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The Bank Dick

Play trailer Poster for The Bank Dick Released Nov 29, 1940 1h 14m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 25 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Egbert Sousé (W.C. Fields) becomes an unexpected hero when a bank robber falls over a bench he's occupying. Now considered brave, Egbert is given a job as a bank guard. Soon, he is approached by charlatan J. Frothingham Waterbury (Russell Hicks) about buying shares in a mining company. Egbert persuades teller Og Oggilby (Grady Sutton) to lend him bank money, to be returned when the scheme pays off. Unfortunately, bank inspector Snoopington (Franklin Pangborn) then makes a surprise appearance.

Critics Reviews

View All (25) Critics Reviews
Otis Ferguson The New Republic The audience is asleep because this was never made as a picture. It is stiff and static and holds no interest outside of W. C Fields -- you don’t care what happens to anybody else, you don’t care what the outcome; you forget immediately if there was any. May 7, 2024 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader This 1940 film seems to spring straight from his cranky, beleaguered, convoluted personality, with no concessions made to film form, audience enjoyment, or common sense, and still it's very funny in a desultory, strangely private kind of way. Apr 1, 2008 Full Review Bosley Crowther New York Times For anyone who simply likes to laugh at the reckless manities of an inspired buffoon, we recommend The Bank Dick. It's great fun. Rated: 4/5 Mar 25, 2006 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row There's a hilarious sense of nonchalance about the whole thing, and if Fields and Cline are just throwing everything they've got at this thing and seeing what works as the film is unfolding. Rated: 3.5/4 Nov 29, 2021 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Arguably stands as Fields' finest achievement. Rated: 4/4 Nov 13, 2021 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins It's a prominently jumbled picture, switching from one gimmick to the next in a haphazard manner. Rated: 6/10 Aug 3, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Denny S A masterpiece. By this time (1940) his whole act was fully realized and perfected. No need for Mae West or Charlie McCarthy to get in the way, as they did in his first two Universal films. This time, Universal allowed Fields to have this film all to himself so the film has more of his personal stamp on it. Fields knew what was funny. The film is a testament to his skills as an actor and writer. If you see just one Fields film, this is it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/25/24 Full Review Donald J A fantastic film which to showcase Fields' brilliance, the classic "The Bank Dick" remains essential to audiences and critics alike. It is indeed a feature film, but the seamlessness of the screenplay by Fields himself makes it feel no longer than one of his shorts, and still retaining of the original genius by the man with the hat. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/08/23 Full Review dave s If you've never ventured into the world of W.C. Fields, The Bank Dick is probably your best bet as a starting point. Fields plays Egbert Souse, a hard drinking hater of children who inadvertently becomes a local hero when he accidently foils a bank robbery. While the plot is wafer-thin, it gives Fields an opportunity to flex his considerable comedic muscles, spewing out non-sequiturs from start to finish. Some of the humor misses the mark, but there are enough one-liners ("I'm very fond of children. Girl children, around eighteen and twenty!!") and more than enough sight gags (Fields disarming a child with a toy gun) to keep things interesting. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member The best of W.C. Fields, LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member A comedy film that contains surrealism with a hint of irony is what audience needs to enjoy a hilarious film like The Bank Dick. W. C. Fields does a fantastic job at that as the star of The Bank Dick. What is also hysterical about The Bank Dick is the writing in the film that contains all the well-known W. C. Fields gags and wits. If one is into comedy with surreal humor then The Bank Dick is just what you're looking for because this film is absolutely comical. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review georgan g I love W. C. Fields and this is one of his best!! CanNOT miss this one. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Bank Dick

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The Bank Dick

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Movie Info

Synopsis Egbert Sousé (W.C. Fields) becomes an unexpected hero when a bank robber falls over a bench he's occupying. Now considered brave, Egbert is given a job as a bank guard. Soon, he is approached by charlatan J. Frothingham Waterbury (Russell Hicks) about buying shares in a mining company. Egbert persuades teller Og Oggilby (Grady Sutton) to lend him bank money, to be returned when the scheme pays off. Unfortunately, bank inspector Snoopington (Franklin Pangborn) then makes a surprise appearance.
Director
Edward F. Cline
Producer
Edward Muhl, Nate Blumberg
Screenwriter
W.C. Fields
Distributor
Universal Pictures, Criterion Collection, MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co
Universal Pictures
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 29, 1940, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Nov 9, 2004
Runtime
1h 14m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Flat (1.37:1)