You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1939)

Director:

George Marshall
(more)

Writers:

George Marion Jr. (screen play) &
Richard Mack (screen play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 February 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Larson E. Whipsnade runs a seedy circus which is perpetually in debt. His performers give him nothing but trouble...

Plot Keywords:

Circus | Elephant | Racial Slur | Sideshow | Blackface

Cast

W.C. Fields	...	Larson E. Whipsnade
Edgar Bergen	...	The Great Edgar
Charlie McCarthy	...	Himself
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson	...	Rochester (as Eddie Anderson)
Mortimer Snerd	...	Himself
Constance Moore	...	Victoria Whipsnade
John Arledge	...	Phineas Whipsnade
James Bush	...	Roger Bel-Goodie
Thurston Hall	...	Mr. Bel-Goodie
Mary Forbes	...	Mrs. Bel-Goodie
Edward Brophy	...	Corbett
Arthur Hohl	...	Burr
Princess Baba	...	Princess Baba
Blacaman	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernie Adams	...	Eddie - Circus Attendant (uncredited)
Dorothy Arnold	...	1st Debutante (uncredited)
Irving Bacon	...	Jailer (uncredited)
Lulu Mae Bohrman	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Eddy Chandler	...	Highway Patrol Officer (uncredited)
Dora Clement	...	Woman (uncredited)
Jack Clifford	...	Riding Master (uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Robinson - Bel-Goodie's Butler (uncredited)
Evelyn Del Rio	...	Little Girl Who Cries (uncredited)
Drew Demorest	...	Barker (uncredited)
Dick Dickinson	...	Contortionist (uncredited)
Jan Duggan	...	Mrs. Sludge (uncredited)
Eddie Dunn	...	Cop (uncredited)
Billy Engle	...	Circus Attendant (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Ticket Seller (uncredited)
Grace Goodall	...	Screaming Spinster / Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Jennifer Gray	...	3rd Debutante (uncredited)
Bobby Hale	...	Circus Attendant (uncredited)
Ted Hardy	...	Russian Circus Performer (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Leyland Hodgson	...	Butler (uncredited)
Otto Hoffman	...	Mayor (uncredited)
Lloyd Ingraham	...	Mayor / Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Frank Jenks	...	Jerry - Assistant (uncredited)
Si Jenks	...	Hillbilly (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Jack Kenny	...	Barker (uncredited)
Joe King	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Ivan Lebedeff	...	Ronnie (uncredited)
Ethelreda Leopold	...	Blonde at Party (uncredited)
Jimmie Lucas	...	Barker (uncredited)
Kathryn Marlowe	...	2nd Debutante (uncredited)
Eric Mayne	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Frank Melton	...	First Yokel (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
James C. Morton	...	Judge (uncredited)
Ray Moyer	...	Fire Eater (uncredited)
Byron Munson	...	Ping-Pong Player (uncredited)
Charles Murphy	...	Lon - Roustabout (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Cop with Judge (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr.	...	Western Union Man (uncredited)
David Oliver	...	Man Cheated at Window (uncredited)
George Ovey	...	Circus Attendant (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Sheriff (uncredited)
June Preston	...	Little Blond Girl Singing and Dancing (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford	...	Truck Driver (uncredited)
Harry Stafford	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Grady Sutton	...	Chester Dalrymple (uncredited)
Ferris Taylor	...	Deputy Sheriff (uncredited)
Don Terry	...	Ping-Pong Player (uncredited)
Walter Tetley	...	Boy with Candy Cane (uncredited)
Edward Thomas	...	Bel-Goodie Butler (uncredited)
Lelah Tyler	...	Society Woman / Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Screaming Spinster at Circus (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Russell Wade	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Beryl Wallace	...	Girl (uncredited)
Delmar Watson	...	Boy with Slingshot (uncredited)
Florence Wix	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Bill Wolfe	...	Ticket Buyer / Brentwood - World's Smallest Giant (uncredited)
Edward Woolf	...	Thin Man (uncredited)
Bill Worth	...	Elwood - World's Largest Midget (uncredited)
Arthur Yeoman	...	Barker (uncredited)
Duke York	...	Minor Role (uncredited)

Directed by
George Marshall
Edward F. Cline		(uncredited)

Writing credits
George Marion Jr.		(screen play) &
Richard Mack		(screen play) &
Everett Freeman		(screen play)
W.C. Fields		(story) (as Charles Bogle)
Henry Johnson		contributor to screen play construction and special sequences (uncredited)
Lew Lipton		contributor to screen play construction and special sequences (uncredited)
Manuel Seff		contributor to screen play construction (uncredited)
James Seymour		contributor to screen play construction (uncredited)

Produced by
Lester Cowan	....	producer

Original Music by
Frank Skinner		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Milton R. Krasner		(director of photography) (as Milton Krasner)

Film Editing by
Otto Ludwig		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Jack Otterson

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)

Costume Design by
Vera West		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vernon Keays	....	assistant director
Edward F. Cline	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Vernon Keays	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Edward Sedgwick	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Charles H. Clarke	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound supervisor
Robert Pritchard	....	technician

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director
Sam Perry	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Paul Van Loan	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Franz Waxman	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
David Lipton	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Cliff Work	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents) (as Universal)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Universal Picture)
• Universal Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Realart Pictures Inc. (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Barr Films (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• KVC Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Kartes Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #5101)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

W.C. Fields became a big hit on radio, especially on Edgar Bergen's radio program, where he had a long-running "feud" with Charlie McCarthy. This film was an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of that feud by having it carried on in a movie.

Quotes:

Whipsnade:I'm taking on the personality of a Mexican jumping bean. First the contortionist gets rheumatism. Then the sword-swallower gets tonsilitis. Hope nothing happens to that fan dancer... not 'til I get rid of this cold, anyway.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 1 (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Camptown Races

Very familiar material bolstered by Edger Bergen and Charlie McCarthy.

W.C. Fields made several films that were essentially the same stories with a few variations. While I love Fields films, I am not a huge fan of these derivative tales. They are derivative but still mildly entertaining---and far from his best work. "Poppy", "The Old Fashioned Way" and "You Can't Cheat and Honest Man" all share many story elements--many. Each have Fields playing the leader of a two-bit circus or acting troop. Each has a grown daughter who Fields dotes upon. Each has Fields on the verge of bankruptcy. And, in each, the daughter faces a crisis. Because of this, even if this film is done well, it's still very familiar.

Fortunately for "You Can't Cheat and Honest Man", there is one major difference that sets it apart. Because of the success of Fields and Charlie McCarthy on the radio, the folks at Universal decided to add Edger Bergen and his dummies to the movie to give it a bit of punch. Bergan's humor was quite welcome and made this film less sentimental than the two previous incarnations...and a bit funnier.

Overall, it's worth seeing. However, if at all possible, try watching one of Fields' best films first to see just how good he can be with a more original story. "It's a Gift" is probably his best, though "The Bank Dick" and "You're Telling Me" are all wonderful Fields films. They are similar in that in each W.C. appears to fall on his face but by the end has become HUGELY successful, but otherwise each is very unique and better suited for his great personality.