W.C. Fields Comedy Collection, Vol. 2 (The Man on the Flying Trapeze / Never Give A Sucker An Even Break / You're Telling Me! / The Old Fashioned Way / Poppy)
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Actor: June Preston, W.C. FieldsBrand: Universal Studios
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Black & White, Box set, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 351 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-03-20
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Universal Studios
Product features:
- Condition: New
- Format: DVD
- Box set; Black & White; Dolby; Full Screen; Subtitled; NTSC
DVD Reviews of W.C. Fields Comedy Collection, Vol. 2 (The Man on the Flying Trapeze / Never Give A Sucker An Even Break / You're Telling Me! / The Old Fashioned Way / Poppy)
DVD Review: Fields gets "an even break" in Volume 2
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me begin by saying this: Thank God for DVD! It has given us fans the opportunity to see (and own) these great films (some for the very first time), instead of allowing them to languish forever in some musty vault.
After viewing & enjoying Volume 1, I didn't think it was possible to top that initial collection; I'm happy to say, I was wrong. Volume 2 unearths such rarely-seen gems as "You're Telling Me", "Poppy", "The Old-Fashioned Way", "Man On The Flying Trapeze" and of course, Fields' starring swan song, "Never Give A Sucker An Even Break".
Do I have a favorite among this collection? It's tough choosing one, considering I really like all of them, so I won't. "You're Telling Me" starts off hilariously with Fields drunkenly stumbling through his front door--and having the nerve to try to hide his inebriation from his shrewish, disapproving wife. An ambitious inventor, he tries to get patented by demonstrating his "puncture-proof" car tires by shooting out his own tires--but accidentally shoots out a police car's tires instead. The movie climaxes with a classic old Fields bit, the "golf routine".
"The Old-Fashioned Way" is a grand 1800's-style vehicle which puts Fields in his element as the leader of a theatrical troupe, always one step ahead of the law & one step behind in financial obligations. The film is packed with great comedy moments: Another hilarious encounter with Fields' child nemesis, Baby LeRoy; Fields listening to an audition by the shrill song stylings of a stage-struck rich dowager (Fields only wants her around to plunder her bankroll); and the play itself, "The Drunkard", with performances so hokey & over the top that it's hysterical to watch.
"Man On The Flying Trapeze" relies more on situational comedy than broad slapstick. But the story is a beauty: Fields, after 25 years of service, asks his boss for the afternoon off; however, he makes the mistake of saying he's attending his mother-in-law's funeral, when actually, he's sneaking off to see a wrestling exhibition. The "little lie" snowballs into a preposterous disaster as Fields loses his job, finally tells off his irritating in-laws & defends his devoted daughter (Fields tended to portray families as mean & nasty in his films, a reflection of an unhappy childhood at the hands of an abusive father). To our surprise, the situation rights itself: Fields gets re-hired (with better pay & benefits), and he puts his shrewish wife & clinging in-laws in their place. The intricate workings of the story are simply amazing.
"Poppy" is the film adaptation of a Fields stage play. Balancing a dramatic storyline (the title character, Fields' daughter, seeking a better life, love & acceptance into society) with a more comical one (Fields as her finagling medicine-show father), it's another classic Fields vehicle.
Fields reached his zany zenith with the dizzy "Never Give A Sucker An Even Break", a mis-shapen comedy confection where Fields tries to sell the most ridiculous, preposterous movie script to a movie studio head (played with wonderful exasperation by Franklin Pangborn). As the script story unfolds, logic is completely thrown out the window. We don't believe it, the studio chief doesn't believe it. But who cares? This, after all, is a comedy to enjoy, and we delight in Fields introducing such crazy things as gorillas, planes with an open observation deck, reclusive & wealthy women (played here by the Marx Brothers' favorite dowager, Margaret Dumont), and silly kissing games.
Even middle-aged, Fields' hands are as nimble & quick as ever. Just watch him do his juggling routine at the end of "The Old-Fashioned Way" or use various props to accentuate the laughs in any of these films. His physical bits are simply astounding to watch.
Another interesting thing about Fields is his screen character: He might be dishonest & loutish at times, but no matter what happens, we are with him all the way, proving that underdogs can come out on top.
The DVD extras include a 60's documentary about Fields, hosted by Wayne & Shuster (?).
If Universal is smart, they will release a Volume 3 to round things out. After all, we still need to see other gems such as "Six Of A Kind", "Mississippi", "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch", "If I Had A Million" and "David Copperfield".
More W.C. Fields Comedy Collection, Vol. 2 (The Man on the Flying Trapeze / Never Give A Sucker An Even Break / You're Telling Me! / The Old Fashioned Way / Poppy) reviews:
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Description of W.C. Fields Comedy Collection, Vol. 2 (The Man on the Flying Trapeze / Never Give A Sucker An Even Break / You're Telling Me! / The Old Fashioned Way / Poppy)
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