IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

Kino Lorber Studio Classics has given classic comedy lovers an early Christmas gift with the November 9th Blu-ray debuts of three hilarious movies by W.C. Fields — The Old Fashioned Way (1934), It’s a Gift (also 1934), and The Bank Dick (1940). If you’ve never seen a W.C. Fields film, or even if you are generally allergic to black & white movies, I highly recommend that you step out of your safety zone and give these movies a try. William Claude Dukenfield, better known as W.C. Fields, popularized both cringe comedy and misanthropic humor, so his comedy feels particularly modern. His influence can be felt on the most intelligent and subversive film and television comedy that followed. Such properties as Fawlty Towers, Blackadder, Seinfeld, Groundhog Day, Ghost World, Sideways, Bad Santa, The Office, Curb your Enthusiasm, and Veep would be unthinkable had Fields not previously fought the censors and pushed the boundaries of politically incorrect comedy. The three titles being released on Blu-ray in November provide a perfect introduction to “the Great Man,” as Fields liked to be called. I hope you’ll pick up all three, but having previously reviewed, The Old Fashioned Way and It’s a Gift (both 1934), let’s proceed to my favorite Fields comedy, The Bank Dick (1940).

Comedians tend to produce their strongest work in their youth, but at the age of 60, W.C. Fields wrote and starred in The Bank Dick, an acknowledged masterpiece of screen comedy and arguably his finest work. Universal gave Fields full creative control on the picture, and he took full advantage of it. He wrote the screenplay (under the pseudonym of Mahatma Kane Jeeves), filling the film with jokes on his favorite themes–disapproving family members, malevolent children, pompous authority figures, and strong drink.

In this classic, the Great Man portrays Egbert Sousé (accent grave over the “e”), a small town layabout, who spends his happiest hours downing cocktails at the Black Pussy Café, managed by bartender Joe Guelpe (Shemp Howard). After accidentally disrupting the getaway of a couple of bank robbers, Sousé is rewarded with a job as a bank security guard. In the role of “bank dick,” he convinces his soon-to-be son-in-law Og Oggilby (Grady Sutton), who is one of the bank tellers, to embezzle funds in order to invest in a Beefsteak Mine. Of course, shortly thereafter, the bank examiner, J. Pinkerton Snoopington (Franklin Pangborn) shows up to examine the books.

In truth, the storyline of The Bank Dick is drunkenly incoherent. No plot or real connection between the scenes begins to emerge until a third of the way into the movie, but the proceedings are so funny, you aren’t likely to notice. Everything works in The Bank Dick, from the glimpses of Sousé’s horrific home life, to the chummy tête-à-tête with his bartender, to the climatic car chase (which is slapstick at its most surreal).

In addition to career-topping work by the Great Man himself, the film features very funny supporting performances from the entire cast. Fields was allowed his choice of actors, and he populated the film from top to bottom with seasoned professionals who were adept at comedy. W.C. must have realized that some of his earlier films slowed down when he wasn’t on screen, due to bland actors supporting other elements of the story (such as the inevitable romantic subplot for the character of his daughter). Instead of eliminating those types of characters from The Bank Dick, W.C. simply cast them with more interesting character actors. So instead of using conventionally attractive types in the parts of his eldest daughter and her beau, Fields cast the wonderfully funny Una Merkel and gawky goliath Grady Sutton. When Mae West had refused to let W.C. cast Grady Sutton in My Little Chickadee, Fields had promised to write a part for Grady in his next picture. The Great Man more than “made good” on his promise. The role of Og Oggilby is inarguably the greatest showcase that Grady Sutton ever received in a motion picture.

Every role is “heightened” and slightly cartoonish in The Bank Dick, and the film is better for it. Also memorable are character actors Franklin Pangborn as the appropriately-named J. Pinkerton Snoopington, Russell Hicks as conman J. Frothingham Waterbury (Fields like names that began with the initial “J”), the aforementioned Shemp Howard as bartender Joe, and famous character drunk Jack Norton as dipsomaniac director A. Pismo Clam. The Bank Dick is one of the most generously cast films ever produced by one of the classic film comedians; but W.C. Fields was confident enough to know that he would shine the brightest, even when surrounded by other comedic pros.

To ensure that the film would reflect his vision, Fields also had his choice of director. His selection was Eddie Cline, a seasoned comedy director since the days of the silents. Cline had directed Buster Keaton, Ben Turpin. Wheeler & Woolsey, Joe Penner, Charles Ruggles, and many others. More importantly, Cline had previously directed W.C. in the wonderfully surreal Million Dollar Legs (1932), You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man (1939, uncredited), and My Little Chickadee (1940). Fields knew that he’d have no troubles with his pal Eddie in the director’s chair, because Cline wouldn’t make a fuss when the comedian strayed from the script. Fields liked to change up his dialogue from take-to-take and to introduce gags that occurred to him on the set. For example, the finger-bathing business in The Black Pussy and everything involving Sousé aboard the palanquin was spontaneously created. Cline could go with the flow and capture the unexpected results to optimum comedic effect.

If it isn’t clear already, I love The Bank Dick. I think I’ve watched this film more times than any other movie. Yet, it remains funny each and every time. In my opinion, W.C. Fields created three masterpieces in his lifetime — It’s a Gift (1934), Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935), and The Bank Dick (1940). On a five star scale, they are all five star movies, but The Bank Dick is my favorite. Being that W.C. Fields also happens to be my favorite movie comedian, The Bank Dick ranks very high indeed. I can’t give a film a higher recommendation.

USA/B&W-72m./Dir: Edward F. Cline/Wr: Mahatma Kane Jeeves (W.C. Fields), with dialogue by Richard A. Carroll/Cast: W. C. Fields, Grady Sutton, Franklin Pangborn, Una Merkel, Shemp Howard, Cora Witherspoon, Evelyn Del Rio, Dick Purcell, Jack Norton

For Fans of: If you like the work of other classic film comedians, such as the Marx Brothers or Abbott & Costello, you owe it to yourself to give “The Great Man” a try. The Bank Dick is my favorite of his films, but you may want to start with It’s a Gift, as it provides a better entry point into Fields’ brand of comedy.

Video: As mentioned above, Kino Lorber Studio Classics will release The Old Fashioned Way, It’s a Gift, and The Bank Dick individually on Blu-ray on November 9th. There is no information regarding a new scan of the film elements, so I believe the image is derived from an older master provided to Kino Lorber from Universal. Despite the lack of restoration, the picture quality is quite good. It is sharper than previous DVD releases, and the contrast is excellent. A few scratches appear here and there, but overall the presentation is pretty clean. The film grain appears a little coarse from close up, but from the correct viewing distance, the picture looks lovely. Unless Universal decides to go to additional expense on this title (which is doubtful due to the size of Fields’ current following), this is probably the best the film will ever look on home video.

The disc’s sound is clear, without noticeable age-related hiss. Finally, the disc is rounded out by the following extras:

• A new audio commentary by filmmaker and historian Michael Schlesinger: If anyone records more entertaining audio commentaries than Michael Schlesinger, I’ve yet to encounter them. Michael has an encyclopedic knowledge of the characters that populate Hollywood history, and his discussion of The Bank Dick is filled with interesting background on the director, crew, and cast (down to walk-on parts). He also presents amusing tidbits about the production and locations, and puts dated references in context for younger audiences. My favorite factoid that Michael mentions is when Egbert Sousé asks his bartender “Was I in here last night, and did I spend a twenty dollar bill?” that would amount to $375 in 2021. While very informative, Michael’s commentaries are always humorous and conversational (even when he is only talking to himself).
• The original theatrical trailer
• Bonus trailers for The Old Fashioned Way, You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man (1939), My Little Chickadee (1940), and Road to Zanzibar (1941)
• Optional English Subtitles

Streaming: At the time of this review, The Bank Dick was not streaming on any of the major subscription services.  It was also unavailable for purchase or rental through digital retailers.

More to Explore: The other two films in W.C. Fields’ trio of “family man” masterpieces, It’s a Gift (1934) and Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935) should also be required viewing for lovers of film comedy. It’s a Gift is also receiving a Blu-ray release on November 9th. Kino Lorber has promised The Man on the Flying Trapeze sometime in 2022. Of course, W.C. Fields is always entertaining, so I included links to his other titles that are currently available on Blu-ray. All are recommended.

Trivia: Fields was able to get the name, “The Black Pussy,” past the censors, because his friend, Leon Errol, owned a Santa Monica bar and grill of the same name. However, the censors did insist that W.C. add the word “Cat” to the door of the saloon.

For More Info: The best (and most accurate) biography of the Great Man is W.C. Fields: A Biography by James Curtis.  I’d also recommend Field’s intended autobiography, W.C. Fields by Himself. If you prefer video documentaries, I’d also recommend W.C. Fields: Straight Up (1986).