The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything (1980 TV Movie) User Reviews (16)

Entertaining bit of fluff

[mnpollio · 7/10 · 29 September 2016]

Based on one of John D. MacDonald's rare lighter (and semi sci-fi themed) novels, The Girl, The Gold Watch and Everything premiered as a TV film on syndicated channels back in 1980 and was actually something of a ratings hit. Oddly, the film was repeated rarely, if at all, and has kind of vanished but for some fond memories from viewers of the time.

The plot centers on 30-ish nebbish Kirby Winters (Robert Hays), who inherits a gold watch from a deceased rich uncle and suddenly becomes the target of some shady characters after the secret of his uncle's fortune. The secret is, of course, that the watch slows down time allowing its owner to use it for hopefully benign purposes. Kirby is initially charmed and then menaced by a scheming couple (Ed Nelson and Jill Ireland), who will use all means necessary to find out the secret to great riches. Hays goes on the run and gets thrown together with sexy Bonnie Lee Beaumont (Pam Dawber).

The film is a nice balance of action and comedy. It is nicely cast down the line. As the central character, Hays walks the fine line between being dorky and appealing, managing both the comical and more action oriented aspects well. Dawber has never been better as the sexy Southern gal with the racy sense of humor and sex drive that pairs up with him. A marked departure from her more famed role in Mork & Mindy, she demonstrates some great acting chops here and it is a shame she did not get more opportunities to shine in other projects. The supporting cast is aces, with special shout-outs to Maurice Evans and the hilarious Zohra Lampert, as the spinster secretary who gets pulled into the action. Nelson and, particularly Ireland, make able villains.

I only have a couple of carps. Given that this was made for syndication, there is a certain cheapness evident in the production. The cast and solid direction carry the film past that, but it is there nonetheless.

Also, one is a bit disappointed that this was not either a cable or theatrical feature, given that (much like Dawber's character) the film seems ready to break out with racy humor that the TV channel reigns in. For instance, when Dawber first tries out the watch at the beach, her first inclination is to play pranks like untying the top of a volleyball player and switching the clothes on a couple jogging. Later, rather than exact violence on Ireland for attempting to murder them, Hays instead leaves her stranded naked with a bunch of sailors - all offscreen (which culminates in one of the film's funnier reversals when Ireland has a moral change of heart). Conversely, Hays' attractive nerd spends a number of scenes early in the film either being undressed or losing his clothes - most memorably when Ireland has her bodyguards strip him naked and he escapes in a towel. This would actually play better with some degree of PG-13 or R-rated nudity, but the TV origins keep it fairly staid. A shame since this cast could not be more physically appealing.

The success of the show resulted in a sequel. Unfortunately, neither Hays or Dawber were available to return, and said sequel came no where near the success of the original and remains largely forgotten.

Fun, but astonishingly inappropriate from a modern POV

[pmaranci · 7/10 · 30 October 2012]

I first saw this when it came out in 1980. I was 16 at the time; that was probably the perfect age and time to see it. I'd read the novel and the sequel, and liked them quite a lot. And this adaptation lived up to the books quite nicely.

Over the years I sometimes found the catchy musical theme momentarily lodged in my head, or spotted the novel in my collection, and wondered if the show had ever been released on DVD. Thirty-two years later, I got to see it again. And - Oh. My. God.

It's a lighthearted comedy, a romp of sorts, but it's AMAZING how incredibly inappropriate it seems today. There's enough of that 16-year-old male in me to appreciate it, sort of. But as a parent and inhabitant of the 21st century, I can't help but be appalled.

Take the comic relief, the repressed secretary. Ably acted, yes, and from some perspectives she's quite funny - similar characters were doubtless popular in the days of ancient Rome. But all she wants is to be raped! And while that sort of thing may work for some people these days on South Park, there's an odd *wholesomeness* to the humor that just seems horribly out of place - now.

The humorous side of rape is pretty much one of the major themes of the story. And rape doesn't really HAVE a humorous side (well, not for most people). Yes, in its day this was entertaining. And stopping time is a really neat concept, which is why it has been used so many times since. But I suspect that a lot of people these days would simply be stunned by the juxtaposition of lighthearted humor and a subject that is viewed far more seriously now than it was then.

If you can take that sort of thing, this is a more entertaining example of it than most. And there might almost be a sort of historical value to the show; it really does demonstrate the massive change in American mores and sexism over time.

I think the show would frankly stun most people under 30. It's impossible to imagine something like this getting on the air these days, unless it was handled in a very different way. Either the humor would be MUCH darker, or the whole thing would have been turned into sheer exploitation.

One side-note: for some reason the show reminded me of The Rockford Files, not in the rape-is-funny angle, but because it seemed to have a lot of actors and settings (CA) in common. The cinematography was rather similar, too. It also reminds me a little of the old Disney "Herbie" movies, although Walt would no doubt be spinning in his frictionless ice coffin to hear it!

Considered a ripoff by some...

[runar-4 · 7 February 2005]

Episode #5.4 of _"The Twilight Zone" (1959)_(qv), "A Kind of Stop Watch", has a storyline that is nearly identical to that of "The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything". The episode, however, aired in October of 1963, the year after publication of John D. McDonald's novel on which the movie is based. Some people, obviously unaware of the novel, considered the movie a ripoff of the episode, and a number of reviewers who wrote unfavorably on this basis had to spend numerous inches of column space apologizing.

One of the contributing factors to the misunderstanding is that the novel quickly went out of print, overshadowed by the author's "Travis McGee" detective series and other adventure novels. In 1980, the year the movie aired, three of his science fiction-oriented novels, "Wine of the Dreamers", "The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything" and "Ballroom of the Skies" were published in 1980 in an omnibus volume titled "Time and Tomorrow" by Doubleday and Science Fiction Book Club. This still, however, did not contribute significantly to clearing up the ripoff accusations because of the limited distribution through the book club.

Gold Watch Time Travel

[The_Rook · 10/10 · 26 March 2005]

Robert Hayes, Pam Dauber, and Jill Ireland are great in this very funny movie based on the MacDonald book. When a young man is left a gold watch by his millionaire uncle he can't believe that is all the uncle left him. Then a message from his uncle tells him there is more to the watch than meets the eye. He finds out the watch can stop time. With such incredible power he doesn't know what to do. Unfortunately for him there are two people that want the watch for illegal purposes. They will stop at nothing to get it. The means by which Hayes foils them and escapes is often hysterical. It is sad this hasn't been released on DVD, nor even VHS. Be sure to read the book.

This was a great movie with lots of action!

[segebarttd · 10/10 · 4 January 2007]

I only had the pleasure of seeing this movie once. But have been trying to find a copy or another playing of it... The script was very good and it kept me waiting for what was going to happen next. I saw this movie 12 years ago and still have not found another listing for it sense. I would like to view it with my family, As it was late when I viewed it last time and every else had retired for the night. but after all these years I am loosing hope of getting to view this movie again. All of the actors in this movie performed with great realism that really had me hooked on this movie. I would recommend it to all age groups as it has a great story line, Just like the book it was created from written by John Macdonald.

Trashy movie, great fantasy premise

[chris-1061 · 4/10 · 17 September 2000]

You know how kids -- especially boys -- grow up fantasizing about having a particular superpower? Flying, X-ray vision, or that thing Superman does with the Earth to move time backward?

Well, I've been plagued into adulthood by the fantastic power posited by this ultra-trashy, made-for-*SYNDICATED*-TV movie ever since I saw it at age nine. The idea of a watch that stops time for everyone except the bearer is so original, so powerful, that as I near my 30s I still fantasize almost daily over what I'd do with it.

The execution of the gimmick was so simple, F/X-wise, but remarkably memorable. The first time Hays's character receives the watch -- an inheritance from his mad-scientist uncle -- he's on a beach, trying to wind it. But upon turning the hands past a certain time, everything around him freezes, turning red, and the only sound he hears is the now-amplified ticking of the watch. He sees frisbees and a volleyball frozen in midair, people running in midstride, and the woman to whom he was talking moments ago (Pam Dawber) frozen, mid-sentence. He can wander freely throughout the reddened scene and move anything he wants, which will then freeze in position until he "unfreezes" time. Naturally, given the setting and the trash-TV nature of the movie, one of his first stunts is to untie a volleyballer's bikini top so when he unfreezes time, it falls to the ground.

Later, once the film has established the concept, we see Hays turn the watch and just instantaneously disappear, then reappear in the place he ran off to while time was frozen -- effectively giving us the POV of the non-watch-possessing bystander.

Since I haven't seen the movie since I was a preadolescent, I have it filed in the same "youthful indiscretion"/"trashy on reflection" category in which I have filed 'Cats' and 'The Greatest American Hero.' Any boy who was a fan of the TV megahit 'Mork and Mindy' probably tuned into 'The Girl...' for then-hottie Dawber, and Hays was himself on a warm streak, having just appeared in the seminal comedy 'Airplane!' Last bit of trivia: This film was apparently successful enough in syndication (in New York, where I grew up, it was on a pre-WB channel 11/WPIX) to spawn a sequel, with the even more embarrassing title, 'The Girl, the Gold Watch, and Dynamite!' I don't see that title anywhere on the IMDb, so I must assume it has been utterly forgotten.

Great memories

[susanmoore-38776 · 10/10 · 15 May 2020]

I haven't watched this since it came out (in 1980 apparently) but I was just remembering it fondly. After watching it I had a lot of childish fantasies of stopping time so I could gobble up all of the candies at the bulk food store. I can't speak to the cinematic quality of this work, but to me as a child, it was highly inspirational. :)

Pretty much wastes a great premise

[Wizard-8 · 2/10 · 6 October 2019]

I had wanted to see this made for TV movie for many years, but I could never find it on my local TV channels, and it was never released on video. I finally found it on YouTube, but I saw that while it originally ran about 104 minutes, the version currently on YouTube was cut down to 90 minutes, no doubt so that it would fit in a modern two hour time slot with commercials. Actually, this cutting down might have been a blessing in disguise. Sure, the editing does lead to some abrupt and confusing moments, but even then the movie runs at an astonishingly slow pace. Believe it or not, the hero does not find out the power of his deceased uncle's watch until more than half the movie has passed! The movie does pick up a little after that point, but it's to little effect, since the characters and the story are still painfully dull to witness. As for the comedy portion of the movie, virtually all the gags fall flat, especially the jokes about sex and rape, which will strike modern day viewers as dated at their best, and offensive at their worst. Robert Hayes does have some comic charm despite the badly written material given to him, which is why I'm not giving the movie the lowest rating possible. They made a sequel to this movie not long afterwards, but I think I will give it a pass.

Great movie.

[nicatron · 12 June 2001]

I remember first seeing this movie on reruns when i was 4. I'm 22 now and love the fact that i was able to find a copy of this movie and the sequel. The movie was so ahead of its tim. I'm surprised that anyone got the concept. The part of the movie that always pops up in my head is when our hero stops time just before some baddies cap him and his honey. I can't remember and its been a few years since i viewed the tape, but i think somehow the hero reverses the direction the bullets were flying. Anyways, the story was excellent, the sequel was great, and the only movie dealing with time travel that has comes even close to this original idea (besides the HOLY Back to the Future Trilogy) is Frequency. Ok , maybe Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (you have to admit, the way they got out of jail was cool.) TNT played this movie and its sequel about 3 or 4 years ago during a late night shift (midnight to 4am.) They might do again sometime soon.

fluffy fairytale

[myriamlenys · 4/10 · 19 January 2020]

Upon learning the contents of a will, a young man is surprised to discover that his billionaire uncle left him only a single item, to wit a gold watch. On closer inspection it turns out that this is a glorious gift, since the watch is capable of stopping time...

The movie is generally described as a mix of comedy and science fiction, but it would be more accurate to describe it as a jolly, fluffy fairytale. The gold watch given to the protagonist is as much a magical object as a flying carpet or a lamp-plus-genie out of Arabian Nights : no attempt is made at explaining its workings in a scientific (or even a pseudo-scientific) manner.

Robert Hays, as the laid-back hero, gives an enjoyable performance and there are a number of good jokes to enjoy. (There's a superb gag involving a costumed "singing telegram" man who wants to serenade a couple of newlyweds.) However, quite often the humour misfires. One of the characters, for instance, is a female secretary who goes through life both hoping and fearing she'll get ravished by some unscrupulous rogue. We, the viewers, are supposed to find this riotously funny - but it's pretty clear that in real life a person suffering from such an obsession would be both pitiable and dangerously unhinged. People have been transferred to mental institutions for less.

Lastly there's some really lazy writing here. To quote but one example : our protagonist finds the girl of his dreams. How does he find her ? Well, he's sleeping in a bed and suddenly a gorgeous young woman turns up, naked, in that selfsame bed. The protagonist makes love to her and bingo ! he has found a lover, a soul mate, a wife ! There's no attempt at picturing the birth of a relationship, however zany or kooky or daring : there's zero effort, zero courtship, zero amorous complication, zero emotional growth or development. Like I've said, some very lazy writing.

The image quality, sadly, wasn't all one could wish for. Try to find a better copy, if such a copy is still available...

Surely they weren't serious!

[mark.waltz · 3/10 · 27 May 2023]

Three rather strange females have designs on handsome but quirky Robert Hays who has just inherited a watch with apparent magical powers, but unfortunately you don't get to see those powers occur until the film is more than half over. Blonde bombshell Jill Ireland has designs on the watch and gets Hays drunk and nearly unclothed to try and get it. Eccentric Zohra Lampert keeps claiming that she has no interest in Hays sexually but is miserable when she realizes that he's been seduced by Pam Dawber (who thought he was someone else...) and begs to be assaulted.

Rather bizarre twists that really don't move the plot forward, especially with Dawber who is aghast that sleepy Hays allowed himself to be seduced while she was allegedly trying to seduce another man, promptly forgotten about because she realized she liked how Hays responded to her method seduction. Cameos by Macdonald Carey, Maurice Evans and Ed Nelson involve the quest to steal the watch (apparently which will lead to the late uncle's secrets) and the results are a ridiculous "Twilight Zone" based plot from 20 years before that don't gel in this version of it. Kooky and confusing with a good cast wasted and questionable issues regarding the three ladies.

Er, not quite...

[Joeve · 25 October 2001]

In the review listed initially on the site, it's said that the first thing Robert Hays does when he uses the watch is to undo the bikini top of a young girl. Actually, this isn't QUITE true: It's his girlfriend, played by Pam Dawber (who has a beautiful southern accent and a racy sense of humor) who does that, and Hays looks a bit (though not too) disapproving.

A waste of Time

[clgammon-901-925869 · 2/10 · 15 April 2023]

Like most TV movies of its era, The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything was bad. First, by 1980, the stopping of time was an old plot device (See the terrific Twilight Zone episode from 1963 called "Kind of a Stopwatch"). This movie was supposed to be a wild romp, but the script was weak and unfunny when I watched it then and it has gained nothing over the years.

Pam Dawber was cute, but she was not much of an actor. Of course, no one could have saved this turkey.

Robert Hays was a passable actor, but not in this mess. As actors sometimes do, he let this film bring him down to its level. At least, he got a nice payday and he was so good in Airplane that it diverted our attention from The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything.

pretty awful

[sandcrab277 · 3/10 · 17 February 2020]

For the first 40 minutes of this film all robert hayes does is sleep ... the rest is even a bigger waste of time

Uncredited Source for an Episode of Twilight Zone and Clockstoppers

[ghscheetz · 26 December 2008]

John D. MacDonald's book, "The Girl, the Gold Watch, & Everything," was the basis for the 1980 movie and its sequel, as well as an episode of "The Twilight Zone" and the movie, "Clockstoppers" (2002), the latter two adaptations without credit.

In a comment, "Considered a ripoff by some..." (7 February 2005) by runar-4, it was noted that "Episode #5.4 of 'The Twilight Zone' ..., 'A Kind of Stop Watch,' has a storyline that is nearly identical to that of 'The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything'" (the movie). The reason: John D. MacDonald's book, "The Girl, the Gold Watch, & Everything," was the uncredited basis for "The Twilight Zone" episode, even though the actual credit for the episode was, "Written by Rod Serling (based on an unpublished story by Michael D. Rosenthal)."

Both Michael D. Rosenthal and Mile Korologos had "unpublished stories," which were credited as the basis for episodes of "The Twilight Zone," specifically "A Kind of Stopwatch" (Script 124) and "Mr. Garrity and the Graves" (Script 152), respectively. There is speculation that Michael D. Rosenthal and Mile Korologos were pseudonyms for Rod Serling himself. Both John D. MacDonald and Philip José Farmer (who wrote the story credited to "Mile Korologos") protested to the producers of "Twilight Zone," to no avail.

In the same comment by runar-4, it was suggested that, "One of the contributing factors to the misunderstanding is that the novel quickly went out of print." However, the novel was not out of print when the movie was made. In fact, "The Girl, the Gold Watch, & Everything" was more-or-less continuously in print, appearing in 24 printings through June 1991.

I have thought about this movie since I first saw it when I was twelve.

[QQQguy · 11 January 2003]

I loved this fresh concept and remember talking about it and the awsome power the watch would give the bearer for years after with one of my friends. I don't know if I have seen it since the first air date, but, I still remember the premise of many of the seens, like never stop time while your in a moving vehicle or you'll hit the dashboard at 60mph.

I also remember the sequil was good. Allthough it still bothers me that in the first seen of the sequil the uncles video message says that they would have already figured out that if they used the watch a certain number of times in so long it would never work again.

Recently I saw a video at my library called "Clockstoppers" it was from Nickelodian Productions and was geared toward young male teens. It wasn't in the same leage as I remember the "Gold Watch" Pair being in, but, It definately provided a fix for a movie I've wanted to see again for years and I would say it's worth the time to see it.

The problems with "Clockstoppers" were; It tried too hard to explane the science of something made up for a movie. It tried to be to hip, allthough the target audience might not mind.