Review of The Bank Dick (1940) by Alex S — 03 Sep 2007

It took about 20 days to show up in the mail but boy was it worth it. W.C. Fields never gets recognized in the same camp as Chaplin or Keaton which is really surprising, especially after watching this movie.

It may only be 70-some minutes long, but it offers up more ideas and skits than you would imagine. The idea of Fields becoming a security guard, after a short movie director stint gone awry, is comical in itself.

He gets the job on accident, gets into more trouble, and participates in a gauntlet of jokes that is pretty bold even by today's standards. Children are berated, authority is mocked, race plays a minute role, and yet all these potentially shocking bits are crafted masterfully with Fields' acting and writing (his choosing to write the movie under the name "Mahatma Kane Jeeves" is funny in itself).

Try and track down a copy of this if you're in the mood for some off the beaten path slapstick.