"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.
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.