Product Details

• Actors: James Stewart, Barbara Hale, James Gleason, Fred Clark, Alan Mowbray
• Directors: Walter Lang
• Writers: Henry Ephron, John McNulty, Phoebe Ephron
• Producers: Samuel G. Engel
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• VHS Release Date: September 3, 1996
• Run Time: 85 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303957056
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #173,157 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

This "side-splitting expose of radio giveaway shows," stars James Stewart and Barbara Hale as a couple who suffer the unexpected travails of winning the jackpot. After he guesses the right answer to a quiz show question, life changes drastically for a man (Stewart) who's suddenly beseiged with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise he doesn't need or want...everything froma pony and a three-year supply of frozen food to an interior decorator and 7500 cans of soup. But mere annoyance turns into a nightmare when the Internal Revenue Service demands $7000 in taxes to cover this recent "income" sending the distraught man on a frenzied quest for cash. 1950. Black & White. 85 Minutes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Radio game show winnings turn life upside-down., November 17, 1998

By 

Paul Turk ([e-mail]) (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jackpot [VHS] (VHS Tape)

One 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.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Good Enough For DVD?, November 25, 2005

By 

Manny Fernandez "Mindbender" (Miami, Florida,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jackpot [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a delightfully engaging movie and I personally consider it a vital part of Americana. Life of the typical middle class family making it big when they win a radio quiz show and how it then impacts their lives. Then there is the taxman...

Good wholesome entertainment for the whole family as well as a candid look at what life was like in the 1940s. I recommend this film highly.

I only wish that this film could somehow be transferred into DVD format or packaged into a Jimmy Stewart movie collection. For its entertainment value and for its charming rendition of life in the 40s, this film is a treasure of a bygone era.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully Cute, July 11, 2002

By 

Charlotte Bell "Ma Bell" (Dallas, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jackpot [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Jimmy Stewart & Barbara Hale keeps the plot moving. I really enjoyed watching it. Natalie Wood was kind of "dorky", but her little brother "Tommy" was a better actor. The overall movie is "delightfully cute". Barbara Hale shows her "versatility" for acting.