Jul. 18, 2002 - 11:45 pm
interesting. this is only my second W. C. Fields film to ever see. the other being Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935). this film was lent to me by my mom since she thought i might enjoy it. it sounds like she's just recently gained an appreciationg for W. C. Fields. i had always heard the name when i was growing up because my dad used to have all these little collectible statues of old movie stars and he was one of them. i didn't know who most of them were back then, but i remember recognizing Laurel & Hardy. so after having seen these two movies that Fields starred in, i actually have some inkling as to who and what he was.
basically he almost always seems to play a stock character. and his films are merely built around that character. he has an overbearing wife, kids that would drive anyone insane, and is surrounded by people who can't help but drive him crazy by the day to day things that they do. he's forgetful, clumsy, somewhat idiotic, and in retaliation to the craziness he is forced to deal with he can only mutter things under his breath. it's actually pretty funny just because of the over-the-top nature of the situations. i guess it's pretty in line with most of the comedy that came out of the early 1930s.
this particular film deals with his (Harold Bissonette's) uncle dying and leaving a bunch of money to him. he then takes the money and buys up the worst piece of land in all of California on which to build an orange grove. obviously he doesn't know what he's getting himself into. he never does. it was a good film and it made me laugh a little bit at parts, but this doesn't compare to some of the humor of the early 30s. i'd say the best thing to come out of that era comedy-wise was the films of the Marx Brothers. which reminds me, i had wanted to see Horse Feathers (1932) and never got around to it. i'll have to watch that at some point. oh, more circular trivia discoveries. guess who directed Horse Feathers? Norman Z. McLeod. and It's a Gift? yep, Norman Z. McLeod.
interesting trivia from the IMDb tonight in relation to last night's entry. W. C. Fields actually sort of got his start due to the real Mr. Ziegfeld. He was in each of the Ziegfeld Follies from 1915 through 1921. and he was also one of the first choices to play the title role in The Wizard of Oz (1939).
expect the diary to be loaded with Patrick McGoohan films this weekend. my mom's coming to visit.