The Barber Shop (1933)

An inept barber maintains his good-humored optimism in his small town shop despite having a hen-pecking harridan for a wife and a total lack of tonsorial skill.

Director:

Arthur Ripley

Writer:

W.C. Fields (story)

Stars:

W.C. Fields, Elise Cavanna, Harry Watson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
W.C. Fields	...	Cornelius O'Hare
Elise Cavanna	...	Mrs. O'Hare
Harry Watson	...	Ronald O'Hare
Dagmar Oakland	...	Hortense
John Sinclair	...	Mr. Flugg (as John St. Clair)
Cyril Ring	...	Escaped Bank Robber

Storyline

Barber O'Hair has a vegetarian wife at home a pretty manicurist at work. A dog sits in the barbershop which O'Hair explains: "One day I was shaving a man and cut his ear off. And the dog got it. Been back here ever since." Oh, and he captures a bank robber.

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Plot Keywords:

barber | manicurist | gossip | dysfunctional family | italian stereotype | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is included on "W.C. Fields - Six Short Films", which is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #79.

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Quotes

Cornelius O'Hare: [after the unconscious bank robber has landed on him] Let me up! Let me up! Let me up!
[desperately]
Cornelius O'Hare: I didn't try to get ya! I like bandits! Some of my best friends are bandits! The president of the bank comes up to our house!

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Connections

Referenced in The Great Man: W.C. Fields (2005)

User Reviews

Great classic Fields short

W. C. Fields had done a few silent shorts in the "teens" but it really did take sound to capture him at his best. He is not only a physical comedian, capable of broad slapstick, he is one of the best verbal comedians around, especially when allowed to ad-lib, as he does here. The story follows the adventures of barber Cornelius O'Hare through his extremely busy day. It has the look of a vaudeville routine, which no doubt it was based on. Fields' almost constant patter makes all his movies worth rewatching, just to catch his subtle remarks, often made under his breath and very quickly. I have read that, at the beginning of the short, as Fields is sitting out front of his shop, making rude comnents about people as they go by, that this is a tribute to his mother, who acted just like this as Fields was a boy, commenting cuttingly on the neighbors. If you like sardonic humor, Fields is the man for you. Recommended highly along with any of his other shorts as in these shorter films, much more is packed in and nothing is allowed to lag.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 July 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Barber

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mack Sennett Comedies

Technical Specs

Runtime:

21 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1