Pot o' Gold

I was surprised by this movie. Pleasantly surprised, but surprised. I bought this for $2 expecting an early, unpolished Jimmy Stewart. However, made after 'It's a Wonderful Life', 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington', 'Philadelphia Story' and other Stewart classics, this movie gives us the Jimmy Stewart we all know and love.

In terms of the rest of the movie, the plot is thin, and doesn't quite deliver on the comedic mayhem for which this story certainly has the potential. The dialogue isn't quite as quick and witty as one would like, because this is where Jimmy Stewart shines the brightest in films like 'Harvey', 'Philadelphia Story', and 'Destry Rides Again' with his slow drawl and deadpan delivery.

The musical numbers are generally well integrated with good music, until the Caballero song towards the end which drags on too long and seems to suffer from Busby Berkeley envy. But then again, who doesn't?

Overall, this is a quality film, especially for devoted fans of Mr. Stewart.

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,

A really fun movie. The music was performed live in front of a camera, no overdubing. I was amazed at how well arranged, choregraphed and performed the pieces were. I only wish that the DVD master had cleaned up the sound more and brought out better frequency response.

Jimmy Stewart was his usual charming self. Its hard to hate a movie with Jimmy in it. Even better, Jimmy actually sang and did quite well with the song. The first half of the movie had me laughing out loud!

This is a nice little part for Stewart, he's the reason to watch it. Stewart's demeanor and delivery are a joy to watch and he delivers some great classic comic moments. The story has that Shakespearean comedy feeling: comedy driven by mistaken identity which ends in marriage. Some good color added by journeyman studio character actors. There's some nicely blended musical numbers which mesh naturally with the story ... then there's the big production number during the radio program which feels like it dropped in from another planet and during the boarding house initiation number, I kept worrying about the stew getting cold. Aside from the musical interludes, the story is tight and never loses its way, delivering comic payoffs all along.

I have a Super 8 Sound print of this gem, and it has been an audience favorite for years at my "Movie Nights"-- no figuring out an involved, complicated plot-- Jimmy is a nice guy, Paulette is gorgeous, and the movie mesmerizes the audience with the corny comedy, predictable outcomes and more than memorable music (who can forget "With a Knife, A Fork, and A Spoon"?) This is Hollywood escapism to the Nth degree-- songs that work, sets that satisfy and a story line as simple as a Hallmark card, all of it embellished with two young and energetic stars surrounded by the musical genius of Horace Heidt and his crew. I haven't screened this one in years, but I plan to show it soon enough--a perfect example of why movies always beat reality.