Bank Dick

Year: 1940

Grade: B

Country: USA

Director: Cline

Review

better than the first time i watched it. this is the only w.c. fields film i’ve seen, but it’s supposed to be his best. it’s pure early humor – plenty of punishment (i.e., physical pain as the source of laughter), misdirection humor and pain in the ass type humor. at one point w.c. fields offers to help a chauffeur with some roadside car repairs; this naturally leads to the engine falling out of the car and fields saying sorry and going on his merry way. fields plays the hapless, but always on his feet, hero rather well. he’s like the gruff uncle who has bad luck for everyone else, but it never ends up affecting him. in other words: it’s great entertainment, but is such because of the pain it inflicts upon others. there are a ton of gags in this film and i think just about everyone will laugh a few times during the course of the film, it’s just a matter of how often and how hard.