Pot O’ Gold (1941), Something To Sing About (1937) and Riders of Destiny (1933)

A triple feature of black and white films from the Golden era of Hollywood that I picked up on Vinted - I think it’s really important that these movies aren’t forgotten, especially as more time passes and people favour the colour and clarity we have on our screens today. I’d never seen any of these movies, but I’ve really enjoyed watching them.

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Pot o’ Gold, known as The Golden Hour in the UK, is a 1941 romantic musical comedy about the owner of a music store that moves to the big city after his business collapses. He comes between the feud his Uncle has with his neighbours, who perform in a large musical ensemble. Jimmy’s Uncle Charles hates music and owns a factory, distracted by the loud music next door - and the mother of the boardinghouse is unrelenting to his threats.

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When Jimmy meets her daughter Molly and is encouraged to throw a tomato at the enemy, he accidentally hits his Uncle in the face, becoming a folk hero and earning himself a place to live. He soon becomes part of the furniture, and the band are impressed when they hear his harmonica skills. Charles Haskel is determined to find his assailant and takes the case to court, where Jimmy is released on bail; but is forced to flee when his Uncle arrives demanding to know his attacker. Jimmy is accidentally bundled into a police van, and ends up in a jail cell, not long followed by Charles who is remanded for being disrespectful to the judge.

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Jimmy is eventually released when it’s realised he’s a stowaway, while his Uncle remains amongst a group of incarcerated men insistent on singing with him. He does bail him out later, but has to fill in for his Uncle’s radio show as he’s lost his voice. I think Charles Winninger’s acting here as the factory owner is very clever, because he gives a very convincing sore whisper, unable to speak properly. Jimmy is given a room at his Uncle’s house, though sneaks out that night to see Molly, who has a dream sequence about the terrible Mr Haskel coming between their romance.

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Jimmy reveals to his musical friends the family link, afraid of what Molly will think if she learns the truth. Legal proceedings still hang over his head, so they hatch a plan to get Charles out of the way, pushing him towards a vacation after convincing him he’s unwell. While away, the Haskell Happiness Hour becomes a spectacle, as Jimmy and the band transform it into a musical show. We see some gender bending not too common for the time, as Molly dresses like a matador while the group sing ‘Broadway Caballero’, before changing into a beautiful Flamenco outfit.

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When the police come calling, the truth is laid bare, as Molly suspects his interest in her has been a ploy set in motion by his Uncle. In an act of revenge, she announces to radio viewers that Haskell will be giving away $1,000 every month, which infuriates the factory owner who’s been listening to the broadcast, as he heads straight home. Once Jimmy has talked Molly round, her declaration has to be honoured, so they put together a gameshow using telephone directories and a stolen prize wheel to randomly choose a caller to bestow with the money. As Charles returns, he’s pleased to see the gamble is a success as his Nephew reveals he’s to be engaged.

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This is undoubtedly my favourite movie of the trio - the beauty is in the simplicity of the plot, bolstered by amazing musical numbers, one of my favourites “A Knife, A Spoon and a Fork” where table cutlery is used as percussive instruments. I found Mary Gordon’s performance as Mom Gordon really endearing, and James Stewart makes a wonderful leading man.

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The next film, ‘Something To Sing About’, follows an equally musical plot. Terry Rooney, as played by James Cagney, is a popular bandleader in New York City. The movie opens with the title song, as he performs to a full audience. Cagney’s natural comedy is instantly apparent, as he tries to sing and keeps getting cut off by other members of the ensemble. His dance skills are very impressive to behold, especially as he was so known for gangster roles later in his career. Part of the sequence includes him tapping on a life-size piano, much like the famous scene from Tom Hanks 1988 smash hit ‘Big’, and I think it’s a really great way to start a film.

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Whilst Terry’s career is flourishing, he’s swept away by the bright lights of Hollywood when he’s offered the chance to star in movies. He quickly proposes to his girlfriend Rita before leaving, hoping their relationship will remain steadfast despite the distance. However, the big screen isn’t everything he imagined, as he’s unaccustomed to the social etiquette of the studio and is prompted to change everything about himself to be good enough. There’s a very funny scene where he’s coached on his dialogue, as he modulates his voice because even that isn’t approved. It serves as a good critique of celebrity status and the impossible hoops one often has to jump through to access it.

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Leading lady Stephanie Hajos arrives at the studio, and quickly dismisses the thought of starring alongside Rooney, preferring to work with actors more of her calibre. Mona Barrie is wonderful in this role, embodying the prima donna. The executives are impressed with Terry’s talent, but the boss advises they humble him so he doesn’t become as egotistical as Steffi. He meets Ito, the servant that has been assigned to him, who soon reveals the thick accent he’s putting on is fake - it’s a solid critique of the way Asian actors were treated at the time, especially if they spoke good English. Philip Ahn, the Korean-American actor who plays the part, was almost rejected himself by director Lewis Milestone for ‘Anything Goes’ for this exact reason.

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Terry rings Rita, disillusioned by his circumstances, and she sings a new song over the receiver accompanied by the band. A fight scene is rehearsed the next day, but when an actor actually lands a punch on Rooney, a proper brawl ensues which feels very slapstick and indicative of the era. This is the final straw, as he leaves to marry Rita, breaching his contract which states he must remain single. Terry hires a steamer to take them on a cruise for their honeymoon, while the studio is in a frenzy unaware of the whereabouts of their new star. His film debut is a smash hit, and studio boss Reagan is frantic to find Rooney and sign him for more movies.

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There’s plenty of frivolity and mischief on the ship, including a mesmerising tap sequence. We also see cat fighting as a sport - it was common at the time to pit species against each other, though this usually involved dogs or roosters, but I’m glad the cruel pastime is something that has become less popular in recent years. The newlyweds arrive home and take a stroll through the city, but are soon perplexed by the attention Terry is receiving, until they hear his voice ringing out from a theatre where ‘Any Old Love’ is being shown.

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He’s reunited with the studio executives, who strike a deal for his new bride to work undercover as his secretary, so he can continue to make films under the impression he’s single. Hajos is displeased with his reappearance, and the large property he’s having built across the road from her. She’s soon wooed over by his charm and the publicity she’s receiving through working with him, especially when it’s reported the pair are courting. Rita returns home to the band and assures them the announcement is purely a stunt as he’s already wed to her, but her faith falters when she rings Rooney’s Hollywood residence and Stephanie answers the phone. Ito quits his job as servant, declaring he came to be an actor instead, and Rita hesitantly performs with the band - though her heartbreak is remedied when Terry arrives with a new headline, confirming his engagement to Steffi was a hoax all along.

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Despite the movie being a flop when it was released in 1937, I really enjoyed it. The musical numbers aren’t particularly memorable, but the performances are hard to forget, including an appearance by the wonderful William Frawley of My Three Sons. I’m very grateful to have this in my collection now because it’s special for multiple reasons - not only being one of just two films that Evelyn Daw starred in, but one of few that Grand National Films produced in the 3 years it was active.

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The last movie of the trilogy is 1933’s Riders of Destiny starring John Wayne, one of few Western’s he starred in where he played a singing character, though his vocal performance was dubbed. He stars as ’Singing Sandy Saunders’, infamous throughout the midwest. The film opens with Wayne riding through the desert on his horse, singing while playing the ukulele. He comes across Sheriff Bill Baxter who’s been shot in the back, and gives him some minor care before sending him to the town of Starbuck to convalesce. The attackers soon become apparent, as Sandy witnesses two men leading a stagecoach attacking another woman on horseback. He lends her his horse to get back to town, while he sneaks onto the stagecoach to follow the men, their attempts to ensnare him unsuccessful.

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Fay Denton, the woman who was ambushed, returns home to inform he father what has happened, carrying with her a bag of cash her assailants had tried to steal. She bumps into Sandy again, and the pair overhear a conversation between the attackers and their boss James Kincaid, who has seized the water supply in the area. Denton proposes to the men that her horse was stolen the night before, and Kincaid promises to return the saddle to her. Saunders asks after the Sheriff, and the men are instantly suspicious of him. He takes Fay home and meets her father, who explains he has shares in a mine and receives regular payments from this - but someone has been opening their mail, so they know when to intercept the money. Charlie had already tried to stop them and got injured, which is why his daughter has been attempting to halt the robberies herself.

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Kincaid arrives to deliver the saddle, and while Sandy hides with his horse an offer is put forward to buy the land - a ploy by the business tycoon to gain control over a well on their property too. His men spot Sandy’s horse tied up on the ranch, and upon leaving hatch a scheme to take the cowboy out, making it look like an accident. Local landowners meet in town to discuss James’ measly offers for their farms, threatening to price them out of access to water if they don’t accept. They await a reply to a complaint they’ve sent off to Washington. Meanwhile, Kincaid’s men fail to ambush Saunders in the desert, instead captured themselves and dragged back to town where they’re left on Kincaid’s doorstep.

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Sandy delivers a letter to the men in town that he found on the floor, giving a response from Washington that a man is on the way to investigate. They give their verdict to Kincaid, vowing not to sell their farms, and he cuts off the water supply. This feels like a good criticism of capitalism, as we’ve seen the way basic commodities like water have been exploited by rich individuals and corporations, to the detriment of marginalised communities. James orders his lackey’s to sabotage a tank of water sent from Charlie Denton to the townspeople, but this is feeble too as the delivery is successful. Kincaid orders a mercenary to take Saunders out, and it’s in this duel that Singin’ Sandy’s true identity is revealed, as he warbles a tune before drawing his gun and disarming his opponent.

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Having lost his protection, Kincaid offers the job to Sandy himself, who accepts so he can deceive the capitalist from the inside. Fay overhears their conversation and jumps to conclusions, convinced her new ally has aligned with the enemy. Saunders suggests they pay the Denton’s nothing for their ranch, instead destroying their water access by dropping dynamite down the well - but this is only a secret ploy, for doing this will cause the spring to erupt and fill the long barren creek nearby. The plan bears fruit, as the town have free access to water again with the river replenished. The effects in this part of the film are really cool, as the ground breaks and the dry channel fills up rapidly. There’s also some beautiful cinematography too, as different species frolic in the stream.

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The movie comes to a close as Sheriff Bill Baxter arrives back in town, and Kincaid kills his hired gun who’d insisted he’d finished him off. Sandy chases James into the desert, and the pair sling bullets at each other, as Saunders sends Kincaid off a cliff. His horse resurfaces, but the crook isn’t to be seen again as the water claims him. The Denton’s wave farewell to the infamous cowboy, Fay tearful to see him go and embarrassed to have suspected he was a criminal - but all is forgiven as he pulls her into an embrace and promises he’ll return for supper.

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Being the oldest of the three films, Riders of Destiny is a mere 50 minutes long, and it does have an amateur quality to it - but for me this only adds to the charm. Monogram Pictures was known for low-budget productions, and I think it’s wonderful to see art that was created more for the joy of the craft rather than to amass lots of money, especially with the anti-capitalist vein running through the plot too. Wayne’s voice was dubbed for the singing parts, and it was one of only a few musical roles he took on, as he felt insecure he couldn’t provide this himself, especially when fans asked him to recite some of his hits.

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I’ve never written about a triple-feature before, but I’ve enjoyed the challenge and it’s interesting to see the similarities between each film. For Black actors and actors of colour, we see them relegated to background roles, either as servants or shop owners which wasn’t uncommon at the time, yet Something To Sing About challenges the way Asian actors were treated by Hollywood. The movies all follow a similar formula too, with musical elements and an injustice to overcome. I’m excited to collect more pictures from the era, and I think these DVDs that contain multiple films are great for storage space too.