Pot o' Gold (1941) starring James Stewart, Paulette Goddard, Horace Heidt, Charles Winninger, Mary Gordon, Frank Melton directed by George Marshall Movie Review

Pot o' Gold (1941)   3/53/53/53/53/5


James Stewart in Pot o' Gold (1941) (aka: The Golden Hour)

Definitely not Stewart's Golden Hour

As a fan of James Stewart I always look forward to watching one of his movies I've never seen but on watching "Pot o' Gold" or "The Golden Hour" as it is also known I wished I hadn't. There isn't anything hugely wrong with "Pot o' Gold" and it's most certainly not a stinker but it is a movie which feels like its on auto pilot. There is absolutely nothing special about it and is easily forgotten as it plays like everyone involved was either acting, singing, directing and so on because it was a job not because they really wanted to make "Pot o' Gold".

Jimmy (James Stewart - The Philadelphia Story) loves his music but with his music shop struggling to pay the bills his Uncle, Charles 'C.J.' Haskell (Charles Winninger), offers him a job working for him at his health food factory. But on his way to join his Uncle's business he meets the musical McCorkle family and in particular Molly McCorkle (Paulette Goddard - North West Mounted Police) who he hits it off with. But the McCorkle's don't get on with Jimmy's Uncle as he dislikes music and so Jimmy finds himself caught in the middle as he tries to find away to put an end to the arguments between the family and his Uncle.

Paulette Goddard in Pot o' Gold (1941) (aka: The Golden Hour)

The actual storyline to "Pot o' Gold" feels both plain and unimportant and you get a slight feeling that maybe some company wanted the movie made purely because it would serve as good advertising. It is that sort of movie and although it tries to create a storyline which mixes romance with confusion comedy it fails to really grab your attention and as such is quite forgettable. It really does have that feeling of being thrown together because either someone just wanted to make a movie or they needed to find work for cast & crew, something quick and easy to do in between better movies.

As such "Pot o' Gold" has very few highlights with the comedy struggling to really make you laugh. It manages to make you smile with various amusing scenes but it feels as ordinary as the storyline. Where "Pot o' Gold" does work to a point are through the various musical scenes with the big production around the dining table being one which gets your foot tapping. Unfortunately whilst enjoyable at the time it is as easily forgotten as the rest of the movie and not all the musical numbers are that good as some are a little surreal and out of context such as when Molly is dreaming of Jimmy, it is as corny as hell.

Talking of Molly and Jimmy well there is meant to be romance between them which doesn't run smoothly due to Jimmy being a Haskell. But it again feels all rather routine and doesn't really work because there is absolutely no chemistry between James Stewart and Paulette Goddard. In scenes where they are meant to be looking lovingly at each other the looks are more of bemusement, probably from both James Stewart and Paulette Goddard wondering what they are doing making such a pointless movie.

Aside from the lack of romantic chemistry it also feels like both James Stewart and Paulette Goddard are on auto pilot, doing what it takes to get the job done. So what we get is James Stewart delivering us a nice guy character who seems to almost muddle through life in an easy going way. It's something which Stewart did so effortlessly but here there is no life to his performance as he goes through a well worn routine. And Paulette Goddard is no different as she looks lovely, acts a bit fiery but basically just trots out a generic character. And to be honest all the cast which includes Horace Heidt, Charles Winninger and Mary Gordon all seem to be doing exactly the same, going through the motions.

What this all boils down to is that "Pot o' Gold" is not a bad movie just one which feels like it was done quick and done on auto pilot. The storyline is simple and uninteresting, the actors feel like they are going through the motions and whilst the musical numbers get your foot tapping they are also forgettable. And that is the thing about "Pot o' Gold" it is forgettable.


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