Review of Poppy

Due to a bicycle accident, Fields did most of the film with a back brace on. By trying to hide it, he looks enormous and all of his stunts were performed by a noticeably thinner double. Plenty of Fields' humor but a lot of light drama also as his daughter, "Poppy" plays it "straight" and even sings a song or two. It's better than it sounds, but certainly not a laugh-a-minute like some of Fields' other pictures. Rochelle Hudson plays his daughter with a very unconvincing love-at first-sight subplot, as she falls in love with the Mayor's son. Many classic "Fieldisms", as he has great fun twisting-up-the-dialog on purpose. "Poppy" ends up being an actual heiress after all. Her "Dad" found her abandoned at age 3, at the circus. Closes with Field's infamous quip "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break" as he exits after stealing the Mayor's top hat and several cigars, not realizing "Poppy" isn't a lie, after all! A great transfer from Deluxe. A curio but worth your time, especially as part of a "collection" set of Field's DVD's.