Movie reviewed: It’s a Gift (1934), starring W.C. Fields and Kathleen Howard

An off-beat screwball slapstick and the best work of W. C. Fields (five stars)

This is an absolutely wonderful screwball slapstick and one of the best of W.C. Fields. The movie goers loved the magical work of the great genius who could make people laugh despite their troubles at the height of Great Depression. When it was released, the critics were not so enthusiastic about the story. A contemporary review from 'Argus', The Literary Digest of 1935 was critical and said that "It is clumsy, crude and quite amateurish in its appearance.” The film is about the life of a grocery store owner and his daily battles with a shrewd wife, an incompetent assistant, annoying children, customers, and salesmen. W. C. Fields' later work, “The Bank Dick,” is another example for a man’s battle against his domestic entrapment and the abuses he faces!

The story of the film was originally written by J.P. McEvoy and Charles Bogle (pseudonym for W.C. Fields). Fields had filmed the story as silent film under the name of “It is the Army Game” in 1926. But it was really a string of gags and situations perfected by Fields in his decades of vaudeville, Ziegfeld Follies, and Movie Shorts, including the classic porch scene in which he sleeps after an argument with his wife. The rosy-nosed comic pulled off rare feats in the film as a laugh-rising character. In the supporting role, Kathleen Howard as a demanding wife offers an excellent performance, and so is Jean Rouverol as Fields’ daughter who drives him crazy. This was a William Le Baron’s low-budget film but ended up earning sizeable revenue: Highly recommended!