Pot o' Gold (1941)

You won't be disappointed!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Jimmy Haskell (James Stewart) is a music-loving teacher. His food processing tycoon music-hating uncle C.J. Haskell pushes him to close his late father's failing music store and go work for him. C.J. is battling the musical McCorkle family and trying to buy up their property. Jimmy arrives in the city and is befriended by Molly McCorkle (Paulette Goddard). As C.J. sets the cops on the McCorkles, Molly convinces Jimmy to throw a rotten tomato which hits C.J. in the face. Jimmy has to keep his relationships secret from both his uncle and from Molly.I don't know much about Jimmy Stewart in musicals. It's not necessarily his forte but the rom-com with Paulette Goddard is right up his alley. The setup is fun and the story is ready to go but something is off. The story meanders into a mess. Stewart and Goddard simply don't have enough time together. Jimmy should man-up to his uncle. It makes him look weak in personality and his love for Molly. It adds up to a movie of what could have been.

Any movie star, even the greatest, under contract to a studio had his or her share of duds. But this is one I have trouble understanding. How did James Stewart, an actor who probably is in the top 10 of all-time great stars, land in this film? Especially after just winning the Oscar."Pot o' Gold" appears to have been an independent production by one James Roosevelt, FDR's son, and it was distributed through United Artists. It's about a young man, James Hamilton Haskel, who runs his dad's music store. The store isn't doing well, and his Uncle Charley (Charles Winninger) wants him to be part of his big health food business. James accepts for financial reasons. Uncle Charley is going crazy with the swing music being played next to his factory by the McCorkle family and Horace Heidt's band. Ma McCorkle and Uncle Charley hate one another. Without knowing that he's related to Uncle Charlie, the daughter, Molly (Paulette Goddard) falls for James. This leads to all sorts of complications, culminating on a radio show, the Haskel Happiness Hour.This is a mid-level musical at best, with Jimmy doing some of his own singing, though he's also dubbed, and Paulette Goddard, who came close to being Scarlett O'Hara, is dubbed all the way through. The band music is very good."Pot o' Gold" has a low-budget look to it, and supposedly James Stewart hated this film. I can't blame him. I just don't know how or why he and Goddard became mixed up in it.

Good picker upper style film. Classic Stewart. Reminded me of You Can't Take it With You. I was watching this as part of a 2 sided DVD. With Made For Each Other. Which isn't really a comedy. But Pot O Gold, rather hilarious. Especially when Stewart finds out who he really hit with that tomato. :) Get the feeling a few people wound up on It's a Wonderful Life. But can't tell. All in all well worth the $1 I paid for it. Probably would but it on a $10 version too. The only real complaint is the movie is a bit on the short side. I would disagree with a few here saying it's not worth their time. There's quite a few movies out there that aren't worth my time, this isn't one of them.Full rating: 6/10 Quality: 4/10 Entertainment 7/10 Replayable: 5/10

A musical comedy that could withstand any other production since it was done straight forward in front of the cameras and no dubbing was used. It's therefore a remarkable production. It's a pity that no comment has been given on the part of James Stewart's handling the harmonica in such an excellent way. It was Jerry Adler, the younger brother of Larry, that taught James how to hold the harmonica in a professional way. One would think he is really playing himself. As a harmonica player myself, I was disappointed by the fact that the harmonica band were stand-in players, and not the real "Cappy Barra Harmonica Band." Overall an excellent and entertaining movie with some of the best musicians in the business at that time.