JACKIE COLLINS' LUCKY/CHANCES {PART 2 OF 3} (TV)
Summary
The second part of this three-part miniseries based on the novels “Chances” and “Lucky” by Jackie Collins about the rise and fall of a Las Vegas casino mogul and his family.
In Las Vegas in 1962, Gino continues to run the Sierra and sends Marco to accompany Lucky to a plane to Switzerland, where she will be attending an all-girl boarding school. Gino has come to trust Marco ever since he played a role in helping expose Enzio’s criminal activities eleven years ago. He laments that Lucky, now seventeen, is becoming unruly and “wild,” and requires discipline. Costa counters that having his children constantly monitored is not healthy, but Gino is concerned about keeping them safe, especially since Maria was murdered; the police concluded that it was the result of a robbery, as her jewelry was found in the car of a gang of thieves after a they were killed in a police shootout. Gino is upset that Dario is becoming a hippie and wants to go to art school, although he notes that he cannot stop him. Currently Gino is dating an actress named Marabelle, and although he calls her a “diversion” their relationship has become tabloid fodder. Lucky, for her part, resents being sent to boarding school and believes that Gino doesn’t care about her and is unwilling to listen to her. Dario bids her goodbye as Marco drives her to the airport.
Once in Switzerland Lucky introduces herself to her roommate, Olympia Stanislopolous. Both of them are unhappy about being at the boarding school, which they consider to be insufferably boring. Olympia’s father is Dmitri Stanislopolous, who she claims is one of the richest men in the world and is dangerous if provoked. She offers to help Lucky by giving her access to drugs and sex, which intrigues Lucky. They regularly sneak out at night together to go to bars and pick up guys, but Olympia notes that Lucky doesn’t seem interested in the men they meet. Lucky confesses that she has a crush on Marco and that he doesn’t seem to have romantic interests in her, although Olympia believes she can help Lucky rectify this. Meanwhile, in Beverly Hills, Gino and Marabelle sleep together and prepare to go to a party in honor of senator Peter Richmond. Gino suspects that Marabelle is sleeping with him but does not protest, as he specifically wants a relationship with her that doesn’t involve dedicated commitment. At the party, Marabelle introduces Gino to the senator and his wife Betty, although Gino does not want to be there. Enzio arrives and spots Gino, much to his displeasure, and Gino brushes him off.
Lucky and Olympia are caught sneaking around by their headmistress and are immediately expelled from the school. To avoid alerting Gino, Lucky calls Dario and asks him to imitate Gino’s voice over the phone when the school calls; she instructs him to tell the headmistress to release her into the custody of the Stanislopolous chauffeur. In New York, Steven Dimes, now a high-profile public defender, goes out to see his friend Lenny’s comedy routine. Carrie and Bernard entertain dinner guests at their home, and Carrie refuses offers from Bernard’s publisher friend to write a memoir of her life. Steven soon learns that a rapist he successfully defended committed another rape against the same victim; he is devastated by this news and feels responsible for the crime, especially when he learns that the rapist also murdered his victims’ mother. Marabelle suggests holding a fundraiser at the Sierra to help raise money for Senator Richmond’s campaign, and Gino agrees that it is a good idea. In private, Marabelle is frustrated that Gino is unconcerned that she’s sleeping with Senator Richmond, explaining that she has been “used” by men for her entire life and feels the need to be with men of importance. She also reveals that she has several candid photographs of her with Senator Richmond to use as potential blackmail, and while she’s asleep Gino manages to find the photos.
Steven reveals to Carrie that he has decided to forego public defense in favor of being a prosecutor. Carrie approves of his decision; she always told him that his father was dead. In Saint-Tropez, Olympia and Lucky travel and sample the local nightlife, although Lucky soon tires of it and of Olympia’s seemingly insatiable interest in men. Finally Lucky decides to call Gino and tell him where she is. Gino meets Dmitri as they both fly to Saint-Tropez to pick up Lucky and Olympia, witnessing the aftermath of one of Olympia’s wild parties. Carrie releases a personal style guide which proves to be quite popular, and later she and Bernard talk about how careful they have been to hide her past from the public eye. However, she wonders if Steven deserves to know the truth about her and about his real father. Gino talks to Lucky one-on-one, and says that he intends to “take care of the problem,” although he does not explain how he will accomplish this.
Gino meets with Senator Richmond in private and gives him Marabelle’s photographs as a “favor.” In return, he arranges to have Richmond’s son Craven married to Lucky, very much against her will. Enzio shows up at the wedding party and speaks with Lucky, intuiting that she is unhappy with being married off to Craven. Enzio promises Lucky to help her with anything she needs, reminding her that he is her godfather and has a responsibility towards her. Five years later, 1967, Carrie and Bernard catch up over lunch; they see little of each other due to their busy schedules. Steven reveals that he is working on a case in tandem with the FBI to prosecute the Bonnatti family’s criminal empire, and that he is also looking into Gino’s activities, hoping to imprison him for tax evasion as a means of getting to Enzio. Carrie becomes nervous when Gino’s name is mentioned and arranges a meeting with him, their first in many years. She warns him about Steven’s prosecution of Gino and the Bonnatti family, and also reveals that Steven is his son. She begs him not to reveal the truth to anyone, especially Steven, and he agrees. Lenny gets into an argument with his girlfriend Eden; she is ambitious and wants to become a Hollywood star, and insults Lenny for his lack of success as a comedian, while Lenny suspects that she would be willing to have sex in order to get parts in films.
Senator Richmond holds a party to celebrate Lucky and Craven’s fifth wedding anniversary. The two of them do not get along, but try to act happily married for their friends and family. In private, Craven talks about producing a child, mostly concerned about giving his parents grandchildren, although Lucky brushes him off and goes for a drive as she often does. She calls Dario and tells him that she is frustrated with her dull life and wants to escape it. Dario informs her that Gino is asking both him and Lucky to join him in New York, much to her surprise. Craven is angry at her for going to New York without him, but Lucky criticizes him and says she wants nothing more to do with him. Senator Richmond seems perfectly willing to let Lucky go. Lucky and Dario arrive in New York and meet with Gino and Costa; Gino tells them that he has to leave to country for an unspecified amount of time due to the impending grand jury investigation against him for tax evasion. In his absence, Costa is to be given his power of attorney and Gino tells Dario to move to Las Vegas and take over his business after Gino and Marco show him how. Dario is unwilling to do so, and Lucky offers to take over instead. Gino refuses, claiming that the work is not intended for a married woman, and gets into an argument with Lucky, who says she wants a life of her own. She claims that in his absence she will prove her worth to him and storms out.
Six months later, in 1968, Lucky and Dario collaborate on designs for Gino’s newest casino hotel, which they dub the “Magiriano” after their parents. She complains to Costa that despite her accomplishments, Gino is unlikely to give her recognition for managing his business. Costa talks to her about their financial situation and Lucky decides to inspect the construction site of the new hotel, accompanied by Marco. Later she holds a meeting with her various project managers, and Costa warns her that their operating capital has been used up for the hotel’s construction, and several investors have just backed out; they are uncertain if Gino will return and are not familiar enough with Lucky to trust her. She believes that she can secure the necessary money from Senator Richmond if need be, although Costa is uncertain of that idea. She flies to Virginia to speak with Senator Richmond, who is unwilling to finance her. He reveals that Gino blackmailed him into marrying her to Craven, leaving Lucky shocked and angry. She visits Enzio and meets his son Santino and his associate Ferragami. He agrees to finance her if she tells no one of his involvement, and tells her that she will receive shipments of money in cash on a weekly basis in exchange for a percentage of the hotel’s profits. She agrees to his terms and reports back to Costa and Marco, who are curious as to how she secured her funds, although she is not forthcoming with details.
Steven learns about Lucky’s deal via an informant in Enzio’s organization. He hopes to use Lucky’s connection to Enzio as a means to arrest him. One year later, in 1969, the Magiriano enjoys a successful opening, much to Lucky’s excitement. Marco comes up to Lucky and admits that he is attracted to her despite Gino ordering him to look after her. They agree to meet upstairs for a private tryst. Meanwhile, Enzio enters the casino with his partners and tells Costa about his deal with Lucky, boasting that he is now moving in. Costa resists but Enzio says there is nothing he can do to stop him. Lucky and Marco go up to her room and have sex, each of them admitting that they have thought about doing so for a long time. Lucky believes that Marco loves her, although he does not confirm this; he is concerned about what Gino will do when he finds out, but Lucky says she will protect him. Costa believes he can make a deal with the IRS to get the charges against Gino dropped, but is concerned about what Gino will do when he finds out about Lucky’s deal with Enzio. Jennifer informs him of Lucky’s new relationship with Marco, adding to Costa’s concern.
The next morning, Costa confronts Lucky about Enzio, but before she can answer Marco appears and is shot by an unseen gunman. He does not survive, and at his funeral Costa warns Lucky that they need to disentangle themselves from Enzio. Costa believes that Enzio had something to do with Marco’s murder, as it makes his takeover much easier, but Lucky insists otherwise. Costa warns that Enzio will now try to take over the casino, and Lucky goes to visit him. Enzio tells Lucky that he believes Marco was killed by a heavy gambler who was denied a large marker at the Sierra. He suggests that Lucky leave town for a time to maintain her safety, and he offers to assign his men to safeguard the hotel. She tells him that Gino is returning, and Enzio believes that they can “handle” him. Gino returns and Lucky greets him in New York, although she acts coldly towards him. She talks about how the hotel has been operating in his absence and insists that she will not be ousted from her position. Gino says he is proud of her and Dario, and that he was wrong about her. However, he criticizes her decision to make a deal with Enzio, and Lucky says she would never have sought him out if she had known about his wrongdoing beforehand. They seem to bond and reconcile their differences, and they and Dario formulate a plan to nullify their deal with Enzio. They part for a short time; unbeknownst to them, Dario is followed by several men.
Gino and Costa discover that Ferragami is the informant within Enzio’s organization and that they may be able to bribe him into giving them information before he is sent into a witness protection program by the FBI. Ferragami is brought in to see Gino and Lucky and tells them that Enzio is responsible for Marco’s death, and that he also ordered Maria’s assassination years ago and disguised it as a robbery. Ferragami produces Maria’s locket as proof of his claims. Gino swears to get revenge on Enzio. They go outside and a speeding car tosses Dario’s dead body out onto the sidewalk. Gino suffers a heart attack upon seeing this and is rushed to the hospital. That night, Lucky goes to Enzio’s mansion armed with a handgun, and beats on his door, claiming that they have to think of something now that Gino has returned. However, she confronts him over the various deaths he’s caused, and he pulls a gun on her, although she says it isn’t loaded. She shoves him against a wall as a shot goes off. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: October 8, 1990 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:33:11
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:40786
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Families; Las Vegas, Nev.
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV miniseries, 1990
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Susan Baerwald … Executive Producer
- Jackie Collins … Executive Producer, Writer, Based on the books "Chances" and "Lucky" by
- Daniel Franklin … Co-Producer
- Deborah Edell … Associate Producer
- Les Green … Associate Producer
- Buzz Kulik … Director
- Billy Goldenberg … Music by
- Vincent Irizarry … Cast, Gino Santangelo
- Michael Nader … Cast, Enzio Bonnatti
- Anne-Marie Johnson … Cast, Carrie Dimes
- Eric Braeden … Cast, Dmitri Stanislopolous
- Sandra Bullock … Cast, Maria Santangelo
- Stephanie Beacham … Cast, Susan Martino
- Tim Ryan … Cast, Lenny Golden
- Phil Morris … Cast, Steven Dimes
- Shawnee Smith … Cast, Olympia Stanislopolous Golden
- Alan Rosenberg … Cast, Costa Zennocotti
- David McCallum … Cast, Bernard Dimes
- Luca Bercovici … Cast, Santino Bonnatti
- Richard Anderson … Cast, Mr. Duke
- Leann Hunley … Cast, Eden
- Harold Pruett … Cast, Dario Santangelo
- Grant Show … Cast, Marco
- Jimmie F. Skaggs … Cast, Whitejack
- Audrey Landers … Cast, Marabelle
- Charles Frank … Cast, David Richmond
- Wendy Cutler … Cast, Jennifer
- Jake Dengel … Cast, Ferragami
- Mary Frann … Cast, Clementine Duke
- Nicollette Sheridan … Cast, Lucky Santangelo
- Nick Angotti … Cast, Eddie Lucci
- Wanda de Jesus … Cast, Suzita
- Tony di Benedetto … Cast, Pinky
- Heather Hasse … Cast, Cindy
- Liliana Komorowska … Cast, Francesca Fern
- Robert Duncan McNeill … Cast, Craven Richmond
- Debi Monahan … Cast, Lucille
- Virginia Morris … Cast, Sandra
- Raymond O'Keefe … Cast, Leroy
- Jane Marla Robbins … Cast, Judi
- Robert Sampson … Cast, Fred Lester
- William Shockley … Cast, Flash
- Perry Sheehan Adair … Cast, Court Clerk
- Raquel Alessi … Cast, Maria - Age 6
- Jack Angeles … Cast, Fat Larry
- Tony Auer … Cast, Preacher #2
- Joshua Baerwald … Cast, Bartender
- Ralph Cardinale … Cast, Jury Foreman
- James D. Cohen … Cast, Hotel Messenger
- Nick Georgiade … Cast, N.Y. Detective
- Linda Hoffman … Cast, Girl #1
- Anthony S. Johnson … Cast, Security Officer
- Eric Kohner … Cast, Catto
- Sarah Beth Kulik … Cast, Little Girl
- Stu Levin … Cast, Doctor #1
- Irene Olga Lopez … Cast, Maid #1
- Peter Mamakos … Cast, Greek Priest
- Pamela Mant … Cast, Miss Vane
- Lisa Melilli … Cast, Girl #2
- Elisabeth Moss … Cast, Lucky - Age 6
- Michael Mann Munoz … Cast, Bobby
- Gunnar Peterson … Cast, Henry
- Stephen Prutting … Cast, Doctor #2
- Theresa Ring … Cast, Hatcheck Girl
- Edmond Stoiber … Cast, Judge
- Lisle Wilson … Cast, L.A. Detective
- John Winston … Cast, Smythson