POT O GOLD (DVD) DVD

Pot O' Gold
James Stewart once classified Pot O' Gold as his worst film, though this may have stemmed from his reported inability to get along with his costar Paulette Goddard (who is supposed to have dismissed Stewart's acting technique with a flippant "Anyone can swallow.") Inspired by the popular radio giveaway series of the same name, the film represented an ill-fated production venture for James Roosevelt, son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Stewart plays Jimmy Haskell, nephew of breakfast-food mogul C. J. Haskell (Charles Winninger). Befriending bandleader Horace Heidt (playing himself) and his orchestra members, Jimmy and his sweetheart Molly McCorkle (Paulette Goddard) tries to persuade C. J. to sponsor Heidt's radio program. The elder Haskell refuses until Jimmy and Molly's landlady mother (Mary Gordon) come up with a sure-fire "gimmick" for the program: they'll pick names from the phone book at random, call up those numbers, and give away huge prizes to whomever answers-provided that the call-ees are tuned into Heidt's show. This format worked beautifully for the real Pot O' Gold radio program, but tends to fall flat on screen, despite the energetic musical contributions of Horace Heidt and his entourage (including a very young and astonishingly articulate Art Carney, in his film debut). In England, Pot O' Gold was retitled The Golden Hour. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast James Stewart as James Hamilton Haskel Paulette Goddard as Molly McCorkle Burgess Meredith as Horace Heidt as Himself Charles Winninger as C.J. Haskell Mary Gordon as Ma McCorkle Frank Melton as Jasper Jed Prouty as Mr. Louderman Dick Hogan as Willie McCorkle James Burke as Lieutenant Grady Charles Arnt as Parks Donna Wood as Donna McCorkle Larry Cotton as Himself William Gould as Chalmers Aldrich Bowker as Judge Murray

Crew Larry Ceballos - Choreography Helen Taylor - Costume Designer William Tummel - First Assistant Director George Marshall - Director Lloyd Nosler - Editor Louis Forbes - Musical Direction/Supervision Hal Mohr - Cinematographer James Roosevelt - Producer Hans Peters - Set Designer Monte Brice - Screen Story Andrew Bennison - Screen Story Walter de Leon - Screenwriter Harry Tugend - Short Story Author

Pot O' Gold
Jimmy Stewart was one of the screen's finest and most reliable performers, and it's the rare film that his presence doesn't redeem, but even his presence can't make Pot o' Gold anything more than barely passable. The story is just so much silliness, a very weak plot that exists to string along a few so-so musical numbers. Granted, this is often the case with musical films, but the better ones make sure that the songs are worth waiting for, that the dialogue has some snap and/or sparkle to it, and the characters are engaging. Gold is not so lucky. It doesn't even have performers with a real knack for musicals as its leads, for Stewart's voice is thin and he doesn't have the innate flair that musical performing demands. Paulette Goddard comes off a bit better musically, but she's no Ann Miller. Both Stewart and Goddard do the best they can with the dramatic demands of their parts, but there's absolutely no chemistry between them. George Marshall's direction is workmanlike but uninspired, and only one musical number -- "Broadway Cabellero" -- is staged with any real distinction. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: 5.1: 5 full-range channels. Includes 3 for the front speakers, 2 surround channels for rear speakers, & 1 low-frequency effects (LFE) channel to carry deep bass effects Additional Features: Full length feature film Direct scene access Lobby poster Biography Interactive trivia questions and answers Movie credits MPAA Rating: DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 86 min Part of Series: Hollywood Classics   DVD Chapters: Side #1 0. Scene Index 1. Credits [11:19] 2. New City [9:32] 3. Off To Jail [11:36] 4. Initiation [8:41] 5. Uncle's Mansion [9:43] 6. The Plan [9:17] 7. Molly Sings [10:47] 8. Kitchen [7:49] 9. The Golden Call [6:43]