The Jackpot
Encyclopedia
The Jackpot is a 1950 American
comedy film
directed by Walter Lang
with James Stewart
and Barbara Hale
in the lead roles. It features a young Natalie Wood
.
The screenplay was based on a John McNulty
article, "The Jackpot" in The New Yorker
(February 19, 1949), about the true experiences of James P. Caffrey of Wakefield, Rhode Island
who won $24,000 worth of merchandise on August 28, 1948 from the CBS
radio quiz program, Sing It Again.
The film is mostly forgotten today but was a successful vehicle for Stewart at the time. A radio adaptation, broadcast April 26, 1951 on NBC
's Screen Directors Playhouse, received much press coverage because Stewart's co-star was Margaret Truman
, making her debut as a radio actress for a fee of $2,500. She received mixed reviews and noted that her father "enjoyed it".
) on an annual salary of $4500. Answering a phone call, he wins $24,000 worth of merchandise from a radio quiz program and is overwhelmed by prizes which range from the useful to the absurd, including a side of beef, 7,500 cans of soup, 1,000 fruit trees, a Palomino
pony, a portable swimming pool, a diamond ring, a French maid, an interior decorator (Alan Mowbray
) and portrait painter Hilda Jones (Patricia Medina
).
All is well until Lawrence is told he must sell the prizes in order to pay an income tax of $7000. When he tries to raise the money by selling the merchandise at the department store, his boss (Fred Clark
) fires him. When he tries to fence the diamond ring in Chicago, he's arrested. Complicating matters, his wife suspects him of having an affair with Greenwich Village
artist Hilda. Dealing with these problems, he gets help from reporter Harry Summers (James Gleason
), who had been writing newspaper articles about Lawrence and his winnings. Bandleader Harry James
made an uncredited appearance as a radio vocalist.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Walter Lang
Walter Lang
Walter Lang was an American film director.-Early life:Walter Lang was born in Memphis, Tennessee. As a young man he went to New York City where he found clerical work at a film production company. The business piqued his artistic instincts and he began learning the various facets of filmmaking...
with James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
and Barbara Hale
Barbara Hale
Barbara Hale is an American actress best known for her role as legal secretary Della Street on more than 250 episodes of the long-running Perry Mason television series and later reprising the role in dozens of made-for-TV movies....
in the lead roles. It features a young Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood, born Natalia Nikolaevna Zacharenko was an American film and television actress. After first working in films as a child, Wood became a successful Hollywood star as a young adult, receiving three Academy Award nominations before she was 25 years old.Wood began acting in movies at the...
.
The screenplay was based on a John McNulty
John McNulty
John McNulty was an American newspaperman and short story writer. Many of his stories deal with New York saloon life and its characters....
article, "The Jackpot" in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
(February 19, 1949), about the true experiences of James P. Caffrey of Wakefield, Rhode Island
Wakefield, Rhode Island
Wakefield is a village in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and the commercial center of the town. Together with the village of Peace Dale, it is treated by the U.S. Census as a component of the census designated place identified as Wakefield-Peacedale, Rhode Island. South Kingston was...
who won $24,000 worth of merchandise on August 28, 1948 from the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
radio quiz program, Sing It Again.
The film is mostly forgotten today but was a successful vehicle for Stewart at the time. A radio adaptation, broadcast April 26, 1951 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Screen Directors Playhouse, received much press coverage because Stewart's co-star was Margaret Truman
Margaret Truman
Mary Margaret Truman Daniel , also known as Margaret Truman or Margaret Daniel, was an American singer who later became a successful writer. The only child of US President Harry S...
, making her debut as a radio actress for a fee of $2,500. She received mixed reviews and noted that her father "enjoyed it".
Characters and story
Bill Lawrence (Stewart), employed at a midwest department store, supports a wife (Hale) and two teenage kids (Wood, Tommy RettigTommy Rettig
Thomas Noel "Tommy" Rettig was an American child actor,computer software engineer, and author. Rettig is best remembered for portraying the character "Jeff Miller" in the first three seasons of CBS's Lassie television series, from 1954–1957, later seen in syndicated re-runs as Jeff's Collie...
) on an annual salary of $4500. Answering a phone call, he wins $24,000 worth of merchandise from a radio quiz program and is overwhelmed by prizes which range from the useful to the absurd, including a side of beef, 7,500 cans of soup, 1,000 fruit trees, a Palomino
Palomino
Palomino is a coat color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called the cream gene working on a "red" base coat...
pony, a portable swimming pool, a diamond ring, a French maid, an interior decorator (Alan Mowbray
Alan Mowbray
Alan Mowbray MM, , was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood.Born Alfred Ernest Allen in London, England, he served with distinction the British Army in World War I, being awarded the Military Medal for bravery...
) and portrait painter Hilda Jones (Patricia Medina
Patricia Medina
Patricia Paz Maria Medina is an English actress from Liverpool, England. Her father was a Spaniard and her mother was English. Medina began acting as a teenager in the late 1930s...
).
All is well until Lawrence is told he must sell the prizes in order to pay an income tax of $7000. When he tries to raise the money by selling the merchandise at the department store, his boss (Fred Clark
Fred Clark
Frederick Leonard Clark was an American film character actor.-Career:Born in Lincoln, California, Clark made his film debut in 1947 in The Unsuspected. His 20-year film career included almost 70 films, and numerous television appearances...
) fires him. When he tries to fence the diamond ring in Chicago, he's arrested. Complicating matters, his wife suspects him of having an affair with Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
artist Hilda. Dealing with these problems, he gets help from reporter Harry Summers (James Gleason
James Gleason
James Austin Gleason was an American actor born in New York City. He was also a playwright and screenwriter.-Career:...
), who had been writing newspaper articles about Lawrence and his winnings. Bandleader Harry James
Harry James
Henry Haag “Harry” James was a trumpeter who led a jazz swing band during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 1940s. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone.-Biography:He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a...
made an uncredited appearance as a radio vocalist.
See also
- Champagne for CaesarChampagne for CaesarChampagne for Caesar is a 1950 American comedy film about a radio quiz show, directed by Richard Whorf and written by Fred Brady and Hans Jacoby. The movie stars Ronald Colman, Celeste Holm, Vincent Price, Barbara Britton and Art Linkletter. The film was produced by Harry M...
- Take It or Leave It
- Quiz ShowQuiz ShowQuiz Show is a 1994 American historical drama film produced and directed by Robert Redford. Adapted by Paul Attanasio from Richard Goodwin's memoir Remembering America, the film is based upon the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s...