Memorable, crazy movie

Don't listen to the negative reviews

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

W.C. twice is unjustly credited with foiling a bank robber's getting away , and in recovering the money. In truth, his part was incidental to the capture. Yet, he is showered by praise, a substantial monetary reward, and offer of a menial job as bank 'dick'(guard). In fact, in the second incident, instead of thwarting the robber in his role as bank dick, the robber uses him as a shield, then as his wheelman in his getaway. It's only when the getaway car is cornered by two other cars, and the robber somehow is knocked unconscious, that W.C.is proclaimed a hero. This anomaly may be seen as a satire on the standard Hollywood hero, and on the sometimes subtle distinction between a true heroic act and one that is merely passive or accidental. W.C is also extremely lucky in that the 'penny' goldmine stock he talked his prospective son-in-law into embezzling $500. from the bank to buy, suddenly turned into a bonanza. Apparently, the combination of the reward money, plus the selling of this stock made his extended family rich enough to buy a mansion, with servants, as we see in the finale... Thus, of the Horatio Alger formula for success: luck and pluck, W.C. shows that, at least in the short run, pluck may not be necessary(which we all know). Familiar-looking Russell Hicks is playing an atypical role for him of the con man who tried to sell the 'penny' goldmine stock to W.C., and ended up selling it to his future son-in-law.Bespeckled Frank Pangborn played the bank auditor, whose inopportune arrival caused Og to faint several times, as he hadn't yet replaced the $500. he had 'borrowed' from the bank. His presence also induced W.C. to unleash several schemes to delay his auditing activity until Og had received his $500. bonus.... Una Merkel played W.C.'s marriage-crazed teen daughter. Just what she saw in Grady Sutton(Og) is beyond me. Clearly, they were awaiting better financial prospects before marrying....Evelyn Del Rio plays W.C.'s pugnacious young daughter.The climax of the film is represented by the Keystone Kops-like car chase near the end. An even more elaborate chase is seen in W.C.'s last film "Never Give a Sucker a Break". At one point, the getaway car drives over a trench being dug by about 10 men, their raised pick axes being lowered in a strike just before the car was about to hit each. Later, a motorcycle cop rides into the trench, knocking each, in succession, into the air. This offers an interesting bit of choreography. I'm sure I've seen this stunt before, but I don't know where.Best one-liner:W.C.: "Is that gun loaded?" Mother of 'cowboy': "No, but I think you are" Most astonishing put down: An African American is behind W.C., in a bank teller line. The teller motions for W.C. to get out of the way, so he can serve the African American first.

I found this film, also known as The Bank Detective, listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and I recognised the name of the leading legendary comedy actor, so I was looking forward to what it had to offer, directed by Edward F. Cline, who worked with Buster Keaton many times. Basically Egbert Sousé (W.C. Fields) is a hard-drinking family man, he spends a lot of time drinking, smoking and taking money from his young daughter's piggy bank, replacing it with I.O.U.s. Due to this, Sousé's relationships with his wife Agatha (Cora Witherspoon) and mother-in-law have become strained, and he cannot help but make a crack about the name Og Oggilby (Grady Sutton), fiancé of his older daughter. Sousé sets off for the day, and comes across a movie shoot, he talks his way into a temporary job, replacing the drunken director who does not show up. While on his lunch break, Sousé unknowingly thwarts an attempted bank robbery, one of the two men escapes, but Sousé is praised by the town as a hero, the grateful bank president gives him a job as a bank detective. Sousé convinces Og, who works at the bank, to steal 500 dollars to invest in a questionable mining company, Og hopes to return the money in four days, when he will get his annual bonus. But bank examiner J. Pinkerton Snoopington (Franklin Pangborn) plans an audit, Sousé tries to do something to stop this, but Snoopington is still determined to proceed with the audit. As Snoopington is about to discover the missing funds, the questionable mining company has actually struck it rich, Sousé and Og are now wealthy and don't have to worry about Snoopington. However, the escaped bank robber returns, with a new comrade, he robs the bank for a second time, and escapes with Sousé as a hostage, the robbers force him to drive their getaway car in a spectacular chase, during which the car slowly falls apart. In the end Sousé thwarts the second attempted robbery, and is rewarded again by the bank, now that they are rich, Sousé's family treat with more respect. Also starring Una Merkel as Myrtle Sousé, Evelyn Del Rio as Elsie Mae Adele Brunch Sousé, Jessie Ralph as Mrs. Hermisillo Brunch, Shemp Howard as Joe Guelpe, Richard 'Dick' Purcell as Mackley Q. Greene, Russell Hicks as J. Frothingham Waterbury and Pierre Watkin as Mr. Skinner. Fields became popular for his comic persona as a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist, he is certainly likable despite growling and grumbling a lot of the time, there were the odd bits of business related stuff I didn't get, but it is a simple story, with good slapstick jokes, and the final car chase is the highlight, all in all a worthwhile classic comedy. Good!

This movie is just nuts from beginning to end: the bizarre situations and characters really do defy description: it must be seen to be believed. If it's 'about' anything, it's about a seemingly endless series of petty humiliations suffered by the pseudo-genteel king of pompous assery, our friend and alky Mr. Souse. The family is unbelievable, and the final chase scene is really scary: the driving stunts are genuinely dangerous; hair raising.I'm adding this review for a specific reason, though, and that's the insertion of the stereotyped African-American in the bank line. I think a few people missed the subversion of that scene. I saw it and couldn't believe it, and had to watch it again. Viewers fixate on the stereotypical 'Yassuh-Massuh' characterization of the character, and, I think, miss the real point: that among Souse's humiliations is being told to 'step aside' and wait for a Black customer at the bank! A Black customer who, while outrageously racially stereotyped, still proceeds to withdraw his money due to the bizarre hat of the White bank teller! This was 1940: GONE WITH THE WIND was made one year earlier, and the insertion of this scene, a buffoonish White Man being instructed to step aside for a Black Man, was a seriously radical gag. Seriously radical: like I said, I couldn't believe it. I can't help but wonder what a Black audience made of this scene at the time of release: my guess is delighted glee. The fact the Black Man is a degrading stereotype (which is how Blacks were portrayed in White movies at the time, always!) does not change in any way the true subversion of that one remarkable scene. It's not a Black Maid rolling her eyes at her Missus' frivolity or any such thing: the Black Man is a full-fledged bank customer, is given preferential treatment over a White Man, and the relative silliness of Fields' Mr. Souse does not matter one bit. For that one scene this a truly special little movie. It's also screamingly funny, with practically every line spoken a priceless quote, and every sight gag destined to remain in your mind forever. My un-PC, hysterical favorite? The 'mountain team' of the film-within-a- film's romantic couple, and Fields' dumbfounded, short-joke exclamation: "Is she standing in a hole?" So wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

one of the most fascinating movies of W. C. Fields , it has rare gift to be more than a good comedy but an admirable work in which each detail impress and seems be perfect. it is not a surprise because W. C. Fields himself represents an entire universe. result - a fresh film, splendid for dialogs and gags, for the performance of Franklin Pangborn and for the flavor of fairy tale. a film who reminds basic values of society without be a moral lesson or only fun. part of long chain of films about the good American , it has the art to be a pure gem , using each nuance of script in wise manner. a movie from a lost period. so, a message. or only one of the greatest performances by W. C. Fields.