The Bank Dick

I first saw this as a kid, and just didn't get it, or the genius of Fields. Watching it now, as a middle-aged adult, I was laughing out loud. Part of the fascination, of course, is in trying to separate what's autobiographical and what's purely fictional. The real-life dissipation of Fields is evident in every fold, every wattle, and every broken blood vessel of his ruined face (he was only a few years away from death), and yet, despite this, he's at his comedic peak, even occasionally displaying some of his still-present physical dexterity (he was a master juggler in his younger years). His character is an alcoholic, cowardly, lazy, child-hating, curmudgeonly blowhard, and I can't recall that such a thoroughly negative personality was ever the source for humor in the films of that era. (I'm currently reading a fascinating biography of Fields by James Curtis, and it turns out that he was a far more complex personality than has heretefore been suggested.) The supporting cast includes ... Read more

I don't think it's his best,but it's a good one from Fields.The other reviewers have put my memory of it to shame here,but it did make me laugh.People either seem to love or hate Fields.I think he was a comic genious in his own right.Somehow,he manages to play a bungling drunken curmudgeon and yet there is a quiet dignity he brings to the role.His timing was superb and he was also a master of the physical aspects of comedy (facial expression,body language) on par with Jackie Gleason.Last but not least,he always comes up with such memorable lines !

Field's diehard fans debate whether this film or It's A Gift was his greatest. I prefer It's A Gift, but I still love this film very much. Here the family relations have completely disintegrated to the point that little Evelyn Del Rio is bouncing a ketchup bottle among other things off his head. It's more a state of war with Fields as the crazy grandfather rather than Fields as the henpecked husband. Some of Fields's regulars are here: Grady Sutton plays Og Oggilby ("...sounds like a bubble in a bathtub...") who is not an imbecile but very much a "luddie duddie." Russell Hicks is great as J. Frothingham Waterbury,the crooked beefstake (beefsteak?) mines stock grifter. Shemp Howard (of the Three Stooges)plays Joe the Bartendar. Bill Wolfe is funny just standing there in the Black Pussy Cat Cafe and being examined by Dr. Stall. Jan Duggan is funny as the mother of the little boy with the cap gun Fields attempts to apprehend. Franklin Pangborn almost steals the movie as J. ... Read more

If you enjoy comedy films from this era, you need to see this one. Fields is at his best, screwing things up and trying to get them un-screwed up. It's one gag after another, with lots of laughs along the way. In particular, the routine where he's trying to explain the investment to his future son-in-law had me cracking up. Yes, the film is very dated. The stunt double driving the car at the end looks nothing like Fields, and there is some racial stereotyping typical in films of this era. But give the film a chance and I think you'll find most of it holds up well after all these years. Fields was a truly original character, just about everything the guy says is funny. Good entertainment.

Though his work is not to every taste, I view Fields as a comic genius right alongside Chaplin and The Marx Brothers. Along with "It's A Gift", "The Bank Dick" remains Fields's most sustained piece of hilarity. A brisk outing at just over 70 minutes, the film strikes an ideal balance between plot intrigue and broad action, as Egbert foils bank robbers, invests in a beefsteak mine, and save his prospective son-in-law's job. The immortal Franklin Pangborn is superb as a bank examiner victimized by Souse.

Sure, its one of The Great Man's best movies, but wher are the Paramount classics, Man On The Flying Trapeze and The Old Fashioned Way?? These two Fields movies sum up his character better than any of 'em!

The Bank Dick is the story of a drunken man who finds himself appointed to be the security guard of the bank after a robbery falsely paints him as a hero. This man is in no way qualified for such work, but he takes the job happily. In the midst of his job, he is swindled into investing a large sum of money that he borrows from the bank into a beefsteak mine. WC Fields is a very natural and understated actor in this film, whose lines seem ad-libbed and whose comic timing is well tuned. He is a likable, clumsy drunk whose antics are obviously damaging but forgivable. This film features other film favorites. Una Merkel plays Fields' daughter, a cute, innocent character which is unlike her usual personality. Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges plays the bartender. He is frequently in the film, but his character is not developed. This comedy involves many standard devices including the slow-burn, sarcastic comments, and an overall outrageous story. The background music is sometimes ... Read more