IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

Christmas has come early this year for classic comedy lovers, because on April 19th, Kino Lorber Studio Classics will bring us the Blu-ray debuts of three hilarious movies by W.C. Fields — You’re Telling Me! (1934), Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935), and You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man (1939). 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 (especially Man on the Flying Trapeze, which is the best of the batch). 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 humor. I will review all three of the new W.C. Fields Blu-rays, saving my favorite for last. Having previously reviewed You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man, let’s move on to You’re Telling Me!

It’s a funny old world. Man’s lucky if he gets out of it alive.

— Sam Bisbee (W.C. Fields) in You’re Telling Me! (1934)

You’re Telling Me! was Fields’ first solo starring feature of the sound era. “The Great Man,” as W.C. liked to be called, had starred in a few silent features (including the excellent It’s the Old Army Game). However, none of Fields’ silents had lit the box office ablaze. The last few had even lost money. Consequently, Paramount Pictures was unconvinced that Fields could carry a movie on his own, and they relegated him to ensemble pictures, co-starring with the likes of Jack Oakie, Charlie Ruggles, Burns & Allen, and even Bela Lugosi. However, you can’t keep a “Great Man” down (even a self-named one). Fields drew praise from critics and audiences as the standout in the ensemble pictures, and by 1934, Paramount decided to let the Great Man give it a try as the sole name above the title.

It was decided that Fields would star in a remake of one of his more successful silent features, So’s Your Old Man (1926). While the project gave Fields the cache of a solo starring role, he was hamstrung somewhat by the source material, “Mr. Bisbee’s Princess.” a short story that originally appeared in Redbook (which gives you an idea of how edgy it was). The film is warm-hearted and funny throughout, but it isn’t exactly a W.C. Fields picture as we would come to know them. Fields is definitely playing a character in You’re Telling Me! — a character that is not W.C. Fields.

The first noticeable departure from Fields’ familiar persona is actually one of the most delightful aspects of the film. It is well known that W.C. Fields drank immoderately on and off camera, but he rarely played a scene in which he appeared pie-eyed drunk. “The Great Man” could hold his liquor. He might become bombastic and bellicose in his cups, but he was never woozy or wobbly. The major exception to this rule can be found in You’re Telling Me! The movie opens with a masterful drunk scene, in which Fields staggers home, removes his shoes to avoid waking his wife, loses his hat repeatedly, and has to resort to using a funnel to insert his key into the keyhole. Once indoors, he gets caught in the decorative ropes that hang from the hallway curtains and nearly strangles himself in his efforts to become disentangled.

Unfortunately, after this boffo display of physical humor, the film settles into the mild, homespun narrative of the original short story. Fields portrays Sam Bisbee, a small-town inventor with a big heart, whose nipping and uncouth manners are a constant embarrassment to his wife and daughter. However, after a chance meeting with a real princess, tables turn and Bisbee finds himself the toast of the small town socialite set. It’s a pleasant enough story, and Fields gives an excellent, out-of-character performance as the kind, gentle Bisbee. The film proves that Fields was more than a comedian. He was a truly solid actor. Still, the film is nowhere near as fun as the later classics in which Fields had a greater hand in scripting. Although, W.C. intersperses the proceedings with occasional touches of dark humor and a few amusing moonshine-laced gags, the net effect is a little like watching a cobra with his fangs removed.

You’re Telling Me! may not be grade-A Fields, but even minor Fields comedies are better than most comedians’ “A” material. This movie is a must-see for the Great Man’s drunk scene and for the classic golf routine which ends the picture. The self-scripted golf sketch was one of Fields’ most popular stage routines, and though it is an odd fit here (it’s very obviously wedged in), it signals the welcome arrival of Fields’ more familiar film persona. Sam Bisbee must pretend to be an experienced golfer to impress his social betters. In donning a more confident guise, Bisbee is really playing the more subversive, weirder “Great Man” character. Based upon the success of You’re Telling Me!, Fields would be allowed greater creative control on his next few pictures, and his comedy character would come into full bloom.

USA/B&W-66m./Dir: Erle C. Kenton/Wr: Walter DeLeon, Paul M. Jones, & J.P. McEvoy, adapted from a story by Julian Street/Cast: W. C. Fields, Joan Marsh, Buster Crabbe, Kathleen Howard, Adrienne Ames, Louise Carter,  Tammany Young, Dell Henderson, James B. ‘Pop’ Kenton, Robert McKenzie, Nora Cecil

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. I’d suggest viewing It’s a Gift, Man on the Flying Trapeze, and The Bank Dick first, as they are better introductions to Fields’ comedy, but You’re Telling Me! is a very good film in its own right.

Video: As mentioned above, Kino Lorber Studio Classics will release You’re Telling Me! (1934), Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935), and You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man (1939) individually on Blu-ray on April 19th. The Blu-ray of You’re Telling Me! is derived from a new 2K scan of the best surviving film elements. There are minor scratches and speckles throughout, but the picture is a good deal sharper than the previous DVD releases, bringing out details, such as individual hairs on the comedian’s head, that weren’t discernable before. The film grain appears natural and is not overpowering, and the contrast is excellent. 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:

• Wayne and Shuster Take an Affectionate Look at W.C. Fields (a 50-minute episode of a 1964 television series for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) — This is a nice extra for audiences unfamiliar with “The Great Man,” because it includes clips from several of his movies.  However, pay no attention to the connecting dialogue from Canadian comics Wayne and Shuster.  The script for this show is filled with debunked myths and inaccuracies about Fields’ life.  I also completely disagree with their premise that “The Great Man” never played the underdog.
• Bonus trailers for the W.C. Fields films The Old Fashioned Way, You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man, The Bank Dick, My Little Chickadee, and Alice in Wonderland
• Optional English Subtitles

Streaming: At the time of this review, You’re Telling Me! was not streaming on any of the major subscription services. It was also unavailable for purchase or rental through digital retailers.

More to Explore: In his features, Fields often played a man on the “outs” with his family. The best of these are his masterpieces, It’s a Gift (1934), Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935), and The Bank Dick (1940). Of course, W.C. Fields is always entertaining, so I included links below to his other titles that are currently available on Blu-ray. All are recommended.

Trivia: You’re Telling Me! was only the second movie role for ex-opera singer Kathleen Howard, who plays the stuffy Mrs. Murchison. She impressed Fields with her stern presence and her ability to roll with his ad libs. Consequently, when casting the role of his nagging wife in It’s a Gift and Man on the Flying Trapeze, Howard was his first choice.

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 Fields’ intended autobiography, W.C. Fields by Himself. Finally, if you prefer video documentaries, W.C. Fields: Straight Up (1986) is an excellent introduction to the Great Man.