The Bank Dick (1940)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Edward F. Cline

Writer:

W.C. Fields (writer)

Release Date:

29 November 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Bank | Stock | Racist Remark | Hotel | Bank Examiner

Awards:

1 win

Cast

W.C. Fields	...	Egbert Sousè
Cora Witherspoon	...	Agatha Sousè
Una Merkel	...	Myrtle Sousè
Evelyn Del Rio	...	Elsie Mae Adele Brunch Sousè
Jessie Ralph	...	Mrs. Hermisillo Brunch
Franklin Pangborn	...	J. Pinkerton Snoopington
Shemp Howard	...	Joe Guelpe, Bartender
Dick Purcell	...	Mackley Q. Greene, Movie Location Scout (as Richard Purcell)
Grady Sutton	...	Og Oggilby
Russell Hicks	...	J. Frothingham Waterbury
Pierre Watkin	...	Mr. Skinner, Bank President
Al Hill	...	Repulsive Rogan
George Moran	...	Loudmouth McNasty
Bill Wolfe	...	Otis
Jack Norton	...	A. Pismo Clam, Movie Director
Pat West	...	Assistant Director
Reed Hadley	...	Francois, Movie Star
Heather Wilde	...	Miss Plupp
Harlan Briggs	...	Doctor Stall
William Alston	...	Mr. Cheek (as Bill Alston)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harriett De Bussman	...	Minor Role (scenes deleted)
Clyde Dembeck	...	Minor Role (scenes deleted)
Edward Hearn	...	Minor Role (scenes deleted)
Ethelreda Leopold	...	Minor Role (scenes deleted)
Patsy O'Byrne	...	Minor Role (scenes deleted)
Eddie Acuff	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Lowden Adams	...	Francois' valet (uncredited)
Fay Adler	...	Secretary / Stenographer (uncredited)
Vangie Beilby	...	Old lady with dog (uncredited)
Becky Bohanon	...	Girl (uncredited)
Melinda Boss	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Tom Braunger	...	Boy (uncredited)
Nora Cecil	...	Lompoc Ladies Auxiliary (uncredited)
Jack Clifford	...	Cop (uncredited)
Eddie Coke	...	Young Man (uncredited)
Russell Coles	...	Bank Employee (uncredited)
Gene Collins	...	Boy (uncredited)
Jan Duggan	...	Mrs. Muckle - Mother in Bank (uncredited)
Eddie Dunn	...	James the Chauffeur (uncredited)
Mary Field	...	Woman (uncredited)
Monty Ford	...	Director's Assistant (uncredited)
Dorothy Haas	...	Script Girl (uncredited)
Larry Harris	...	Boy (uncredited)
Charles Hart	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Fay Holderness	...	Lady passerby (uncredited)
Bobby Larson	...	Clifford Muckle, boy in bank (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Billy Mitchell	...	Depositor withdrawing Money (uncredited)
Patsy Moran	...	Lady with fruit hat (uncredited)
Joseph North	...	Judkins, the Butler (uncredited)
William J. O'Brien	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
David Oliver	...	Straw-hatted teller (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley	...	Cop (uncredited)
John Rawlings	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Sam Rice	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Jack Roper	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Margaret Seddon	...	Old lady in car (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Pursuit Driver (uncredited)
Kay Sutton	...	Young woman on bench (uncredited)
Emma Tansey	...	Old woman on bench (uncredited)
Edward Thomas	...	Footman (uncredited)
David Thursby	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Frankie Van	...	Director's Assistant (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon	...	Old lady (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Shirtless ditchdigger (uncredited)
Frank Ward	...	Boy (uncredited)
Bonnie Washington	...	Miss Plupp's maid (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward F. Cline

Writing credits
W.C. Fields		(writer) (as Mahatma Kane Jeeves)

Produced by
Jack J. Gross	....	associate producer (uncredited)
Cliff Work	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Frank Skinner		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Milton R. Krasner

Film Editing by
Arthur Hilton

Art Direction by
Jack Otterson
Richard H. Riedel

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

Costume Design by
Vera West

Production Management
Matty Fox	....	production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ralph Ceder	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Edward Montagne	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Richard H. Riedel	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound supervisor
William Hedgcock	....	sound technician

Stunts
Carey Loftin	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunt double: W. C. Fields (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director
Heinz Roemheld	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Frank Skinner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Ralph Ceder	....	collaborating director
Melinda Boss	....	executive secretary: Mr. Fields (uncredited)
Richard Carroll	....	assistant to writer (uncredited)
Charles Grayson	....	assistant to writer (uncredited)
Tony Rice	....	stand-in: Mr. Fields (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Realart Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Also Known As:

The Bank Detective (UK)
The Great Man (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Lompoc, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

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.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the opening bit of dialogue, one of the old ladies points out that there is an "accent grave" over the final e in a character's name, meaning it would be pronounced "Sous-AY", not "Souse". In fact, it's an accent aigu (or acute accent), in both pronunciation and painted on the mailbox she's looking at.

Quotes:

Egbert Sousé: Was I in here last night and did I spend a twenty dollar bill?
Joe Guelpe: Yeah.
Egbert Sousé: Oh boy, what a load that is off my mind! I thought I'd lost it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941)

Soundtrack:

Listen to the Mockingbird

This is Just Too Funny

This is the second best Fields film (after It's a Gift) and it's similar in that it casts Fields as the lovable drunk with an absolutely hateful family. From the almost surreal episode directing the movie to the eye-poppingly ridiculous chase scene, this one is pure comic entertainment. One side note: it's sad and not a little scary how bloated and tired the Great Man looks in this compared to just six years earlier when It's a Gift was released.