I'm always in the position of being a spoilsport as I usually just review films when people don't see what I see in them. Most reviewers are extremely positive so there's not much point in heaping more praise on something so here I go again with the negative stuff. I'm a big film fan and I love delving into history and discovering actors and movies that aren't well known to me. When it's a hit, it's wonderful and when it's a miss like here it's a lot less fun. I've watched a little bit of Fields now and I'm convinced that he's not my taste and quite frankly I'm not sure why he's regarded as a top early comedian. Chaplin and Keaton were genuinely funny whereas I find W.C. mostly weird with an occasional humorous surprise. So far I've liked the Dentist the best and this one is the worst. Besides a rare chuckle for the cornflake comment and the quip about the dog with mustard I was pretty stunned at the completely unfunny material here. The scene with the bread being dipped is very frustrating and I didn't find an ounce of humor in the song near the beginning. I'm in the earlier stages of film history and I'm sure I'll develop more perspective and see more of Fields along with his other contemporaries. Perhaps my opinion of him will get better, but I'm afraid this film will not.
Review of The Fatal Glass of Beer
