Review of It's a Gift

**Possible Spoilers** In a number of films, W. C. Fields played a variation on the theme of the hen-pecked husband, but it all came together to perfection in `It's A Gift,' an hilarious comedy directed by Norman Z. McLeod. Harold Bissonette (Fields) owns a small grocery store, has an overbearing wife, Amelia (Kathleen Howard), a daughter, Mildred (Jean Rouverol), who is in love, a son, Norman (Tommy Bupp), with a penchant for leaving roller skates in the wrong places, and aspirations to a better life that includes wealth, leisure, respect and gin (not necessarily in that order). He has his eye on an orange grove in sunny, Southern California, complete with a house, that he's seen a picture of in a magazine. When `Uncle Bean' passes away, Harold parlays a modest inheritance into the purchase price, and the pursuit of the dream becomes a reality, much to the chagrin of Amelia, who thinks he's a fool. And lets him know about it in no uncertain terms. A cross country foray to the promised land with the entire family follows, and when they finally arrive in California, they find the house in disrepair and nary an orange to be seen; at least not in their grove. Harold refuses to give up, of course, and with a little luck, and some shrewd bargaining with a land developer in need of a parking lot, by the end he's living his dream. The humor in this film is vibrant and punctuated throughout by the inimitable Fields, with his trademark delivery, body language and, of course, the `proboscis,' that have made him an icon of Americana. There's one uproarious scene after another, especially one in which Harold tries to take a nap on the porch while contending with noisy neighbors upstairs and down, an ice pick wielding child, and an insurance salesman (T. Roy Barnes) looking for a man named LaFong: `LaFong, Carl LaFong. Capital ‘L' small ‘a,' capital ‘F' small ‘o' small ‘n' small ‘g.' LaFong!' he says. `I don't know LaFong,' Harold replies, `And if I did, I wouldn't tell you!' Another memorable scene takes place in the store, and involves the blind Mr. Muckle (Charles Sellon), who has an encounter with a display of light bulbs, and a young lad who discovers the tap on a vat of molasses; all of which produces the anticipated results. With a supporting cast that includes Julian Madison (John, Mildred's fiance), Baby LeRoy (Baby Dunk), Tammany Young (Everett Ricks), Josephine Whittell (Mrs. Dunk) and Diana Lewis (Miss Dunk), `It's A Gift' is a laugh-out-loud movie that can be watched over and over again; this is Fields at his best, in a timeless classic comedy that gets funnier every time you see it. For Field's fans, or for anyone who just wants to laugh and have a good time, this film is a definite `must see.' I rate this one 10/10.