{"id":17546,"date":"2011-05-27T16:46:24","date_gmt":"2011-05-27T23:46:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=17546"},"modified":"2021-01-31T11:18:45","modified_gmt":"2021-01-31T18:18:45","slug":"man-on-the-flying-trapeze-the-1935","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=17546","title":{"rendered":"Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;He&#8217;s the most trying man ever put on this Earth!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Poster-197x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-17547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Poster-197x300.jpg 197w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Poster-84x128.jpg 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA henpecked memory expert (W.C. Fields) living with his shrewish wife (Kathleen Howard), cranky mother-in-law (Vera Lewis), lazy brother-in-law (Grady Sutton), and loyal daughter (Mary Brian) finds himself in hot water after lying to his boss (Oscar Apfel) in order to attend a wrestling match.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Family Problems<\/li>\n<li>Henpecked Husbands<\/li>\n<li>W.C. Fields Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary refers to this as a &#8220;near-perfect W.C. Fields comedy&#8221;, noting that Fields (as henpecked Ambrose Wolfinger) is &#8220;hilarious, taking one abuse after the other in his cruel, absurd world without every losing his patience or trying to reform&#8221;. There are numerous comedic highlights throughout &#8212; including, as Peary notes, Fields &#8220;sharing a jail cell with a crazy scissors murderer; driving [his wife] crazy by taking forever to go down and see about the burglars in the basement&#8230;; getting a series of traffic and parking tickets in succession&#8221;. Fields is in fine form (Peary votes him Best Actor of the Year in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>!), and his supporting cast members are all convincing (I&#8217;m particularly fond of Howard here; her operatic background comes through <em>loud and clear<\/em> in the hilarious opening scene). While it could certainly be argued that Peary includes far too many W.C. Fields films in his book (he lists or reviews no less than <em>16<\/em> titles), this one is consistently humorous enough that I believe most film fanatics will be glad to have seen it &#8212; so I&#8217;m voting it a &#8220;must see&#8221; at least once. Watch for Walter Brennan, Carlotta Monti (Fields&#8217;s real-life lover), and Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson in small roles. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>W.C. Fields and Kathleen Howard&#8217;s acrimonious &#8220;rapport&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Wake-Up.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Wake-Up.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Wake-Up.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Wake-Up-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Wake-Up-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Numerous humorous scenes<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Scissors.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Scissors.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Scissors.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Scissors-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Scissors-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Tickets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Tickets.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17552\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Tickets.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Tickets-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Tickets-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Funeral-Flowers.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Funeral-Flowers.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Funeral-Flowers.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Funeral-Flowers-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Man-Flying-Trapeze-Funeral-Flowers-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>An often clever script (with much ad-libbing):<br \/>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Wolfinger:<\/strong> My poor mother-in-law died three days ago. I&#8217;m attending her funeral this afternoon.<br \/>\n<strong>Wolfinger&#8217;s Secretary:<\/strong> Isn&#8217;t that terrible, Mr. Wolfinger!<br \/>\n<strong>Wolfinger: <\/strong>Yes, it&#8217;s terrible. It&#8217;s awful. Horrible tragedy.<br \/>\n<strong>Wolfinger&#8217;s Secretary: <\/strong>It must be hard to lose your mother-in-law.<br \/>\n<strong>Wolfinger:<\/strong> Yes it is, very hard. It&#8217;s almost impossible.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as one of Fields&#8217;s mid-career classics. Nominated by Peary as one of the Best Pictures of the Year in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0026676\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1935\/08\/03\/archives\/the-man-on-the-flying-trapeze-with-wc-fields-at-the-capitol-every.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/82698\/the-man-on-the-flying-trapeze#articles-reviews?articleId=88751\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=2044&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/man-on-the-flying-trapeze\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s the most trying man ever put on this Earth!&#8221; Synopsis: A henpecked memory expert (W.C. Fields) living with his shrewish wife (Kathleen Howard), cranky mother-in-law (Vera Lewis), lazy brother-in-law (Grady Sutton), and loyal daughter (Mary Brian) finds himself in hot water after lying to his boss (Oscar Apfel) in order to attend a wrestling match. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Comedy Family Problems Henpecked Husbands W.C. Fields Films Response to Peary\u2019s Review: Peary refers to this as a &#8220;near-perfect&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=17546\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17546"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67360,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17546\/revisions\/67360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}