"The Jackpot" is a story about Bill Lawrence, an ordinary man with a lovely wife, two growing kids, a regular job and a good group of friends. But this ordinary man thinks his life is too ordinary, too boring. Then one night he has an opportunity to answer a question on a radio quiz show. Once he gives the correct answer and begins to receive the prizes, his life is no longer boring or ordinary. Of course he soon wishes things were back to normal. Jimmy Stewart is such a pleasure to watch as he runs through a whole gamut of emotional upheavals. He goes from his routine life to the stress of trying to win the contest, to the euphoria of winning, to the turmoil when the prizes arrive, and then to the shocking discovery that he'll have to pay taxes on them. Barbara Hale is wonderful as his patient wife, who gets a little fed up with him as he laments his life decisions. James Gleason is also noteworthy as Bill's friend and adviser. While the story in itself isn't top notch, the acting more than makes up for it.
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mbang-130 August 2005
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bkoganbing16 July 2006The Jackpot features James Stewart in another incarnation of his George Bailey, Mr. Average Man persona. Like Bailey, Jimmy Stewart is the average man with a wife and two kids. Only his Mr. Potter is his boss Fred Clark at the department store where he's a Vice President. But like Bailey he's feeling stuck in a rut in his small town.
That all changes when he gets a call from the Name the Mystery Husband quiz show and with a little help from James Gleason he gets the right answer. He wins $24,000.00+ in prizes, but no one tells him of the complications that go with it.
Barbara Hale steps nicely into Donna Reed's shoes and Natalie Wood and Tommy Rettig are the two children. Best in the supporting cast are Lyle Talbot, the department store's other vice president and one slobbering bootlicker and Alan Mowbray as an officious interior decorator.
Mowbray is playing a part and playing it well that another 20th Century Fox star, Clifton Webb would have eaten for breakfast. I wonder if the part in fact was offered to Webb. Maybe he turned it down because at that point he was a big name box office draw and the part of the obviously gay interior decorator might have been too close to home for those times.
The Jackpot is an enjoyable family comedy. Director Walter Lang got good performances out of his very talented cast. -
Another IMDb review commented that if Jimmy Stewart hadn't starred in this it would not have been worth watching and that's probably true. Its certainly the only reason I decided to watch it in my quest to watch all Jimmy Stewart films. The thing that strikes me about The Jackpot is that it is a comedy and even has some genuine slapstick moments and some terrific physical comedy (which I adore when done properly.) However, the film also often has this sad tone to it making it far more of a dark comedy then you might initially think. At times you feel so much empathy for Stewart's character that it is more sad than funny. Still I laughed and chuckled quite a bit but felt it was almost morbid laughing at this poor guy's pain. The film holds up very well to modern day standards and you really do feel a sense of how much this guy has won and how you could relate to it in modern day given his prize winnings total $24,000 dollars which would probably be closer to $100,000 nowadays if not more. The movie is fun, a little intense at times and you definitely wonder what direction it is going in. It is probably one of the more unique comedies I have ever seen. I'm not sure it would translate nearly as well in a modern remake but this one holds up anyways.
I feel silly writing about James Stewart again. I have seen so many of his films in the last two years and the guy is practically a Hollywood god so how can you even talk about his performances any more or less than one has already done. Stewart is charismatic and in every movie (including/especially this one) he makes you feel every single emotion that he goes through. It is exactly why It's A Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington etc are such powerful classics because he makes you become his character and understand them intricately. Barbara Hale is Stewart's frustrated wife desperately trying to understand and help her husband and is overjoyed with the gifts from The Jackpot. Their relationship deteriorates as they get deeper into their problems caused by the winnings. Hale is quite good and their chemistry is excellent. They are completely believable as the average suburban couple. The supporting cast are all very good including especially good performances from Fred Clark as Stewart's disgruntled boss, Alan Mowbray as the vibrant decorator Leslie (playing very gay before that would have ever been considered), Patricia Medina and James Gleason. Also worth mentioning Stewart and Hale's two children are played by Natalie Wood and Tommy Rettig and despite very small roles they are both quite good.
Director Walter Lang had his hand in many slapstick comedies and the best praise I can give to The Jackpot is that it isn't your average "comedy." It is different and fun and a little emotional and just a really well written script. Certainly having Stewart as your star automatically ups the ante but the script is good regardless. It is simple enough but effective and you won't be bored for a single moment. The pacing of the movie is good and it absolutely sends you on an emotional roller coaster of a ride along with our star. Towards the climax of the film we watch their marriage hit this rocky spot and you are on the edge of your seat waiting to find out how things work out. In the end if a message about family and life in the same vein as Its A Wonderful Life but not quite as memorable. Still if you love Stewart, Hale, or classic comedies then please check this one out!! 7.5/10 -
dougdoepke7 September 2008Amusing little programmer that may be dated, but moves along nicely. Department store exec Jimmy Stewart has a suburban home, two cute kids, and a dutiful wife (Barbara Hale). He's a little bored but otherwise okay. That is, until he wins a yard full of dubious prizes (fruit trees, 1000 cans of soup, et. al.) from a radio show. That's sort of okay too, until he finds out he's got to pay $7000 in taxes on loot they really can't use. Now the happy home turns upside down and into a sales bazaar as Stewart tries to raise the tax money and get his life back to normal. However, the complications pile up almost as fast and furiously as the chuckles.
Clever script from the Ephrons (Henry & Phoebe), along with a number of nice touches from ace comedy director Walter Lang. Note how he has a card-playing guest humorously peek at the cards while others are distracted by the radio show-- that had to be an inspiration of the moment. Stewart, of course, brings his usual brand of amiable befuddlement to the comedy mix, and who better to play his department store boss than that 50's curmudgeon of big business, baldy Fred Clark, (I hope there's a special place in Hollywood heaven for unsung performers like him).
I remember the mystery-guest quiz shows that the movie portrays. They were popular and fascinating for an audience trying to unravel the riddle of the celebrity guest (eg. Jack Benny as the "Walking Man"). I don't know, but I'll bet that those shows started paying the taxes on prizes after this movie was released. This is a good example of the kind of family comedy that soon migrated to 50's sit-com (Ozzie & Harriet; Leave it to Beaver). Probably it would not have been produced 5 years later, quiz-show premise or not. Nonetheless, there's enough human interest and clever comedy set-ups to overcome the period limitations and keep you entertained. -
redryan6422 May 2008Where did this movie come from and who has been hiding it for all these years? Was it you, Ruppert Murdoch? This was on Fox Movie Channel today and what a surprise it is! When you view a film which has been up until "the moment" unheard of, it's like viewing a New Jimmy Stewart starring vehicle.
THERE is also a distinction between a "Movie" and a "Film". Sure, the two terms are interchangeable and virtually synonymous; yet there seems to be a definite distinction in usage. To us regular old fun, adventure, action and strictly escapist entertainment type of Motion Pictures are "Movies"; whereas any production which is of a Grand Scale, represents an Accurate Historical Portrayal, is highly Cinematic in Style or is otherwise considered to be a "Major Motion Picture" is considered a "Film". (This includes most Biopics and Musical Adaptations from the Legitimate Broadway Stage.)
OUR fondest recollections of Mr. James Stewart's work is mainly (if not totally) made up of celluloid works that would have to be most certainly Film. Starting with a pair of Frank Capra's gems as in MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (Columbia, 1939) and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (Liberty Pictures/RKO Radio, 1946). First rate productions of Film Biographies were his strong suit, also; with examples aplenty. Jimmy starred as tragic Chicago White Sox Pitcher, Monty Stratton in THE STRATTON STORY (MGM, 1949), the title role in THE GLENN MILLER STORY (Universal, 1953) and as 'Lucky Lindy'(Himself), Charles Lindbergh in THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS (Leland-Wilder Productions/Warner Brothers, 1957).
FURTHERMORE, other typical roles for Mr. Stewart (other than the occasional Comedy or Farce) were usually very strong, heroic types; such as: Chicago Newspaper Man, P.J. McNeal in CALLING NORTHSIDE 777 (20th Century-Fox, 1948), THE STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (Paramount Pictures Corporation. 1955) and as Tenderfoot 'Pilgrim' Attorney, Ransom Stoddard in John Ford's THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (John Ford Productions/Paramount, 1962).
SMALL wonder then that a lot of moviegoers & film buffs tend to dismiss a Comedy/Farce such as THE JACKPOT (20th Century-Fox, 1950) as being a production that was below Jimmy's talents and stature as a true, Box Office stuffing, Red Blooded, All-American type and Movie Star to boot! JACKPOT is, after all, not really much of a story; being suggested by a story published in The New Yorker Magazine about the Radio Industry and some of the idiosyncrasies of the Game Shows & Giveaways of the period.
With it's simple and straight forward scenario, THE JACKPOT may well have been an old 2 Reel Comedy of the Late Silent or Early Talkie Eras. It could easily be built on starring a young Harold Lloyd, 'Baby-Faced' Harry Langdon or Stan Laurel (in his pre-Laurel & Hardy teaming). The story, as thin as it is, exists for our laughter and enjoyment.
OUR STORY .....In the proverbial Nut Shell, regular old average working American, Bill Lawrence (Mr. Stewart) answers a Radio Quiz Show' Jackpot Question (Hence the title; get it, Schultz?) and wins $24,000.00+ as the prize; well, not exactly! The prize is worth that (retail?), but it comes in the form of Goods and Services, rather than in Cold Ca$h Dollar$, in the Currency of the U$A, it is made up of a Crazy Quilt of disconnected items such as a Quarter Ton of Beef, Hundreds of Cases of Canned Soups, a real Pony, a House Trailer and many items of Jewelry such as multiple wristwatches and a Diamond Ring.
OTHER prize items include a Home Remake by famous Interior Decorator, 'Leslie' (Alan Mowbry) and a Portrait Painting by equally famous Painter, Hilda Jones (Patricia Medina).
THE story unfolds with the Story of Mr. Bill Lawrence's win making Front Page News, especially in this small, Indiana Town. All of the complications and unintended consequences that follow make up the action on the screen. Plain and simple, straightforward occurrences that upset the heretofore happy lives of Bill & Amy Lawrence (Barbara Hale-Woo,woo,woo,woo! Della Street never looked so good!), their kids, Phyllis (a young Natalie Wood-Woo,woo,woo,woo, too!) and an even younger and shorter Tommy (Tommy Rettig, "LASS-IEEE!").
A fine supporting cast is present and includes James Gleason, Fred Clark, Lyle Talbot, Billy Nelson, Phillip Van Zandt, John Qualen, Robert Gist, Frances Budd, Dulcie Day, Fritz Feld, Ann Doran, Estelle Etterre, June Evans, Walter Baldwin and many more faces we know. ( . But the names?) THE JACKPOT is meant to let us sit back, let our hair down and enjoy the laughter; even if some of them are kinda obvious and we can see 'um a comin'.
JUST ENJOY!!
POODLE SCHNITZ!! -
planktonrules24 July 2008If this hadn't been a Jimmy Stewart film, then I probably would have enjoyed this film a lot more. After all, it's a pleasant little time-passer. However, for Stewart we have all come to expect so much more than just a simple script and a somewhat forgettable film. It isn't surprising that of all this films in the 1950s, this might be one of the most obscure ones and it's hardly ever shown on TV. They did release it on DVD some time back, but it's also apparently out of print and unavailable at Amazon. It's pretty obvious why this film never took off and is just about forgotten.
Jimmy plays an executive who works for a local department store. His life is pretty happy and ordinary. Then, out of the blue, he's contacted by a national radio contest with gobs of prizes. When he gets the right answer, he wins over $20,000 in prizes--though none of it is in cash. The cash would have been nice, as Stewart soon realizes he's not as lucky as he thought, as now he owes taxes on a lot of unnecessary goods AND his marriage and job are on the rocks--all thanks to the contest.
The acting is pretty good. I particularly liked James Gleason in support and Stewart is his usual affable self. However, not all the parts are written very well--in particular, Barbara Hale (who plays his wife) comes off as very petulant and nasty. This snappy personality didn't make sense, as she went from devoted wife to jealous ----- (I can't use the word--it won't pass IMDb standards).
Overall, the film certainly isn't bad and is worth a look. However, indifferent writing and a story that seems very forced make this a film you can skip or see as purely a time-passer. -
jotix10020 July 2012Those radio programs of yesterday had call in features about guessing on the air a question of different topics. If the person called answered it correctly, he, or she, would stand to win fabulous prizes which were always quoted in dollars. Most of the unsuspecting participants had no clue of what really was in store for them if they won.
That is exactly what happens to Bill Lawrence. He is happily married to Amy, a wonderful woman. They have two children and they are the picture of happiness American style. It was the boom years after WWII, so Bill had a nice job in his town's biggest department store. When he receives a call during the day to stay tuned to a radio station, he thought it was a big joke. After he realizes it is not, he frets when he has no clue as to what the right answer identifying a celebrity. With a little help of his friend, Harry Summers, he gets it right. The mystery man is none other than Harry James.
Little did Bill know what his life would turn out to be. The next day all his gifts start arriving. They go from the sublime to the ridiculous. The problem is the Lawrences do not have a house big enough to store all the goodies courtesy of the different sponsors of the radio program. Not only that, but an internal revenue agent appears to explain to them they owe seven thousand dollars because of all the gifts they received, money they do not have. The Lawrences are the victims of their own fortune! Bill must come with a solution to get them out of debt using whatever methods in his power.
This 1950 Twenty Century Fox comedy is hardly seen on television these days. It is a forgotten gem that will delight everyone. It is a story about innocence when a bonanza befalls a person who is not prepared what to do with his good fortune. Directed by Walter Lang, with a screenplay by Henry and Phoebe Ephron, a distinguished comedy writers with a long career in the movies. The idea for the film came out of an article that appeared in The New Yorker by John McNulty.
The film was obviously a vehicle for James Stewart who makes his Bill a delightful character. The film works because Mr. Stewart, a wonderful film actor, was an asset in anything he played. Barbara Hale appears as Amy Lawrence. The veteran James Gleason is on hand to give life to Harry Summers, the newspaper man who realizes what Bill is going through. Natalie Wood, Alan Mowbray, the wonderful Fred Clark, and Patricia Medina are seen in supporting roles. -
Beneath an innocuous story about a quiz show prize, there is a comic attack on a consumer society and the quest for more wealth.
Jimmy Stewart plays the man making around 7 grand a year (talk about inflation!) and hopes to win the.radio prize of 24 grand. Oddly his friends think he would never have to work a day in his life, though I'm not sure how far that 24 grand would have gone even in 1950. After all he's making just over 7 grand a year and has a few hundred in the bank so that award money would finance his and his family's life or less than 4 years!
Even worse, he doesn't even win the money but an absurd list of prizes. That's where the movie began to lose me. The entire radio sequence was ridiculously overdone. It's true old prize shows such as Queen for a Day did have a plethora of prizes, but they were relevant to the winner's needs, not just absurd awards like a pony or a maid or portrait artist, etc.
Despite its flaws this is one of the most interestingly plotted movies I know of. It goes all over the place and often om unexpected place.
The extended ratio sequence certainly diminishes the movie for me. But otherwise it was rather entertaining with a doze of originality.
What can one say about James Stewart, in my view the greatest actor in the history of the Hollywood cinema. I love Brando, but I can't imagine even Brando successfully handling the range of parts that Stewart played.
Barbara Hale, later of Perry Mason TV series, was a strong presence in the movie, though a very young Natalie Wood seemed unrecognizable.as the daughter. One would never have guessed she would shine as a beauty queen in adult roles. Tommy Rettig, who played the son, later got the part of the boy in the Lassie TV series.
Fred Clark, who later was the second best Harry. Morton in the Burns and Allen series seems to have been ubiquitous in films of this era, and always successfully so.
I wish I had paid more attention to the music score; but, oddly, I don't recall a single underscore cue in the entire film. I'll have to see the movie again to check the accuracy of that statement.
In sum, even apart from the interesting plotting of the story, and despite the longueurs of the radio sequence, any Jimmy Stewart is foolproof. -
I have a question that goes beyond the one that's in this movie - Who is the Mystery Husband? (and by the way, I recognized his voice) - WHAT was THE James Stewart doing in a B movie? Did he owe Fox a film or what? That to me is the most intriguing question.
Stewart doesn't raise this film to A status, but having him in it certainly brings it up a notch. He plays husband and father Bill Lawrence - maybe George Bailey 20 years hence "It's A Wonderful Life" had it not been for Clarence - who's bored with the routine and, in middle age, realizing that the house, the wife, the kids, the job, - this is it. As he puts it, he's not going to the North Pole. Then he gets a call from the Federal Broadcasting System to make sure he's home that evening to get a call from a quiz show. If he can answer the question correctly, he'll get $24,000 in prizes.
Bill answers correctly, and then the trouble begins. Where to put the fully-dressed quarter ton of meat, the 7,000 soups, the three years of frozen foods, the old furniture since the house is being made over, the pony, etc. And who's going to pay the taxes on all that stuff. These aren't the only headaches. Bill's wife (Barbara Hale) is jealous of the dishy dame (Patricia Medina) hired to paint Bill's portrait, so his marriage is going down the tubes.
This is a cute movie that does have some amusing bits in it, plus good backup from James Gleason and Fred Clark. The best for me was Bill deciding they need to sell stuff to pay taxes, and trying to do it on the sly in the department store where he works, waylaying customers like a guy who drags you into a back alley. Stewart is wonderful, as if he could ever be anything but, and Barbara Hale is lovely. But give me a break. This could have been a sit-com episode. I can't imagine what gun Darryl Zanuck held to Jimmy's head to get him to do this movie. Zanuck must have had dirt on him that no one else knew. -
Turk-414 November 1998One of Jimmy Stewart's most overlooked films. This picture is pure 1950's. Stewart is an overworked family man, (Similar to his role in Mr. Hobbs Takes A Vacation, but The Jackpot is a much better picture.) who wins a radio game show. Prizes range from the useful to the absurd. Everything is fine until he finds out he's got to pay taxes on all of his loot. Probably as much pure fun as any Jimmy Stewart picture.
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rmax30482319 March 2016Jimmy Stewart made so many memorable dramatic movies -- "Vertigo," "The Naked Spur" -- that it's easy to overlook what a splendid comedic actor he was. Not just heartwarmers like "It's a Wonderful Life" but flat-out comedies like "Bell, Book, and Candle" and "No Highway In The Sky." Well, I guess those two aren't thoroughbred comedies but they're amusing, and if the roles are more complex than, say, Jerry Lewis', why Stewart is the man to handle them.
Stewart is a middle-class husband and father who loves his wife, Barbara Hale, and his two kids, Natalie Wood and Tommy Rettig. He has a job as manager (or something) in a department store in an Indiana City. Everything is rolling along smoothly for Stewart, maybe a little boring, and then he has to go and give the correct answer on a radio quiz program, netting him some forty thousand 1950 dollars worth of merchandise, including hundreds of cans of soup and a side of beef.
His life is disrupted, his home invaded and turned upside down, he owes more in income taxes than he makes in a year, his wife throws him out, and he loses his job. But, yes, it's a comedy.
There must have been many men in Stewart's position in 1950. Like Stewart, many of them had spent the war years in uniform, leading lives of desperate excitement. Now they're home four or five years later with their loved ones and their tract houses and -- it's hard to put you finger on -- it's a routine that never changes. Tomorrow will be just like today.
All the performances are good, with Stewart at the top of his form, except that some people can play a drunk and others can't -- and he can't. But the most stunning performance comes during the brief appearance of Fritz Feld, the psychiatrist in "Bringing Up Baby," who is a long-haired piano player pounding out the Hungarian dances while Stewart is trying to hold an important conversation. Told to stop, Feld spins around, his eyes goggling, and his hands beside his ears, fingers opened like claws.
Pretty funny, all of it. -
russjones-808879 September 2020An employee at a store answers a phone call which results in him winning prizes on a radio quiz program worth $24,000. However, when he realises he has to pay tax of $7,500 on the prizes, he tries to sell items to raise the money and his family's life is thrown into turmoil.
Based on a play, in turn based on a true story, this is an entertaining comedy which was well received on release but is now surprisingly little known. Stars James Stewart, excellent as usual, and Barbara Hale with a good cast in support. -
"The Jackpot" is a fairly good comedy with a fine cast that includes some top supporting actors of the day. James Steward and Barbara Hale headline the film as Bill and Amy Lawrence. The comedy has a slight dark edge to it at times. The plot is mostly about efforts to get cash from some winnings to pay off the IRS. I think a better script with some more interplay among Bill's department store cohorts could have boosted the comedy. It's not among Stewart's better films.
Of course, it's a classic Jimmy Stewart role, and it did well at the box office. Fred Clark is very good - and much more likeable this time around, in his cantankerous growly persona as Andrew Woodruff. Alan Mowbray is always funny, and here he's a hoot as an interior decorator. James Gleason and Lyle Talbot always do well in supporting roles. Among the rest of the cast is a young Natalie Wood as Bill and Amy's daughter, Phyllis.
TV game shows apparently remain very popular well into the 21st century. They are a takeoff from the original shows that aired on radio. That's the plot for this one, with Bill winning $24,000 in goods. It's based loosely on a real jackpot winner and winnings of $24,000 in 1948.
It may seem strange to people well into the 21st century that so many goods could be bought for $24,000 in 1950. Well, in 2020 dollars that amount would buy $258,000 in goods. During the mid-20th century, quite a few films had plots that had problems with the federal income taxes and the IRS. This is one of those. It surprised me some to think that someone of Stewart's stature in the film didn't think about having to pay taxes on winnings that would be more than three times his annual earnings. -
rbrtfourie26 September 2020The fact that James Stewart was billed as starring in this film, made me decide to have a peek at it on YouTube. I found the film entertaining. It is a story about wanting more from life and when you get it, you want your old hum drum life back. It is not hilariously funny or a movie that will be remembered for years to come - yet it is worth a viewing. Robert - South Africa.
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ecapital4618 September 2011Hadn't heard of this Stewart title before catching it during a recent run on the Fox movie channel. It's well worth a watch. It does a nice job of capturing the post WWII atmosphere in America as families turned their attention away from the war and the pre-war depression and forward to new economic prosperity and growth. It is in this atmosphere that an average family living a simple life in small town Indiana answers a radio contest question and wins a $24,000 prize, which today probably amounts to 10 times as much. The resulting humorous complications that arise both at home and at work for Stewart and his family after he becomes a prize winner are hilarious.
From the movie description, you would think this is the kind of plot line that the writers would give cursory treatment, but I was surprised at the quality of the writing. I should have known better since James Stewart is not likely to agree to take a lead role in a poorly written work. Stewart has a solid surrounding cast who also all deliver ably - Barbara Hale, Fred Clark, James Gleason, Bob Gist and others, including young Natalie Wood. This is a nice romp and worth viewing. -
HotToastyRag3 December 2021Remember when James Stewart as George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life says, "I wish for a million dollars. Hot dog!" Well, if you want to see what would happen to George if he got his wish, rent The Jackpot.
It's a very funny (and true) premise. He correctly answers a question on a television lottery program, thinking he's won a jackpot of cash. In fact, he actually wins tons of products, worth the dollar amount advertised. A refrigerator, a television set, a car, a year's worth of frozen beef, etc. At first it's exciting to have all the shiny new things delivered, but after a while, his wife Barbara Hale can't find room for them in the house. And what's the icing on the cake? Some of you may have already guessed: taxes. Every reward item is counted as part of his income, so he has to pay taxes on a much larger amount than he can afford!
You won't be watching this one for the good acting. Jimmy is exactly the same as he was in the beginning of It's a Wonderful Life. You'll be watching it for the irony of good luck and bad luck, and for the funny 1950s atmosphere. It's really a time capsule showing parties, patter in friendships, and life in the suburbs. -
I was cruising the on line cable listings today and came across this unknown title featuring Jimmy Stewart. The description prompted me to tune in and it turned out to be an entertaining hour and a half. Stewart turns in a characteristic Everyman performance as a department store executive whose life is turned upside down by winning a television quiz contest. I was surprised actually, to see how much the story looked like an episode of 'Father Knows Best', which premiered only four years later. The Lawrence's (Stewart and Barbara Hale) might have been one kid shy, but they wound up with a lot of other things on their mind once the story got rolling. Natalie Wood and Tommy Rettig portray the Lawrence siblings, with Tommy helping his Dad cash in on 'Name The Mystery Husband'. Somehow I didn't recognize him as the same actor who I grew up with watching Lassie and his (her) pal Jeff Miller, but he was only about nine years old here.
The story starts out almost too seriously, as Bill Lawrence's boss Woodruff (Fred Clark) tries to correct the ratio of salespeople to customers at his store. But when Bill gets a phone call from the Federal Broadcast System to enlist his participation for the game show, the comic antics begin. Stewart's character engages in some obvious physical humor, but when he finally wins the show's big prize, the fun really begins. Soon a parade of prize bearers descend on the Lawrence home with gifts ranging from your standard jewelry to thousands of cans of soup (Campbell's gets a plug), all the way to a palomino pony. After a while it looked like the story was struggling with too many plot elements, as a glamorous looking portrait artist (Patricia Medina) was introduced as a burr to the Lawrence marriage. And in an effort to raise the seven grand he would need to cover the taxes on his winnings, Lawrence gets caught up in a raid on a gambling parlor. How the film makers got all of this into a mere eighty five minutes seems a mystery to me now.
Something else that brought me back to that great era of the Fifties was that catchy little number 'Ain't We Got Fun'. I must have heard that dozens of times watching Warner Brothers cartoons back in the day, and you know, I don't think I've ever heard it since. The song bookends the picture in a nicely complementary fashion.
With all that going on, it would be worth your while to catch this one when it hits your local cable listings. I found it on the Fox Movie Network today, so that's a likely place to look for it again. The only question I have though, and I kept waiting for this particular game prize to show up, but - what ever happened to the French Maid? -
The Jackpot may not be as serious and have as deep of a message as "It's A Wonderful Life" and it may not be as suspenseful as "Vertigo", but The Jackpot excels as a fine example of classic comedy that doesn't involve the typical exploits of today's comedies. Jimmy Stewart is Bill Lawrence, a typical man, husband, and father who lives a typical life, in a typical neighborhood, in a typical town. Mr. Lawrence is in a rut. But that all changes when he answers a question right on a radio program, his wonderful "rut" of a life turns upside down as the prizes pour in. What results can only be described as comedic catastrophe! A must see movie for comedy, Jimmy Stewart, and movie lovers of all ages!
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SYNOPSIS: Based on a real-life incident when Jim Caffrey of Wakefield, Rhode Island, correctly identified Louis B. Mayer as the "mystery voice" on the "Sing It Again" radio show. Jim won $24,000 in prizes which turned out to cost him more than they were worth!
COMMENT: Rather a jolly essay into the world of radio hucksterdom with James Stewart perfectly cast as the put-upon recipient of $24,000 worth of mainly useless prizes.
It's true that the satire might have been appreciably sharper. The film tends to fall off in its latter stages and lacks the tension and tautness that is so admirably achieved by clever acting and adroit film editing (as well as well-judged camera angles) prior to and during the actual winning of the prize. And this despite the considerable handicap of the audience's knowing that the win is a foregone conclusion!
An interesting supporting cast adds to the fun, especially Lyle Talbot's delightfully obsequious and cliché-spouting rival; Fred Clark's gruff and sarcastic store-owner; and the glorious succession of invaders spear-headed by the postman and Alan Mowbray, and climaxed by Fritz Feld bashing into the piano. Both Stewart and Fred Clark take some extraordinary tumbles without benefit of doubles too. Barbara Hale is well cast as Stewart's wife. No attempt is made to over-glamorize her and in some scenes she appears almost dowdy - a commendably realistic touch.
However, we could probably have done without that old chestnut routine of a complication involving Patricia Medina as an attractive portrait painter (she only seemed mildly attractive to us anyway).
The film has been realized on an extensive budget with no pennies spared on the number of meticulously dressed sets. Both art direction and photography have opted for a realistic style rather than over-elaborate dream factoriness.
Lang has directed with his usual competence. Some scenes could have been more imaginatively staged but by and large Lang is content to leave things to his players. They manage supremely well despite some shortcomings in the dialogue. Most of Mowbray's lines are rather lacking in sharpness and wit and tend to be inconsequential but he hands in a capable performance even though it is, disappointingly, not one of his most inspired. Child star Natalie Wood shows little of her latter-day potential whilst Tommy Rettig is atrociously wooden and unconvincing, especially when up against the pat professionalism of Stewart and Hale.
The costumes are nothing to rave about - admittedly some are supposed to look dull (which they do) but those which are supposed to look attractive are not. Well, not particularly anyway.
Except for the clever impersonations on the radio program, the music score is quite nondescript. But production values benefit from a little location work in Chicago (filmed by an uncredited 2nd unit team without any of the actual players). Process shots are accomplished and film editing deft.
Whether fans will like what Fox has done to Barbara Hale is another question. Whilst all the other cast members have been accorded the usual slick Hollywood treatment, Barbara has been made up to look suitably dowdy and domesticated. -
moonspinner5516 May 2008Unfulfilled Indiana husband and father, an advertising stiff at the local department store, wins $24K worth of prizes on a radio quiz show; however, once the gifts begin arriving in quick succession, the man becomes even more frustrated than before. One of those depressing "middle class" Hollywood fables which hopes to teach audiences it's better to be a have-not than a have. The picture isn't even useful as a star-vehicle, with James Stewart shouting at everybody, also tripping up the stairs and falling down them (twice). Barbara Hale is snippy and defensive as Jimmy's spouse, Fred Clark is his usual uptight self as Stewart's boss, and Natalie Wood--going through an endearingly awkward stage--is one of Jimmy's two kids who is mostly shooed out of the room (she does have one cute scene at the breakfast table with Pop). The picture sets up a good premise, but the morality of the times guaranteed this family a happy ending only with their taxes paid and their pockets empty. Stuffy and conservative, the movie makes suburban life look like a death sentence. *1/2 from ****
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Directed by Walter Lang, "The Jackpot" is a fine showcase for James Stewart's clumsy comic abilities, both physical and verbal. In this film, Stewart plays Bill Lawrence, a department store manager who lives a fairly comfortable life with his wife Amy (Barbara Hale) and their two children (Natalie Wood and Tommy Rettig). But after Bill guesses the correct answer to a radio jackpot question, his life steadily goes downhill until it becomes a complete nightmare! The truckloads of prizes that Bill wins (amounting to $24,000) are nothing but junk & services that he and his family don't need. Aside from not having the storage space for all these prizes, Bill is harassed by an interior decorator (Alan Mowbray) who moves in, and he is also smitten by a beautiful young woman (Patricia Medina) who has been sent to paint his portrait, to the eventual fury of Amy. As if all that weren't bad enough, Bill has to pay a $7,000 tax on all his winnings.
Two highlights: Bill tries to sell a diamond ring to racketeer Flick Morgan (Philip Van Zandt) at a Chicago fence, but before Bill knows what happened, Flick makes a fast getaway with the ring as the police raid the fence and arrest everyone there, including Bill! After believing Bill to be having an affair with the portrait painter, Amy banishes him to a bed in the toolshed, but little does he know that his son Tommy (Rettig) plans to show the bed to an elderly couple who plan to buy it; Bill escapes the shed and runs into the house in his underwear, to the amusement of some housepainters and a woman (Minerva Urecal) who tries on some of Amy's prized hats.
"The Jackpot" is unfortunately not one of James Stewart's most memorable films, but it's a darn good one! As one might expect, Bill Lawrence's topsy-turvy life does return to normal by the end of the film, but he sure pays a huge price for it. -
cgvsluis20 November 2023Based on a play about a real life couple...this screwball comedy starring Jimmy Stewart finally had me laughing out loud in the end.
Jimmy Stewart plays Bill Lawrence, a husband, father of two, department store manager...hoping to get a promotion, and weekly canasta player. He is just a regular guy, until he wins a radio show's contest by guessing the "mystery husband" over the phone live on the radio. His prize $24,000...only it's not really cash, it is goods and services, and as his house starts to fill up with those goods and services he discovers that the IRS doesn't care that he doesn't have the money to pay the tax on those goods and services, forcing him to try to sell them. This is when the comedy really hits it's screwball stride.
Desperately trying to sell goods he is hawking watches and Venetian blinds while on the job and there is a veritable revolving door of potential buyers at his home...including piano players testing out the piano. To add to that, the whole town thinks he is having an affair with the lovely portrait painter and a fancy designer has not only sawed down his chair but turned his den into a funeral parlor. Insult to injury comes when he is arrested, thrown in jail and looses his job!
I love Jimmy Stewart and I am not sure I have ever seen him in a bad movie. This is a recommendation from me to fans of both Jimmy Stewart's and screwball comedies. Couple of fun highlights this film also stars Barbara Hale, James Gleason, Alan Mowbray and Fred Clark...but keep your eyes peeled for a young Natalie Wood playing Jimmy's phone living teenage daughter Phyllis. -
utgard1414 August 2017Lackluster comedy starring Jimmy Stewart as a man who wins $24,000 of merchandise in a radio contest but finds he can't afford to pay the taxes on the prize. So he tries to sell the stuff he won and gets nothing but grief. Stewart's likable as ever and his supporting cast is fine. But the script, written by Nora Ephron's parents, is weak with a lot of forced comedy situations and a kind of ugly subplot about the wife irrationally thinking her husband is having an affair. Someone like Preston Sturges probably could have made this work much better than it does. Worth a look for Stewart fans I guess.
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Psalm5225 January 2007A red flag came up early on when Jimmy Stewart starts of his scenes with that look of a deer caught in headlights expression. During the early important radio program call-in scene poor Jimmy acts as if there is always a non-hack third party (like a REAL director like Hitchcock or John Ford) giving him and Barbara Hale some semblance of direction just out of the camera's range. He keeps glancing off-camera sideways and at NO ONE. Poor Jimmy, what studio contract obligations did he have to meet to get dragged into this celluloid time-waster? Natalie Wood just phones her performance in (and she was only like ten) with an expression on how face like she wants to really grow up so she can stop playing a precocious child, enough said.....and speaking of laughing, what few laughs there are supposed to be ... aren't there. I fell asleep. This movie plays like some 50's "Father Know Best" episode.
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tedg19 January 2010When you are in the actual time of a movie: when it is made, you cannot see what you can later perceive as important historical sweeps. I imagine that is true of everything, But movies — most of them — are made for a very specific purpose. They are designed to make money by tapping some part of our psyche to tickle money our of our pockets.
Films are made for a specific era. That was absolutely true when this was made. No one imagined that it would have any life at all after spending a couple weeks in theaters. Jimmy Stewart, especially, could not have been aware what was in store. We know that what was coming within the decade was two of the most powerful and important films ever made: "Rear Window" and the much more elaborate "Vertigo." These are deep films that pulled a great many tricks, and one of the tricks was using Stewart.
He was selected because the audiences of that time would have known him from films like this one. Sure, he did some war and cowboy movies, but the public knew him and registered him against just exactly this sort of thing. Lovable, somewhat dim, earnest. A family man with a family that — as much through TeeVee — would leave fiction and become a sort of idealistic touchstone for a world. This has been termed an everyman, but it is more than that, much more in my opinion.
Film was inventing a pattern some called noir, where the viewers' needs entered the world of the characters and grabbed some hapless guy in a barrage of coincidence. Undetected at the time because of a lack of characteristic visual style was a parallel, the complement. The noir guy was tough, treated girls roughly and was able to master some important element of the situation. The dual was, well... Stewart's template: family man, and so on, but befalling the same sort of viewer-directed caprice.
What we have here is what I consider the peak of that. The peak would have to be a film so insignificant that it does not register on any list.
If you do not know it, he has a family. Two cute kids (including Natalie Wood). Barbara Hale as wife. She would later become Perry Mason's love interest. He has what would then be seen as a middle class job. A bomb lands on him not in the form of a disaster, but in the form of hundreds of prizes from a contest, dropped on him in a crude folding technique: the mystery husband contest over the radio. Radio at the time would have worked as a surrogate for the film within. Hilarity ensues.
We needed this and all the ones like it he did, for us to have "Rear Window" and "vertigo" which in a real sense fold these in.
Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.