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It's a Gift (1934) 7.4
A henpecked New Jersey grocer makes plans to move to California to grow oranges, despite the resistance of his overbearing wife. Director:Norman Z. McLeod |
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Title: It's a Gift (1934)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| W.C. Fields | ... |
Harold Bissonette
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Kathleen Howard | ... |
Amelia Bissonette
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Jean Rouverol | ... |
Mildred Bissonette
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Julian Madison | ... |
John Durston
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Tommy Bupp | ... |
Norman Bissonette
(as Tom Bupp)
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Baby LeRoy | ... |
Baby Dunk
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Tammany Young | ... |
Everett Ricks
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Morgan Wallace | ... |
James Fitchmueller
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Charles Sellon | ... |
Mr. Muckle
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Josephine Whittell | ... |
Mrs. Dunk
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T. Roy Barnes | ... |
Insurance Salesman
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Diana Lewis | ... |
Miss Dunk
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Spencer Charters | ... |
Gate Guard
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Guy Usher | ... |
Harry Payne Bosterly
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Dell Henderson | ... |
Mr. Abernathy
(as Del Henderson)
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
The owner of a general store (Harold Bisonette) is hounded by his status-anxious wife ("That's 'Bee-soh-nay'" and "I have no maid you know"). To get some sleep he goes out on the porch where he is tormented by a little boy from the floor above (Baby Dunk) and an insurance salesman down below ("LaFong. Capital L, small a..."). He uses an inheritance to buy an orange ranch through the mail, then drives off with his family for California. The orange grove consists of a withered tree, the ranch house is but a shack, and the car falls to pieces. But a racetrack operator wants the land, so all ends happily. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Taglines:
LOOK THIS GIFT IN THE FACE IF YOU WANT A BIG HORSE-LAUGH (original herald - all caps) See more »Genres:
ComedyParents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
30 November 1934 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Che bel regalo See more »Filming Locations:
Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USACompany Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (TCM print)Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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(1924) (uncredited)
Music by Joseph Meyer
Played during opening and end credits, as well as on a record
See more »
Did You Know?
Goofs
When Harold is sitting on the back porch at the dilapidated orange ranch., the amount and angle of the sunlight varies from scene to scene. See more »Quotes
Harold: Ah, crackers. Good old crackers. That was a smart thing of me to bring those crackers along, wasn't it?See more »
Crazy Credits
The confrontation between W.C. Fields and Baby LeRoy was such a popular success that for this rematch the title card includes "with Baby LeRoy" as if the infant had second billing. See more »Soundtracks
"California, Here I Come"(1924) (uncredited)
Music by Joseph Meyer
Played during opening and end credits, as well as on a record
See more »
In "It's A Gift", W.C. Fields delivers enjoyable silliness as only he could do it. It's quite a showcase for his brand of humor, and this movie has it all, from sight gags to dry wit to hilarious predicaments to a put-upon hero. There have been few comedians like Fields who could get so much mileage out of simple ideas, or who could make outrageous ideas work so well.
The plot ostensibly concerns store owner Harold Bissonette (Fields), who dreams of owning an orange ranch in California, but very little actually happens in terms of a story - the emphasis is on the trials of daily life that Harold must endure. The movie is a series of comic set pieces in which Fields takes a simple situation and turns it into a stream of gags and laughs. His ability to find endless sources of humor in the most mundane of settings is an impressive contrast with the labored and often inappropriate efforts of so many of today's comic actors.
In this one, Fields also manages to create a pleasant atmosphere that, despite all the disorder in Harold's life, makes you feel at home with the characters. Many of the scenes also give one of the other cast members a chance for some good moments, and Kathleen Howard helps out a lot, too, as Harold's nagging wife. There's nothing to take seriously here, but if you're in the mood not to take anything seriously, this is a very enjoyable way to spend an hour or so.