312:
large, angry man in the lower berth and manages to hit him with a mallet and convince him that someone else did it. At one point, Gloria Jean asks Uncle Bill why he never married, and he answers "I was in love with a beautiful blonde once, dear. She drove me to drink. That's the one thing I'm indebted to her for." When Fields's flask falls out of the plane, Fields jumps after it. and his niece cries out in horror. He lands safely in a "nest" high atop a cliff, a home populated by a beautiful, young, naive girl (Susan Miller) and her cynical mother (Margaret Dumont). Meanwhile, the plane lands, and Gloria Jean sings a traditional
Russian song to a group of peasants. She reunites with Fields in the village, where Fields learns that Dumont is wealthy. He returns to Dumont's mountaintop retreat, only to find a romantic rival (Leon Errol). Fields is about to marry Dumont when Gloria Jean takes him aside and convinces him that this is a bad idea, and they make a swift exit.
324:) asks for help getting to the maternity hospital, where her daughter is about to give birth. Fields volunteers, thinking the matron is in distress, and she takes the back seat of his car. He speeds her through the streets and expressways of Los Angeles, where he tangles with pedestrians, cars, and a hook-and-ladder fire truck. When his passenger passes out, Fields drives even more urgently. He arrives at the hospital, wrecking his car in the process, and his passenger is shaken but unhurt. Gloria Jean, who has just arrived by taxi, asks Uncle Bill if he's all right. He replies "Good thing I didn't have an accident. I'd never have gotten here." Gloria Jean smiles and says to the audience "My Uncle Bill...but I still love him!"
570:
and pineapples", which they felt was "a play upon an obscene story." A revised script was approved two months later. The studio hired a number of writers to continue work on the script, none of them billed, but Fields hated their version, calling it "the worst script I ever read." He was inclined to "throw it in their faces", but director
569:
because it was "filled with vulgar and suggestive scenes and dialogue" and had "innumerable jocular references to drinking and liquor," the producer was referred to as a "pansy", and the Fields character ogled women's breasts and legs. The censors also objected to "all dialogue and showing of bananas
311:
Pangborn reads through the script, which comes to life in a series of scenes. Fields and Gloria Jean are flying to an exotic location on an airplane, which Fields specifies has an open-air rear observatory platform. Fields has run-ins with a couple of eccentric characters in which he tangles with a
625:
wrote "We are not yet quite sure that this latest opus is even a movie – no such harum-scarum collection of song, slapstick and thumbnail sketches has defied dramatic law in recent history. We are more certain that at its worst the film is extravagantly bad, no less that
William Claude is
29:
629:
This movie was Fields's last starring role. By this time, he was 61 years old and in declining health, and a lifetime of alcoholism had taken its toll. Fields often had to recuperate in his dressing room between takes. He was planning his next film for
Universal, with Gloria Jean and
315:
At this point, Pangborn has had enough of the absurdity of the script and tells Fields to leave the studio. Fields goes to an ice cream parlor to drown his sorrows. In a rare aside to the camera, Fields remarks "This scene is supposed to be in a saloon, but the censor cut it out!"
590:
as one of its major features of the year, to be released during the holiday season of 1941. "That was the plan until the studio heads saw the film," reported Gloria Jean's biographers. "In late
September they conveniently forgot about their bonded schedule, changed the title from
231:. Fields also wrote the original story, under the pseudonym Otis Criblecoblis. Fields plays himself, promoting an extravagant screenplay he has written. As he describes the script to a skeptical producer, the often surreal scenes are shown. It was produced and distributed by
614:, Universal could bridge Fields's chaotic continuity and gloss over his occasional absences." The outrageously zany film played to mixed reviews but is today considered one of Fields's classics. It has been called "a thinly disguised attack on the Hollywood studio system."
319:
At the studio, when Gloria Jean learns Fields has been sent away, she tells the flustered
Pangborn that she will quit if her uncle is fired. She and Fields make plans to travel, and she goes into a shop to buy some new clothes. Just then, a middle-aged matron
261:
Fields fought with studio producers, directors, and writers over the content of his films. He was determined to make a movie his way, with his own script and staging, and his choice of supporting players. Universal finally gave him the chance, and
599:, and moved the release date up to October 10, placing the Fields film among a succession of lesser releases... Universal, deciding that this would be Fields's last picture at the studio, gave a choice November release date to
558:, but this title again was rejected by Universal. When the title was changed, Fields was afraid that "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break" would not fit on theater marquees, and it would be abbreviated to "W. C. Fields - Sucker".
607:
became a non-event." Parts of the film were reshot without Fields's participation, and the film was re-edited and rearranged into a crazy-quilt of comedy sequences. "By keeping the film as nonsensical as possible, like
258:(1939), he tells a customer that his grandfather's last words, "just before they sprung the trap", were "You can't cheat an honest man; never give a sucker an even break, or smarten up a chump."
561:
Fields' first version of the script was only 12 pages long. The studio told him to expand it, which Fields' did, to 96 pages. This was still not enough, so Fields hired screenwriters
252:(1936), he tells his daughter "If we should ever separate, my little plum, I want to give you just one bit of fatherly advice: Never give a sucker an even break!" In
304:), he calls "Blimpy Pie." His devoted niece Gloria Jean is on her way to rehearse some songs at the studio, where she demonstrates her classically trained
1451:
890:
1441:
565:
and
Prescott Chaplin to expand it. This version came in at 156 pages. This was the version of the script that was rejected in April 1941 by the
1471:
286:' matronly foil, was cast as the haughty Mrs. Hemogloben. Fields was paid $ 125,000 for his performance and $ 25,000 for his original story.
1168:
992:
1456:
1080:
1232:
952:
294:
At the
Hollywood studios of Esoteric Pictures, Fields, playing himself, is seen admiring a billboard advertising his previous film
1466:
254:
1446:
1112:
1461:
1400:
488:, who plays Pangborn's receptionist, was Fields' mistress. She later wrote an autobiography that was made into the 1976 film
626:
wonderful...Yes, some parts of the film you will find incomprehensibly silly. Probably you also will laugh your head off."
1476:
1248:
1144:
883:
1328:
829:
681:
746:
1408:
928:
709:
574:
told him not to—he would shoot Fields's own script, and the studio wouldn't know the difference, which was the case.
784:
1436:
464:
1280:
1096:
876:
536:
124:
1344:
1224:
976:
610:
1304:
1072:
936:
1016:
852:
1336:
1160:
28:
1296:
300:(1940). He encounters various hecklers and minor calamities, including a rude, sassy diner waitress (
1431:
1240:
1208:
1192:
643:
519:
490:
308:
soprano. Fields is also on the premises to pitch a script to
Esoteric producer Franklin Pangborn.
266:
was the result. Fields chose most of the supporting cast. He chose
Universal's young singing star
1200:
1184:
758:
232:
139:
1368:
1320:
1216:
1128:
1088:
1056:
841:
600:
523:
364:
275:
248:
236:
100:
703:
1392:
1352:
1312:
1136:
1048:
1040:
618:
458:
1376:
1360:
1152:
944:
900:
571:
562:
499:
355:
279:
216:
52:
42:
725:
Mankiewicz, Ben (January 3, 2018) Intro to Turner
Classic Movies presentation of the film
1272:
1104:
1064:
1024:
807:
785:"W.C. Fields Opens Here in 'Never Give a Sucker an Even Break' -- New Soviet Film Seen"
530:
485:
446:
415:
403:
120:
1425:
1384:
1264:
1256:
1032:
1000:
984:
822:
674:
554:
385:
296:
283:
110:
72:
868:
696:
1008:
434:
428:
409:
397:
391:
334:
301:
220:
82:
1120:
968:
960:
912:
566:
495:
440:
370:
340:
267:
224:
212:
86:
702:. New York: Cadillac Publishing by arrangement with The Citadel Press. p.
920:
631:
452:
379:
346:
321:
305:
271:
228:
90:
846:
539:("Ochi chyornye" or "Dark Eyes") - in Russian, traditional Russian folk song
515:"Estrellita" ("Little Star") - in Spanish, music and lyrics by M. M. Ponce
863:
857:
810:(January 3, 2018) Outro to Turner Classic Movies presentation of the film
835:
582:
After the positive reception of Fields' previous Universal picture,
352:
Billy Lenhart and Kenneth Brown as His Hecklers (as Butch and Buddy)
1176:
642:, Universal dropped him. The studio had the increasingly popular
638:
planned to star with him, but after the lukewarm performance of
872:
529:"Hot Cha Cha"—nonsense song by Universal's musical director
270:
to play his niece and hired two of his favorite comedians,
246:
The title is derived from lines from two earlier films. In
235:. In some international releases it was known by the
511:
Gloria Jean sings the following songs in this film:
196:
188:
178:
154:
146:
130:
116:
106:
96:
78:
68:
60:
48:
38:
21:
695:
376:Charles Lang as the young engineer, Peter Carson
765:, iUniverse, Bloomington, Indiana, 2005, p. 70.
884:
552:, which also had been his original title for
8:
646:under contract and no longer needed Fields.
361:Susan Miller as Ouilotta Delight Hemogloben
891:
877:
869:
747:"Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941)"
27:
18:
548:Fields' preferred title for the film was
337:as The Great Man, W. C. Fields/Uncle Bill
741:
739:
737:
735:
733:
731:
382:as Madame Gorgeous, Gloria Jean's mother
721:
719:
717:
654:
670:
668:
666:
664:
662:
660:
658:
455:as Mrs. Wilson, visiting the hospital
373:as the producer's wife, Mrs. Pangborn
7:
406:as Mrs. Pastromi, the cleaning woman
763:Gloria Jean: A Little Bit of Heaven
64:"Otis Criblecoblis" (W. C. Fields)
14:
1452:Films directed by Edward F. Cline
1289:Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
859:Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
848:Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
837:Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
824:Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
676:Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
597:Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
264:Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
208:Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
22:Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
526:, with special lyrics in English
993:Ladies' Night in a Turkish Bath
1442:American black-and-white films
1233:Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus
449:as the British plane passenger
443:as the Turkish plane passenger
437:as Johnson, the movie director
1:
1249:The Villain Still Pursued Her
367:as the producer, Mr. Pangborn
255:You Can't Cheat an Honest Man
1472:1940s English-language films
830:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
682:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
431:as Gloria Jean's accompanist
278:, to play supporting roles.
16:1941 film by Edward F. Cline
1409:Jiggs and Maggie in Society
1493:
418:as Pangborn's receptionist
412:as Steve Roberts, engineer
163:October 10, 1941
907:
783:Staff (October 27, 1941)
698:The Films of W. C. Fields
694:Deschner, Donald (1966).
343:as His Niece, Gloria Jean
26:
1457:Universal Pictures films
617:Upon release, columnist
586:, the studio had touted
1467:Films about con artists
1447:Films about filmmaking
1169:The Cowboy Millionaire
1073:The Widow from Chicago
937:Little Robinson Crusoe
761:and Jan MacGillivray,
1462:American comedy films
1329:Behind the Eight Ball
1081:Hook, Line and Sinker
745:Stafford, Jeff (ndg)
394:as Tom, the soda jerk
1477:1940s American films
1297:Private Snuffy Smith
798:MacGillivray, p. 71.
774:MacGillivray, p. 63.
461:as a Russian peasant
282:, best known as the
1241:My Little Chickadee
1193:Forty Naughty Girls
1113:Million Dollar Legs
644:Abbott and Costello
491:W. C. Fields and Me
211:is a 1941 American
1401:Bringing Up Father
1185:On Again-Off Again
1161:When a Man's a Man
953:When a Man's a Man
899:Films directed by
853:TCM Movie Database
788:The New York Times
759:Scott MacGillivray
623:The New York Times
358:as Mrs. Hemogloben
349:as His Rival, Leon
233:Universal Pictures
150:Universal Pictures
140:Universal Pictures
1437:1941 comedy films
1419:
1418:
1369:Slightly Terrific
1321:Give Out, Sisters
1217:Go Chase Yourself
1129:So This Is Africa
1089:The Naughty Flirt
634:from the cast of
601:Olsen and Johnson
524:Johann Strauss II
520:Voices of Spring"
476:
465:Richard Alexander
365:Franklin Pangborn
276:Franklin Pangborn
237:alternative title
204:
203:
101:Charles Van Enger
33:Theatrical poster
1484:
1393:Penthouse Rhythm
1353:Swingtime Johnny
1313:Private Buckaroo
1225:Breaking the Ice
1137:Fighting to Live
1049:In the Next Room
1041:The Forward Pass
893:
886:
879:
870:
811:
805:
799:
796:
790:
781:
775:
772:
766:
756:
750:
743:
726:
723:
712:
708:Introduction by
707:
701:
691:
685:
672:
494:, which starred
472:
459:Michael Visaroff
170:
168:
56:Prescott Chaplin
31:
19:
1492:
1491:
1487:
1486:
1485:
1483:
1482:
1481:
1422:
1421:
1420:
1415:
1377:Night Club Girl
1361:Hat Check Honey
1305:What's Cookin'?
1153:The Dude Ranger
945:Along Came Ruth
929:Captain January
903:
901:Edward F. Cline
897:
819:
814:
808:Mankiewicz, Ben
806:
802:
797:
793:
782:
778:
773:
769:
757:
753:
744:
729:
724:
715:
693:
692:
688:
673:
656:
652:
580:
563:John T. Neville
546:
509:
500:Valerie Perrine
470:
400:as the waitress
356:Margaret Dumont
330:
292:
280:Margaret Dumont
217:Edward F. Cline
184:70-70.5 minutes
181:
174:
166:
164:
157:
142:
135:
133:
123:
89:
85:
55:
53:John T. Neville
43:Edward F. Cline
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1490:
1488:
1480:
1479:
1474:
1469:
1464:
1459:
1454:
1449:
1444:
1439:
1434:
1424:
1423:
1417:
1416:
1414:
1413:
1405:
1397:
1389:
1381:
1373:
1365:
1357:
1349:
1341:
1333:
1325:
1317:
1309:
1301:
1293:
1285:
1277:
1273:Meet the Chump
1269:
1261:
1253:
1245:
1237:
1229:
1221:
1213:
1205:
1197:
1189:
1181:
1173:
1165:
1157:
1149:
1145:Peck's Bad Boy
1141:
1133:
1125:
1117:
1109:
1105:The Girl Habit
1101:
1093:
1085:
1077:
1069:
1065:Leathernecking
1061:
1053:
1045:
1037:
1029:
1025:Broadway Fever
1021:
1013:
1005:
997:
989:
981:
973:
965:
957:
949:
941:
933:
925:
917:
908:
905:
904:
898:
896:
895:
888:
881:
873:
867:
866:
855:
844:
833:
832:
818:
817:External links
815:
813:
812:
800:
791:
776:
767:
751:
727:
713:
686:
684:
653:
651:
648:
579:
576:
545:
542:
541:
540:
533:
531:Charles Previn
527:
516:
508:
505:
504:
503:
486:Carlotta Monti
469:
468:
467:as a burly man
462:
456:
450:
447:Claud Allister
444:
438:
432:
420:
419:
416:Carlotta Monti
413:
407:
404:Minerva Urecal
401:
395:
389:
383:
377:
374:
368:
362:
359:
353:
350:
344:
338:
331:
329:
326:
291:
288:
202:
201:
198:
194:
193:
190:
186:
185:
182:
179:
176:
175:
173:
172:
160:
158:
155:
152:
151:
148:
147:Distributed by
144:
143:
138:
136:
131:
128:
127:
121:Charles Previn
118:
114:
113:
108:
104:
103:
98:
97:Cinematography
94:
93:
80:
76:
75:
70:
66:
65:
62:
58:
57:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1489:
1478:
1475:
1473:
1470:
1468:
1465:
1463:
1460:
1458:
1455:
1453:
1450:
1448:
1445:
1443:
1440:
1438:
1435:
1433:
1430:
1429:
1427:
1411:
1410:
1406:
1403:
1402:
1398:
1395:
1394:
1390:
1387:
1386:
1385:See My Lawyer
1382:
1379:
1378:
1374:
1371:
1370:
1366:
1363:
1362:
1358:
1355:
1354:
1350:
1347:
1346:
1342:
1339:
1338:
1334:
1331:
1330:
1326:
1323:
1322:
1318:
1315:
1314:
1310:
1307:
1306:
1302:
1299:
1298:
1294:
1291:
1290:
1286:
1283:
1282:
1278:
1275:
1274:
1270:
1267:
1266:
1265:Hello, Sucker
1262:
1259:
1258:
1257:The Bank Dick
1254:
1251:
1250:
1246:
1243:
1242:
1238:
1235:
1234:
1230:
1227:
1226:
1222:
1219:
1218:
1214:
1211:
1210:
1206:
1203:
1202:
1198:
1195:
1194:
1190:
1187:
1186:
1182:
1179:
1178:
1174:
1171:
1170:
1166:
1163:
1162:
1158:
1155:
1154:
1150:
1147:
1146:
1142:
1139:
1138:
1134:
1131:
1130:
1126:
1123:
1122:
1118:
1115:
1114:
1110:
1107:
1106:
1102:
1099:
1098:
1094:
1091:
1090:
1086:
1083:
1082:
1078:
1075:
1074:
1070:
1067:
1066:
1062:
1059:
1058:
1054:
1051:
1050:
1046:
1043:
1042:
1038:
1035:
1034:
1033:His Lucky Day
1030:
1027:
1026:
1022:
1019:
1018:
1014:
1011:
1010:
1006:
1003:
1002:
1001:Vamping Venus
998:
995:
994:
990:
987:
986:
985:Soft Cushions
982:
979:
978:
974:
971:
970:
966:
963:
962:
958:
955:
954:
950:
947:
946:
942:
939:
938:
934:
931:
930:
926:
923:
922:
918:
915:
914:
910:
909:
906:
902:
894:
889:
887:
882:
880:
875:
874:
871:
865:
861:
860:
856:
854:
850:
849:
845:
843:
839:
838:
834:
831:
828:
826:
825:
821:
820:
816:
809:
804:
801:
795:
792:
789:
786:
780:
777:
771:
768:
764:
760:
755:
752:
748:
742:
740:
738:
736:
734:
732:
728:
722:
720:
718:
714:
711:
710:Arthur Knight
705:
700:
699:
690:
687:
683:
680:
678:
677:
671:
669:
667:
665:
663:
661:
659:
655:
649:
647:
645:
641:
637:
633:
627:
624:
620:
615:
613:
612:
611:Hellzapoppin'
606:
602:
598:
594:
593:The Great Man
589:
588:The Great Man
585:
584:The Bank Dick
577:
575:
573:
568:
564:
559:
557:
556:
555:The Bank Dick
551:
550:The Great Man
543:
538:
534:
532:
528:
525:
521:
517:
514:
513:
512:
506:
501:
497:
493:
492:
487:
484:
483:
482:
481:
477:
475:
466:
463:
460:
457:
454:
451:
448:
445:
442:
439:
436:
433:
430:
427:
426:
425:
424:
417:
414:
411:
408:
405:
402:
399:
396:
393:
390:
387:
384:
381:
378:
375:
372:
369:
366:
363:
360:
357:
354:
351:
348:
345:
342:
339:
336:
333:
332:
327:
325:
323:
317:
313:
309:
307:
303:
299:
298:
297:The Bank Dick
289:
287:
285:
284:Marx Brothers
281:
277:
273:
269:
265:
259:
257:
256:
251:
250:
244:
243:
242:
238:
234:
230:
226:
222:
219:and starring
218:
215:directed by
214:
210:
209:
199:
195:
192:United States
191:
187:
183:
177:
162:
161:
159:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
129:
126:
125:Frank Skinner
122:
119:
115:
112:
111:Arthur Hilton
109:
105:
102:
99:
95:
92:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
71:
67:
63:
59:
54:
51:
49:Screenplay by
47:
44:
41:
37:
30:
25:
20:
1407:
1399:
1391:
1383:
1375:
1367:
1359:
1351:
1343:
1335:
1327:
1319:
1311:
1303:
1295:
1288:
1287:
1281:Cracked Nuts
1279:
1271:
1263:
1255:
1247:
1239:
1231:
1223:
1215:
1209:Hawaii Calls
1207:
1199:
1191:
1183:
1175:
1167:
1159:
1151:
1143:
1135:
1127:
1119:
1111:
1103:
1097:Cracked Nuts
1095:
1087:
1079:
1071:
1063:
1055:
1047:
1039:
1031:
1023:
1015:
1009:The Head Man
1007:
999:
991:
983:
975:
967:
959:
951:
943:
935:
927:
919:
911:
858:
847:
836:
823:
803:
794:
787:
779:
770:
762:
754:
697:
689:
675:
639:
635:
628:
622:
616:
609:
604:
596:
592:
587:
583:
581:
560:
553:
549:
547:
537:"Очи чёрные"
522:-- music by
510:
489:
479:
478:
473:
471:
435:Dave Willock
429:Leon Belasco
422:
421:
410:Emmett Vogan
398:Jody Gilbert
392:Irving Bacon
388:as salesgirl
335:W. C. Fields
318:
314:
310:
302:Jody Gilbert
295:
293:
263:
260:
253:
247:
245:
240:
239:
221:W. C. Fields
207:
206:
205:
180:Running time
156:Release date
83:W. C. Fields
1345:Crazy House
1337:He's My Guy
1201:High Flyers
1121:Parole Girl
977:Let It Rain
969:Old Clothes
961:The Rag Man
913:Circus Days
619:Ted Strauss
572:Eddie Cline
567:Hays Office
496:Rod Steiger
480:Cast notes:
441:Jack Lipson
423:Uncredited:
371:Mona Barrie
341:Gloria Jean
268:Gloria Jean
241:What a Man!
225:Gloria Jean
213:comedy film
171: (U.S.)
87:Gloria Jean
69:Produced by
39:Directed by
1432:1941 films
1426:Categories
1057:Sweet Mama
921:Three Ages
650:References
632:Anne Nagel
544:Production
453:Kay Deslys
386:Nell O'Day
380:Anne Nagel
347:Leon Errol
322:Kay Deslys
306:coloratura
272:Leon Errol
229:Leon Errol
167:1941-10-10
132:Production
91:Leon Errol
73:Jack Gross
1017:The Crash
603:instead.
578:Aftermath
107:Edited by
864:AllMovie
595:back to
474:Sources:
197:Language
117:Music by
79:Starring
61:Story by
851:at the
827:at the
749:TCM.com
679:at the
200:English
189:Country
165: (
134:company
1412:(1947)
1404:(1946)
1396:(1945)
1388:(1945)
1380:(1945)
1372:(1944)
1364:(1944)
1356:(1943)
1348:(1943)
1340:(1943)
1332:(1942)
1324:(1942)
1316:(1942)
1308:(1942)
1300:(1942)
1292:(1941)
1284:(1941)
1276:(1941)
1268:(1941)
1260:(1940)
1252:(1940)
1244:(1940)
1236:(1938)
1228:(1938)
1220:(1938)
1212:(1938)
1204:(1937)
1196:(1937)
1188:(1937)
1180:(1936)
1172:(1935)
1164:(1935)
1156:(1934)
1148:(1934)
1140:(1934)
1132:(1933)
1124:(1933)
1116:(1932)
1108:(1931)
1100:(1931)
1092:(1931)
1084:(1930)
1076:(1930)
1068:(1930)
1060:(1930)
1052:(1930)
1044:(1929)
1036:(1929)
1028:(1929)
1020:(1928)
1012:(1928)
1004:(1928)
996:(1928)
988:(1927)
980:(1927)
972:(1925)
964:(1925)
956:(1924)
948:(1924)
940:(1924)
932:(1924)
924:(1923)
916:(1923)
640:Sucker
636:Sucker
605:Sucker
227:, and
1177:F-Man
507:Songs
249:Poppy
842:IMDb
498:and
328:Cast
290:Plot
274:and
862:at
840:at
704:154
621:in
1428::
730:^
716:^
657:^
223:,
892:e
885:t
878:v
706:.
535:"
518:"
502:.
320:(
169:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
