This is one of the few comedies from back in the day that is still funny today. Sure aspects of the movie are dated, like the way Fields daughter and her boyfriend talk to each other or the scene with the black man, but overall it remains fresh. The Fields character himself holds up well because he is an anti-hero and clearly has no morals. He doesn't like his family, hates kids, is a drunk, he's always trying to do what will get him ahead, and an obnoxious liar. This would create a despicable character if it wasn't for the fact that he is hilarious. The plot for this movie is ridiculous but it really moves along and I don't think it would be as good if it was more plausible. The chase scene at the end is actually more exciting to me then many chase scenes in modern movies, because it looks (and probably was) real dangerous to shoot, and they didn't have all the special effects guys and stuntmen that are all over movies today. Anyway I recently sat down and rented this movie along with another classic comedy "The Lady Eve". I found that movie to be dull and not very funny at all, and proved to me how different comedic tastes were back in the 40s. After that one I put off this movie thinking it would be just as unfunny, but I was wrong, this movie is great and I recommend it highly. My favorite part comes at the beginning when he smacks his kid in the head, then she throws a bottle at him and he walks out the door. You think he is leaving until he starts to come back in holding a huge potted plant which he is about to throw. Unfortunately he is stopped from throwing it by his older daughter and her boyfriend, but it was still hilarious. It was a perfect way to start the movie as it set the tone for what kind of character he was, and after watching the rest of it, you know that if they didnt show up he would have launched that pot at his like 8 year old daughter. Classic.
Zoopansick
Zoopansick