Pot o' Gold (1941)
This is a rousing, fun, slightly goofy movie that has a couple important aspects if you actually watch it through. First, there is the persona of James Stewart in a pre-Wonderful Life role that must have influenced Capra in that 1946 film. Second, the war is winding up and here is a Big Band inspired kind of cheerleading about community and keeping a good face on things as the world falls apart.
Director George Marshall clearly had a mandate from somewhere not to take this too seriously. Even as a musical, it's got some creaky story elements and a number of forced scenes. But it's the 1940s, and Hollywood has really learned how to crank out a good movie, so this one is fast, has some great musical numbers, and is tightly if conventionally filmed.
Besides Stewart is Paulette Godard, who is an underrated natural, once upon a time Charlie Chaplin's wife (she had the starring role in "Modern Times"). It's also fun to see Stewart pretending to play harmonica--he's right on the with it, so he probably played pretty well.
So, no great shakes here, unless you like that period music a lot.
This is a rousing, fun, slightly goofy movie that has a couple important aspects if you actually watch it through. First, there is the persona of James Stewart in a pre-Wonderful Life role that must have influenced Capra in that 1946 film. Second, the war is winding up and here is a Big Band inspired kind of cheerleading about community and keeping a good face on things as the world falls apart.
Director George Marshall clearly had a mandate from somewhere not to take this too seriously. Even as a musical, it's got some creaky story elements and a number of forced scenes. But it's the 1940s, and Hollywood has really learned how to crank out a good movie, so this one is fast, has some great musical numbers, and is tightly if conventionally filmed.
Besides Stewart is Paulette Godard, who is an underrated natural, once upon a time Charlie Chaplin's wife (she had the starring role in "Modern Times"). It's also fun to see Stewart pretending to play harmonica--he's right on the with it, so he probably played pretty well.
So, no great shakes here, unless you like that period music a lot.