Worst film of James Stewart's career! The musical comedy George Marshall "Pot o" Gold") (1941) became the 29th film in the "track record"James Stewart. To a greater extent, this production is significant by the fact that it is this production that Stuart will later call "the worst of all the films" (!) in which he has ever acted.
Plot: After closing his record store due to losses, Jimmy Haskell (James Stewart) is forced to agree to work for the company owned by his wealthy uncle, Charles Haskell (Charles Winninger). Before starting work, Jimmy manages to get acquainted with Molly McCorkle (Paulette Goddard) - a singer in a jazz orchestra headed by Horace Haidt (the leader of the orchestra and musicians play themselves).
The musicians live and rehearse in the house of Molly’s mother (Mary Gordon), but they have no work yet. After getting to know everyone better, Jimmy, of course, is more inclined to join the orchestra than to start working for his uncle (and he falls in love with Molly). However, his future with the girl and the orchestra has several obstacles. First of all, Uncle Jimmy hates music, and no less fiercely feuds with the girl's mother. And, secondly, Molly herself (unlike musicians) does not know whose nephew Jimmy is.
So, on the example of the musical "Pot of Gold" we can observe the unsuccessful "attraction" from the series "children of US presidents are trying to conquer show business". In this case, we are talking about James Roosevelt (the eldest son of the 32nd President of the United States - Franklin Delano Roosevelt), who in the late 1930s and the early 1940s tried unsuccessfully to achieve success in Hollywood.
It was he who acted as the producer of this film, created by his own company "Globe Productions" (which ceased to exist shortly after the failure of the film at the box office). As for the film itself, it was inspired by the radio quiz, which was called the same as the production of George Marshall, and was aired on the air from 1939 to 1941 (according to the plot of the picture, this game is invented by the hero of James Stewart).
However, it is hardly worth looking for the history of the origin of this quiz, since, to a greater extent, "Pot..." is similar to its full-length advertising. This partly evokes thoughts about another musical, shot in the same 1941 and, according to similar patterns, advertised the famous ski resort - "Sun Valley Serenade". In both films, a certain, but necessarily well-known jazz orchestra is involved (in this case, it is an orchestra under the control of Khoras Haidt), which plays a fairly important role in the plot.
Also, famous actors are invited to the main roles there and there. Moreover, if in "Serenade..." (at the time of her filming) to the number of such could be attributed, in principle, only the famous figure skater Sonya Henie, the producers decided "to forknow" at once on two Hollywood stars (in the person of James Stewart and Paulette Goddard). However, the approach that worked well in "Serenade...", George Marshall's staging did not help at all.
However, in some ways this creation can even be called "harmonious" - almost everything is bad in it, from the script to the acting. The script, which has been worked on by several people, looks as if its authors were tasked with taking unused lyrics written for 15 different short films and combining them all into one plot.
It is not known whether this was true, but the final result came out corresponding to the above - "Pot..." more like a set of barely "glued" episodes interspersed with musical numbers. Moreover, any of these episodes can be safely removed from the plot absolutely without any harm to the overall picture. In many ways, therefore, it does not make much sense to seriously analyze the script of the film.
Not saving the situation and directing George Marshall (also was the second producer of the film). The director has already worked with James Stewart before, filming him in 1939 in the wonderful comedy western Destry is back in the saddle. But, looking at "Pot of gold", it seems that all his work here was limited to general commands like "Motor!" and " Stop! It was cut! and the rest of the time he was just sleeping.
The cast, unfortunately, only replenishes this list of disappointments. James Stewart in 1941, after a number of successful roles in the films Capra, Lubich and Cukor, clearly there was a regression in his film career - this is the second film in a row (after "Come Live with Me"), the actor practices "repetition of what he passed." In this case, he repeats the type from his even earlier works like "Animated Lady" and "You can't take it with you" (both - 1938), that is, again plays "a young man oppressed by his own parents" (in this case, uncle).
And, not to say that Stuart somehow radically fails his role - but, after the successes that the actor had before, such a "return to the origins" is no longer perceived. Among other things, he also had to sing here (the game Stuart on the harmonica was duplicated Jerry Adler), but the frankly stupid song "When Johnny Toots His Horn" clearly does not pretend to be another hit with his filing, as it was with the classic "Easy to Love" from the musical "Born to Dance"
Even worse is the case with Paulette Goddard (vocals - Vera Wen). Firstly, she does not look too convincing and abrupt in the role of a cute and charming girl with whom the main character falls in love. Secondly, the actor's "chemistry" between her and Stuart in the frame is clearly actively "aspires to zero" (which, in general, is not surprising, especially given the fact that both did not get along with each other during the shooting).
Well, and thirdly, although Paulette had some choreographic experience in the past, the actress clearly needed someone who would be able to direct her dance talents in the right direction (for example, Fred Astaire, with whom she starred a year earlier in the musical The Second Choir). However, she did not have the same strong dance partner here, which is why the result came out appropriate - in the frame Paulette showed frank detachment and constantly lost her rhythm.
Presented as themselves, Horace Haidt and his orchestra also do not brighten up the overall result (not to mention the fact that they are all very far from Glenn Miller's guys musically!). Well, and finally, it remains to say about the musical numbers in "Pot of gold", which, continuing the trend set by the rest of the film, do not cause anything when watching except boredom, longing and sadness. I personally could not find any memorable songs or bright dances here.
In conclusion, it remains to be noted that this film was so unsuccessful in all respects that it can even be used as a manual on the topic: How can you not make musicals? James Stuart was definitely right when he thought George Marshall's production was the worst of his career. Therefore, in view of the above, I will refrain from any recommendations for review.
2 out of 10