You're Telling Me

1934

1h 7m

Comedy

List

Reviews

81%

Audience Score

100+ Ratings

Sam Bisbee (W.C. Fields) is an eccentric optometrist who moonlights as an amateur inventor. Unfortunately his inventions are largely useless and have, along with his own various gaffes, made him the laughingstock of the town. Only his daughter Pauline (Joan Marsh) has any confidence in him. When Bisbee's one shot at fame ends up backfiring spectacularly, it takes the fortuitous intervention of a princess (Adrienne Ames) to set things right and show the world that Sam Bisbee means business.

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Otis Ferguson

The New Republic

The only thing to be said for You're Telling Me as a film is that it stars W.C. Fields -- which is quite enough... He leaves a residue of something more real, more touching than the froth and fizzle of wit alone.

Jan 22, 2024

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Fields was never better than when playing browbeaten characters, and he's particularly sympathetic in this picture.

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 30, 2022

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Meyer Levin (Patterson Murphy)

Esquire Magazine

W. C. Fields makes pleasant comedy out of the small-town-inventor story...

Apr 17, 2020

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Helen Brown Norden

Vanity Fair

W. C. Fields, the favorite comedian this season, in a full-length comedy with some swell dialogue by J. P. McEvoy.

Jun 6, 2019

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Audience Member

Never heard of this movie before, and rather liked it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

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Audience Member

A fun classic W.C. Fields, this time playing an inventor who makes a possible million-dollar idea: car tires that don't go flat. Although the idea of Fields playing an inventor sounds like lots of ideas for wacky gags, it's not really about that, but about the failed attempts and the depression of the inventor. Oh but believe me, it is very funny, with even the scene of attempted suicide being incredibly funny...

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

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Audience Member

Not W.C.'s best, but still very good, with some absolutely classic moments. The story just isn't well developed enough. The third act drags. But absolutely worth seeing. I mean, it's only 67 fucking minutes. Go for it. See all his movies. The man was a damn genius.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

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Audience Member

Very funny Fields film that contains some classic moments such as walking an ostrich and a nice reenactment of his short "The Golf Specialist."

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

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Audience Member

Despite an absurdly funny climactic golf scene, "You're Telling Me!" pales in comparison to Fields' best work.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Audience Member

A good Fields movie, but not a classic. A lot of gags, mostly in the first act, fall flat; for example Fields tries to do the Stan Laurel bit where he makes simple tasks like closing a door look so difficult, be he fails in comparison. But there are a number of hilarious sequences as well, like the final act at the golf course which is an almost line-by-line remake of his classic short "The Golf Specialist", and its almost as perfect here especially with an added plot precursor. Overall pretty funny.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Erle C. Kenton

Director

W.C. Fields

Sam Bisbee

Joan Marsh

Pauline Bisbee

Buster Crabbe

Bob Murchison

Walter DeLeon

Screenwriter

Paul M. Jones

Screenwriter

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Synopsis

Sam Bisbee (W.C. Fields) is an eccentric optometrist who moonlights as an amateur inventor. Unfortunately his inventions are largely useless and have, along with his own various gaffes, made him the laughingstock of the town. Only his daughter Pauline (Joan Marsh) has any confidence in him. When Bisbee's one shot at fame ends up backfiring spectacularly, it takes the fortuitous intervention of a princess (Adrienne Ames) to set things right and show the world that Sam Bisbee means business.

Director: Erle C. Kenton
Screenwriter: Walter DeLeon, Paul M. Jones
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (DVD): Mar 20, 2007
Runtime: 1h 7m