The Bank Dick

The Bank Dick released as The Bank Detective in the United Kingdom is a 1940 comedy film. Set in Lompoc, California, W. C. Fields plays a character named Egbert Sous who trips a bank robber and ends up a security guard as a result. The character is a drunk who must repeatedly remind people in exasperation that his name is pronounced Sous accent grave sic over the e, because people keep calling him Souse slang for drunkard. In addition to bank and family scenes, it features Fields pretending to be a film director and ends in a chaotic car chase. The Bank Dick is considered a classic of his work, incorporating his usual persona as a drunken henpecked husband with a shrewish wife, disapproving motherinlaw, and savage children.citation needed

The movie has received many favorable reviews. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that for anyone who simply likes to laugh at the reckless inanities of an inspired buffoon, we recommend The Bank Dick. Its great fun. Variety wrote, Its a crazyquilt pattern aiming for laughs, and achieves the purpose adequately. Several times, Fields reaches into satirical pantomime reminiscent of Charlie Chaplins best effort in that line during Mutual and Essanay days. Harrisons Reports called it A good program comedy. W. C. Fields is at his best and for that reason the picture should go over very well with his fans. John Mosher of The New Yorker wrote that there is often an incident or gesture reminiscent of the Mack Sennett comedies. At times, the movie even smacks of those old days so exactly that you almost believe it must be a revival of some classic. Theres nothing antiquated about it, however, no stale, museum starchiness, and the scandalous Mr. Fields has to be forgiven his outrageous behavior, since he is so simply and honestly funny. Respected film critic Leslie Halliwell deemed it Imperfect, but probably the best Fields vehicle there is, and W. C. Fields biographer Robert Lewis Taylor called it, One of the great classics of American comedy.Otis Ferguson, however, wasnt so keen on it. He said, When the man Fields is funny he is terrific... but the story is makeshift, the other characters are stock types, the only pace discernible is the distance between drinks or the rhythm of the fleeting seconds it takes Fields to size up trouble and duck the hell out. ........

Source: Wikipedia