The Bank Dick (1940)

Henpecked Egbert Sousé has comic adventures as a substitute film director and unlikely bank guard.

Director:

Edward F. Cline (as Edward Cline)

Writer:

W.C. Fields (original screen play) (as Mahatma Kane Jeeves)

Stars:

W.C. Fields, Cora Witherspoon, Una Merkel

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
W.C. Fields	...	Egbert Sousé
Cora Witherspoon	...	Agatha Sousé
Una Merkel	...	Myrtle Sousé
Evelyn Del Rio	...	Elsie Mae Adele Brunch Sousé
Jessie Ralph	...	Mrs. Hermisillo Brunch
Franklin Pangborn	...	J. Pinkerton Snoopington
Shemp Howard	...	Joe Guelpe
Dick Purcell	...	Mackley Q. Greene (as Richard Purcell)
Grady Sutton	...	Og Oggilby
Russell Hicks	...	J. Frothingham Waterbury
Pierre Watkin	...	Mr. Skinner
Al Hill	...	Filthy McNasty aka Rupulsive Rogan
George Moran	...	Cozy Cochran aka Loudmouth Nasty
Bill Wolfe	...	Otis
Jack Norton	...	A. Pismo Clam

Storyline

Egbert Sousé leads an ordinary life but is about to have an extraordinary day. Henpecked at home home by his demanding wife Agatha and more or less ignored by his daughter Myrtle, he sets off for the day. He comes across a movie shoot whose drunken director hasn't shown up for work and Egbert, saying he has experience, is hired. Afterward, he gets credit for stopping bank robbers and is rewarded with a job as the bank guard. He seems headed for trouble however when he convinces his son-in-law Og, a teller at the same bank, to use $500 for can't lose investment. The investment is a scam however and when the bank examiner arrives, it looks bad for them. As you would expect however, it all turns out well in the end.

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Plot Keywords:

manipulative female | henpecked husband | eating | smoking | kick | 

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Taglines:

Was His Face Red . . . And His Nose, Too ! when the bandits took the money . . . and the SAFE !

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 November 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Great Man

Filming Locations:

Lompoc, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point, W.C. Fields's character falsely brags, "In the old Sennett days, I used to direct Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and the rest of 'em." This movie's director Edward F. Cline' did co-direct several of Buster Keaton's early short subjects.

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Goofs

When W.C. Fields enters the hotel room of J. Pinkerton Snoopington, a hand can be seen on the doorknob on the other side pulling the door shut.

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Quotes

Egbert Sousé: I have a half interest in a cod liver oil mine down in Cape Cod. Snowed all winter. We did a lot of boondoggling. Did you ever boondoggle, Joe?

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter (1982)

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Soundtracks

Home Sweet Home
(1823) (uncredited)
Music by H.R. Bishop
Background music near the beginning of the movie and at the end

User Reviews

W.C. Fields represents America's aspirations right before we entered WWII

As I understand it, W.C. Fields spent at least most of his career playing henpecked drunks. Believe it or not, "The Bank Dick" is the first of his movies that I've ever seen; and I really liked it. Fields plays Egbert Souse - with an acute accent on the E - a bored family man never too aware of his surroundings. One day, he accidentally stops a bank robber but is only too happy to take credit for it. So they make him a security guard.

Throughout parts of the movie, I wasn't sure whether it was going to be as funny as I usually like (and there was a scene portraying a black man in a manner that wouldn't be allowed nowadays), but it was quite entertaining overall and the whole chase was certainly beyond a hoot. I suspect that they had a lot of fun filming it. Moreover, one might interpret Fields's as a look at America's aspirations of getting out of the Depression (that's pure conjecture, so don't quote me).

So, having seen this movie, I understand what W.C. Fields's brand of humor constituted. One can see why Warner Bros. animation department liked to caricature him as a manipulative pig in some cartoons. Worth seeing.