Pot o' Gold (1941)

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Haydn Roth Evans (idea) &
Robert Brilmayer (idea) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 April 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

It's the prize romantic laugh of the year... more fun than winning the POT O' GOLD!

Plot:

Jimmy, the owner of a failed music shop, goes to work with his uncle, the owner of a food factory. Before he gets there...

Plot Keywords:

Music Shop | Harmonica | Public Domain | Feud | Big Band

Cast

James Stewart	...	James Hamilton 'Jimmy' Haskell
Paulette Goddard	...	Molly McCorkle
Horace Heidt	...	Himself, Horace Heidt
Charles Winninger	...	Charles 'C.J.' Haskell
Mary Gordon	...	Mom McCorkle
Frank Melton	...	Jasper Backus
Jed Prouty	...	J.K. Louderman
Charles Arnt	...	Parks (butler) (as Charlie Arnt)
Dick Hogan	...	Willie McCorkle
James Burke	...	Police Lt. Grady
Donna Wood	...	Donna McCorkle
Larry Cotton	...	Larry Cotton, Vocalist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Beverly Andre	...	Alice (uncredited)
Herbert Ashley	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Harry Bowen	...	Streetsweeper (uncredited)
Aldrich Bowker	...	Judge Mike Murray (uncredited)
Ed Brady	...	Fruit & Vegetable Vendor (uncredited)
Frankie Carle	...	Frankie, Pianist (uncredited)
Art Carney	...	Band Member / Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Virginia Carroll	...	Haskell's Secretary (uncredited)
Ken Christy	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Police Officer McGinty (uncredited)
Abe Dinovitch	...	Fish Peddler (uncredited)
Evelyn Dockson	...	Mrs. Sweeney (uncredited)
Fern Emmett	...	Boy's Mother (uncredited)
Carlos Fernando	...	Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Sheriff Bud Connolly (uncredited)
John Frank	...	Drunken Cellmate (uncredited)
Jody Gilbert	...	Helga Svenson (uncredited)
William Gould	...	Chalmers (attorney) (uncredited)
Eddie Gribbon	...	Expressman (uncredited)
Paul Gustine	...	Minitor Man (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Ray Hanson	...	Office in Courtroom (uncredited)
John Holland	...	Sponsor (uncredited)
Bud Jamison	...	Drunken Cellmate (uncredited)
Roy Lester	...	Jitterbug (uncredited)
Charles McAvoy	...	Turnkey (uncredited)
Jewel McGowan	...	Jitterbug (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Jailer (uncredited)
Nellie V. Nichols	...	Mrs. Poppadolis (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Country Club Waiter (uncredited)
David Oliver	...	Drunken Cellmate (uncredited)
Max Ong	...	Wong Lung - Chinese laundry worker (uncredited)
Nestor Paiva	...	Canadian Guide (uncredited)
Victor Potel	...	Olaf Svenson (uncredited)
Purnell Pratt	...	Thompson (uncredited)
Tom Quinn	...	Announcer (uncredited)
Alvino Rey	...	Pedal Steel Guitar Player (uncredited)
Claire Rochelle	...	Mrs. Stevens - Mary's Mother (uncredited)
Buddy Roosevelt	...	Office in Anteroom (uncredited)
Henry Roquemore	...	Mr. Samson - Federal Inspector (uncredited)
Mel Ruick	...	Announcer (uncredited)
Mary Ruth	...	Mary Stevens - Gifted Little Piano Player (uncredited)
Tim Ryan	...	'Snooky' - Spieler (uncredited)
Adele Smith	...	Flashy Girl (uncredited)
Harland Tucker	...	Sponsor (uncredited)
Fred Walburn	...	Boy in Doorway (uncredited)
Jay Ward	...	Boyfriend (uncredited)
Pat West	...	Trading Post Manager (uncredited)
George Whalley	...	Haskell's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Paul White	...	Bootblack (uncredited)
Stan Worth	...	Tommy - Young Trombonist (uncredited)

Directed by
George Marshall

Writing credits
Haydn Roth Evans		(idea) &
Robert Brilmayer		(idea)
Andrew Bennison		(story) &
Monte Brice		(story) &
Harry Tugend		(story)
Walter DeLeon		(screenplay)

Produced by
James Roosevelt	....	producer

Original Music by
Louis Forbes		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Hal Mohr		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Lloyd Nosler

Art Direction by
Hans Peters

Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol

Costume Design by
Helen Taylor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Tummel	....	assistant director (as William F. Tummel)

Sound Department
Pete Decker	....	sound
Percy Townsend	....	sound (as P.J. Townsend)

Camera and Electrical Department
Harry Jackson	....	cinematographer: dance
Ned Scott	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Nat Bergman	....	musician: harmonica dubbing for James Stewart
Louis Forbes	....	musical director (as Lou Forbes)
Basil Adlam	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Jerry Adler	....	musician: harmonica dubbing for James Stewart (uncredited)
Dudley Chambers	....	vocal director (uncredited)
Frank De Vol	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Larry Ceballos	....	dance director
Nouannipha Simon	....	subtitles: original version with French subtitles (uncredited)
Adolph Winninger	....	stand-in: Charles Winninger (uncredited)

Production Companies

• James Roosevelt Productions (as Globe)

Distributors

• United Artists (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astor Pictures Corporation (194?) (USA) (theatrical) (retitled rerelease)
• Simitar Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Laserlight Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Take 2 Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Platinum Disc (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Allumination Filmworks (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• CN Publishing (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Finnkino (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• GoDigital Media Group (2010) (worldwide) (all media) (digital)
• Hollywood Classics (200?) (France) (DVD)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Passport Video (2007) (Pakistan) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Sony BMG (2003) (France) (DVD)
• Suevia Films (2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1996) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

"Jimmy Steps Out" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Sweden:Btl | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) | UK:U (original rating) | Finland:K-18 | USA:Approved (TF1 certificate) | Spain:T | Australia:G

Company:

James Roosevelt Productions

Trivia:

Jerry Adler, younger brother of Larry Adler, taught James Stewart how to hold the harmonica and mime the playing for the movie, and was the person who did the actual playing of the harmonica music supposedly done by Stewart, who continued playing the instrument after the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Jimmy follows Molly to the house, the bag of apples is held waist-high by the bottom of the bag. In the closer shot, the bag has disappeared and his hand is down by his side. When he brings the bag back into view, he is holding it at the top whereas previously he held it by the bottom.

Quotes:

Inmates:[singing] You gotta get up, you gotta get up, you're in the army now!
Hames Hamilton 'Jimmy' Haskell:Johnny plays the bugle, he knows the calls from A to Z. But he's always at his best when blowing reveille.
Inmates:So Johnny blows and blows...
Hames Hamilton 'Jimmy' Haskell:He toot-a-lee-toots you into your clothes.
Inmates:And makes you rue the day that you were born. There's nothing any one can do. The captain has to make it too! So you gotta get up, you gotta get up!

Soundtrack:

A Knife, a Fork and a Spoon

The Most unusual move Jimmy Stewart even did.

As a concert organist/pianist always interested in musicals I just discovered this movie five days ago (5-1-05).

I was stunned by the musicality of the performers. These guys and gals could really sing and play...what a joy to hear fantastic intonation and real "in tune" singing.

The boarding house number is easily one of the most beautifully done and also the most complicated. The guys really played the water glasses and I can tell you that trying to get crystal to play as a "glass harmonica" (invented by Ben Franklin) is no easy job.

From start to finish a truly heartwarming film. From a more innocent era and one without guile. I laughed my self silly during the "drive uncle Charlie crazy" sequence.

How anyone could not like this as pure clean fun is beyond me. Perhaps you are hearing "Bugles on the phone"...hahaha,