''Pot o' Gold'' was radio's first big-money giveaway program, garnering huge ratings within four weeks of its 1939 debut. The program kept so many listeners at home and away from movies that "some theater owners offered $1,000 prizes to anyone who was called while attending the movies."

Premise

The premise of the radio program, created by Ed Byron, was that any person who picked up the telephone when host

Horace Heidt Horace Heidt (May 21, 1901 – December 1, 1986) was an American pianist, big band leader, and radio and television personality. His band, Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights, toured vaudeville and performed on radio and television during the 19 ...

called would automatically win $1,000. Phone numbers were chosen by three spins on the Wheel of Fortune:Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 529. (1) choice of phone directory, (2) page number and (3) the line on the page.Terrace, Vincent (1999). ''Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . Pp. 274-275.

Cast

1939-1941 (national)

The series ran on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

from September 26, 1939 to December 23, 1941. Music was supplied by

and his Musical Knights with the original stars Larry Cotton,

Frankie Carle Frankie Carle (born Francis Nunzio Carlone, March 25, 1903 – March 7, 2001) was an American pianist and bandleader. As a very popular bandleader in the 1940s and 1950s, Carle was nicknamed "The Wizard of the Keyboard". "Sunrise Serenade" was Ca ...

, Jean Farney, Ruth Davies, Fred Lowery, Henry Russell, Red Ferrington, Bernie Mattinson and the Le Ahn Sisters. For a time,

Art Carney Arthur William Matthew Carney (November 4, 1918 – November 9, 2003) was an American actor and comedian. A recipient of an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and six Primetime Emmy Awards, he was best known for his role as Ed ...

was the announcer.

1941-? (New York City)

On January 8, 1941, a local version of ''Pot o' Gold'' was launched in New York City. The show originated at

WMCA WMCA may refer to: *WMCA (AM), a radio station operating in New York City * West Midlands Combined Authority, the combined authority of the West Midlands metropolitan county in the United Kingdom *Wikimedia Canada The Wikimedia Foundation, ...

and was simulcast over WHN and WNEW on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Rush Hughes was master of ceremonies, and Tommy Tucker led the orchestra.

1946-1947 (national)

A new show by the same name returned on ABC for a run from October 2, 1946 to March 26, 1947 hosted by singing clown

Happy Felton Francis J. Felton Jr. (November 30, 1907 - October 21, 1964) was a bandleader, vaudevillian, and host of children's television programs. He was known professionally as Happy Felton. Early years Felton was born Francis J. Felton Jr. on November 30, ...

with music by the Harry Salter Orchestra and vocalists Vera Holly and Jimmy Carroll (1913–72). The announcer was Bob Shepard (1915–93) who also was the announcer on ''Counterspy'' and '' Break the Bank''.

Legal concerns

The first version of the program was cited by the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

as part of what ''Broadcasting'' magazine called a "crusade against prize contest programs as possible violations of the lottery statutes." In February 1940, the FCC asked the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...

to initiate an investigation into the program. Two months later, however, the DOJ declined to prosecute, essentially giving ''Pot o' Gold'' a "clean bill of health."

Film

The program's success prompted production of a

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film based on the radio series. Directed by

George Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the US Army under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry ...

and produced by

James Roosevelt James Roosevelt II (December 23, 1907 – August 13, 1991) was an American businessman, Marine, activist, and Democratic Party politician. The eldest son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt, he served as an official Secret ...

, the movie ''Pot o' Gold'' was released April 3, 1941, eight months before the NBC radio series came to an end.

Walter DeLeon Walter DeLeon (May 3, 1884 – August 1, 1947) was an American screenwriter and playwright. Biography Walter DeLeon was born on May 3, 1884 in Oakland, California. DeLeon made his playwright debut at Idora Park in Oakland. He wrote for 6 ...

's screenplay told of a couple romantically involved despite family feuds.

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

and

Paulette Goddard Paulette Goddard (born Marion Levy; June 3, 1910 – April 23, 1990) was an American actress notable for her film career in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Born in Manhattan and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Goddard initially began her career a ...

portrayed the couple, and orchestra leader Heidt appeared as himself.Full cast and crew
for ''Pot o' Gold''. IMDB. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.

References

{{reflist 1930s American radio programs 1939 radio programme debuts 1941 radio programme endings 1946 radio programme debuts 1947 radio programme endings 1940s American radio programs American radio game shows 1930s American game shows 1940s American game shows NBC radio programs NBC Blue Network radio programs ABC radio programs Radio programs adapted into television shows Radio game shows with incorrect disambiguation