POT O' GOLD (1941) James Stewart, Paulette Goddard & Horace Heidt | Romantic Comedy | B&W

Pot o' Gold is a 1941 American romantic musical comedy film starring James Stewart and Paulette Goddard, directed by George Marshall,[2] and based on the radio series Pot o' Gold. The film was released April 3, 1941, eight months before the NBC radio series came to an end. Paulette Goddard's singing voice was dubbed by Vera Van. The film was known as The Golden Hour in the United Kingdom.

Synopsis

Jimmy Haskel is the owner of a music store in Point Jervis, New York. His uncle, Charles J. "C.J." Haskel, hates music and has long wanted Jimmy to join him in his health food business. Jimmy agrees only after his music store fails. When Jimmy arrives in the big city, he meets Molly McCorkle, who welcomes him into her mother's boardinghouse. Horace Heidt's band practices there, adjacent to the Haskel factory. C.J. is infuriated and sends his assistant to stop the band. Jimmy throws a tomato at C.J.'s assistant, only to hit C.J. himself, which makes a good impression on the band and the McCorkles. They don't know Jimmy's true identity, and Molly McCorkle falls in love with him.

When Jimmy substitutes for C.J. on his radio program, Molly's kid brother and Horace find out who he is. They devise a scheme to persuade C.J. to take a vacation. In the meantime, Jimmy takes over the operation of the business and invites Heidt's band to play on the show. Molly learns Jimmy's identity, and in anger, she says on-air that the Haskel program will give away $1000 every week. To protect her from prosecution, Jimmy claims the idea is his. He then has to find a way to give away the cash; a federal investigator informs him that there are many legal restrictions that make every scheme Jimmy and his associates can think up illegal.

Jimmy finally comes up with a method just before the show airs. He gets a bunch of telephone books, and Molly steals a carnival wheel, which they bring into the radio studio. They randomly select first the telephone book, then the page in it, and finally the entry on the page to determine the winner. The giveaway is immensely popular, with advertisers clamoring to sign up. This reconciles the Haskels and McCorkles, paving the way for Jimmy and Molly to get married.

Cast & Crew

Directed by: George Marshall
Written by: Andrew Bennison & Monte Brice
Based on: Pot O' Gold 1939--1941;
1946 radio series : by Robert Brilmayer & Haydn Roth Evans
Produced by: James Roosevelt
Cinematography: Hal Mohr
Edited by: Lloyd Nosler
Music by: Lou Forbes
Production company: James Roosevelt Productions
Distributed by: United Artists
Release date : April 3, 1941
Running time: 86 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English
Budget $600,000