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Man on the Flying Trapeze

  • 19351935
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 6m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)
  • Comedy
Hard-working, henpecked Ambrose Wolfinger takes off from work to go to a wrestling match with catastrophic consequences.Hard-working, henpecked Ambrose Wolfinger takes off from work to go to a wrestling match with catastrophic consequences.Hard-working, henpecked Ambrose Wolfinger takes off from work to go to a wrestling match with catastrophic consequences.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Clyde Bruckman
    • W.C. Fields(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Ray Harris(screen play)
    • Sam Hardy(screen play)
    • W.C. Fields(from a story by)
  • Stars
    • W.C. Fields
    • Mary Brian
    • Kathleen Howard
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Clyde Bruckman
    • W.C. Fields(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Ray Harris(screen play)
    • Sam Hardy(screen play)
    • W.C. Fields(from a story by)
  • Stars
    • W.C. Fields
    • Mary Brian
    • Kathleen Howard
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 33User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos10

    W.C. Fields, Mary Brian, and Kathleen Howard in Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)
    Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)
    W.C. Fields in Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)
    W.C. Fields and Mary Brian in Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)
    W.C. Fields, Mary Brian, Kathleen Howard, and Grady Sutton in Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)
    W.C. Fields, Mary Brian, and Kathleen Howard in Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)
    W.C. Fields, James Burke, and Joe Sawyer in Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)
    Walter Brennan, W.C. Fields, Lew Kelly, and Tammany Young in Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)
    W.C. Fields and Kathleen Howard in Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)

    Top cast

    Edit
    W.C. Fields
    W.C. Fields
    • Ambrose Wolfingeras Ambrose Wolfinger
    Mary Brian
    Mary Brian
    • Hope Wolfingeras Hope Wolfinger
    Kathleen Howard
    Kathleen Howard
    • Leona Wolfingeras Leona Wolfinger
    Grady Sutton
    Grady Sutton
    • Claude Neselrodeas Claude Neselrode
    Vera Lewis
    Vera Lewis
    • Mrs. Neselrodeas Mrs. Neselrode
    Lucien Littlefield
    Lucien Littlefield
    • Mr. Peabodyas Mr. Peabody
    Oscar Apfel
    Oscar Apfel
    • President Malloyas President Malloy
    Lew Kelly
    • Adolph Bergas Adolph Berg
    Tammany Young
    Tammany Young
    • 'Willie' the Weaselas 'Willie' the Weasel
    Walter Brennan
    Walter Brennan
    • 'Legs' Garnettas 'Legs' Garnett
    Edward Gargan
    Edward Gargan
    • Patrolman No.1as Patrolman No.1
    James Burke
    James Burke
    • Patrolman No.2as Patrolman No.2
    Carlotta Monti
    Carlotta Monti
    • Ambrose's Secretaryas Ambrose's Secretary
    Arthur Aylesworth
    Arthur Aylesworth
    • Night Court Judgeas Night Court Judge
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Baxley
    • Court Officeras Court Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Mickey Bennett
    Mickey Bennett
    • Office Employeeas Office Employee
    • (uncredited)
    Billy Bletcher
    Billy Bletcher
    • Timekeeperas Timekeeper
    • (uncredited)
    Harry C. Bradley
    Harry C. Bradley
    • Passing Motoristas Passing Motorist
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Clyde Bruckman
      • W.C. Fields(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Ray Harris(screen play)
      • Sam Hardy(screen play) (from a story by)
      • W.C. Fields(from a story by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Ambrose Wolfinger wants the afternoon off (his first in twenty-five years) to go to a wrestling match. He tells his boss that he must attend his mother-in-law's funeral. The afternoon is no joy. He tries to please a policeman, assist a chauffeur, chase a tire, and ends up getting hit by the body of a wrestler thrown from the ring. A series of mishaps leads his boss to send floral tributes to the house and notify the papers of the death (due to poisoned liquor). His shrewish wife, judgmental mother-in-law, and good-for-nothing brother-in-law add to his burdens. In the end he enjoys their fawning loyalty, a raise in pay, and his first vacation. —Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
    • murder of wife
    • male police officer
    • police
    • police officer
    • wrestling match
    • 35 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Come to the crowning of America's comedy King! (Print Ad- Daily Times, ((Rochester Penna.)) 5 October 1935)
    • Genre
      • Comedy
    • Certificate
      • Passed
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This was the last film directed by Clyde Bruckman. Although Bruckman's name appears on the credit, this film was actually directed by W.C. Fields, who took over after Bruckman had to quit early in the shoot due to the effects of his alcoholism. This is the only film on which Fields technically worked as his own director.
    • Goofs
      Mother-in-law Cordelia says "Well he's a fiend, a wool in sheep's clothing" ... Leona Wolfinger immediately catching the error says "What?" and immediately Cordelia corrects herself "A wolf in sheep's clothing ..." and the scene continues as if no error occurs; a great recovery.
    • Quotes

      Ambrose Wolfinger: My poor mother-in-law died three days ago. I'm attending her funeral this afternoon.

      Ambrose's Secretary: Isn't that terrible, Mr. Wolfinger!

      Ambrose Wolfinger: Yes, it's terrible. It's awful. Horrible tragedy.

      Ambrose's Secretary: It must be hard to lose your mother-in-law.

      Ambrose Wolfinger: Yes it is, very hard. It's almost impossible.

    • Connections
      Featured in W.C. Fields: Straight Up (1986)
    • Soundtracks
      On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away
      (1897) (uncredited)

      Music and lyrics by Paul Dresser

      Sung a cappella by W.C. Fields, Walter Brennan, Tammany Young and Lew Kelly

    User reviews33

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    The Domestic Hell of Mr. Fields
    Despite his marvelous comic con-men, who always outwits the rubes and dolts about him, there is a side of W.C. Fields that few people ever notice: he is usually a hopeless, henpecked husband when he is married. His Ambrose Wolfinger (in MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE) is probably the most helpless married man that he ever portrayed.

    Ambrose has actually been married (presumably more happily) to a previous wife, who has died. But they had a little girl (now grown up) named Hope (Mary Bryan) who is his one total ally in the family. His second wife, Leona Wolfinger, née Nesselrode (Kathleen Howard) is strict and shrewish with him. And his mother in law and brother in law Claude (Grady Sutton, playing a totally disreputable liar, trouble-maker, leech, and thief for a change) make his hell total.

    In this film Fields is controlled by events and people - he rarely shows any of the spunk and cleverness that his Great McGonigal or Egbert Souse or Larson E. Whipsnade show. He tries to get two burglars charged in court, but they were drinking apple jack that he had allowed to ferment, so the idiot crabby judge ignores the burglary and charges Fields with violating the prohibition laws! He tries to see a wrestling match, but is delayed by traffic problems, a tire that runs away from him, a set of traffic cops, and arrives too late to see the match, only to be knocked down by one of the wrestlers being thrown on him. To make the situation even more absurd, he did not realize this ticket was stolen by Claude, who seeing him lying on the ground sneers at him as "Drunk again!"

    He is also harried by his boss (Lucien Littlefield) at work, and he has to lie to get a miserable afternoon off to see the match (he says his mother-in-law died). When the truth comes out, Littlefield (on his own - as he subsequently regrets) fires him.

    This is how it goes throughout the film. Except for Mary Bryan and for his secretary (Carlotta Monti, who has a nice moment at Littlefield's expense), all of the characters use and abuse Fields. He is only finally aroused when Claude tries to slap Hope, and Fields defends her, knocking out Claude. But even after that he still seems lost regarding what to do to pick up his life.

    The film is funny - witness the business about Field's filing system at the office (he's a memory expert). When the actual head of the firm (Littlefield's boss - Oscar Apfel) tries to find things without Fields around, he goes nuts with the system. Littlefield tries to defend his action, only to be told by Monti that he has libeled her by suggesting Fields and she were out together at the match. Littlefield is then informed that if he can't get Fields back he'd better start looking for a new job (in the depression).

    Howard's role is curious. Like her performance in IT'S A GIFT, she is extremely strict and suspicious. At one point, when Fields is getting ready to go down and check for burglars, she is begging for him to hurry and not to forget his gun. He takes the gun out, and accidentally fires it. High strung by the situation, the shooting scares Howard into a faint - Fields looks at her and with a slight trace of hope in his voice he asks, "Are you dead?" Yet, he did marry her, and at the end, when stuck alone with her mother and brother (who won't look for work), she seems to realize that - for better or worse - Ambrose was a good provider. In the end she is reunited with him and with her step-daughter.

    It is a good comedy, and if it lacks the polish of THE BANK DICK and IT'S A GIFT and THE OLD FASHIONED WAY it is still worth watching.
    helpful•11
    1
    • theowinthrop
    • Sep 22, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 3, 1935 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Everything Happens at Once
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 6 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    DVD Savant 2015 Favored Disc Roundup
    Dec 15Trailers from Hell
    W.C. Fields Comedy Essentials Collection
    Oct 27Trailers from Hell

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