Struggling actor William McFly is hired by wealthy eccentric Cecil Fox to play his personal secretary for a "practical joke."

Each of the women brings Fox a valuable timepiece as a present: Sheridan’s, an elaborate porcelain antique; McGill's, a large quartz block with clock faces telling global time; and the princess’ gift, an heirloom hourglass reputedly filled with precious gold powder.

McFly soon recognizes that the premise of the “practical joke” is based on the plot of Ben Johnson’s 17th century theater classic Volpone, in which a swindler poses as a dying man to dupe three men who aspire to inherit his fortune, each bearing luxurious gifts.

A former law student, McFly begins to suspect the motives behind the “practical joke” and to question how his role may incur legal liability.

However, when Sarah returns from a late-night date with McFly—during which McFly left her alone at a restaurant for over an hour ostensibly to make an important phone inquiry—she finds Sheridan dead of an overdose of sleeping pills, an apparent suicide.

After McFly complies, an amused Rizzi compliments him on his "generosity"—while Fox may have been deeply in debt, Sheridan's estate is so vast, Sarah will still emerge an extremely wealthy woman.

Anne Bancroft originally was offered the role of Merle McGill, but she chose instead to star in Michael Cacoyannis' Broadway staging of John Whiting's The Devils.

Cinematographer Gianni Di Venanzo died during production and was replaced with Pasqualino De Santis[5] who refused to take credit.

Variety called The Honey Pot "a rich confection in every department" praising both cast and crew, but it found the film's pace too slow and wondered whether "its hark-back to the days when the turn of phrase and the tongue-in-cheek were a staple" would weaken its appeal for contemporary audiences who preferred "Bondian brashness" to Mankiewicz's "innuendo.