forcibly wrests control, forcing Joe at gunpoint to continue collecting funds. The moral line blurs as fear and greed push the crew toward greater risk. The ball becomes a trap for every participant.

Dorothy unexpectedly discovers the theft in progress and mistakenly believes Joe is a willing participant. To shield her from the truth, Joe knocks her out and the two men push forward with the heist. The deception tightens around everyone involved.

In a struggle that erupts from the theft, Joe kills Zepp but is shot himself in the process. He escapes the ballroom, leaving behind a trail of blood and a shattered plan. He resolves to salvage what he can by sending the money to Dorothy and loading the ship with relief supplies.

Joe arranges for the stolen money to be sent back to Dorothy via Swede while loading his ship with the charity's supplies. The dual aims of love and philanthropy clash with the violence of the caper. The plan to depart port grows more desperate as consequences mount.

Dorothy learns that Bascopoulos is dead and sees a photograph of the man who died; it isn’t Joe. She rushes to the dock as the ship sails toward Europe, begging Joe to take her with him. He tells her she deserves better and hides his own heartbreak.

The ship carrying relief supplies is torpedoed and sinks on the return trip, claiming many who believed in the mission. Dorothy mourns at the pier, visiting it each night and clinging to Joe's memory. The tragedy scars her and reshapes her view of love and sacrifice.

Back on the pier, Swede arranges for Joe to meet him there, hoping to seal a last night in port before departure. A guard flips a coin to decide who must move the dinghy, and Joe draws heads—only to lose in the moment that seals his fate.

As Joe walks toward the end of the dock, Dorothy sees him and rushes into his arms, their reunion charged with mixed relief and pain. Swede then reveals the coin’s true nature: it has a head on each side, signaling that the reunion was knowingly arranged. The twist casts the entire sequence as a carefully staged ending.