Man on the Flying Trapeze (The Memory Expert) (1935)

77% of users liked it
(107 ratings)

W.C. Fields plays Ambrose Wolfinger, the henpecked husband to end all henpecked husbands. A widower, Ambrose married a second time only to provide a mother for his pretty daughter (Mary Brian). What he got was an overbearing harpy of a wife (Kathleen Howard), a fussy and imperious mother-in-law… More W.C. Fields plays Ambrose Wolfinger, the henpecked husband to end all henpecked husbands. A widower, Ambrose married a second time only to provide a mother for his pretty daughter (Mary Brian). What he got was an overbearing harpy of a wife (Kathleen Howard), a fussy and imperious mother-in-law (Vera Lewis) and a shiftless brother-in-law (Grady Sutton). Ambrose plans to attend a much-awaited wrestling match, but can't get the day off of work. He lies for the first time in his life, telling his boss that his mother-in-law has died. En route to the wrestling meet, Ambrose suffers one mishap after another, from a string of traffic tickets to an encounter with a runaway tire. He gets to the match just in time to miss the whole thing, and ends up bruised and battered on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, his home is being deluged with flowers, offered in sympathy for his "dead" mother-in-law who is very much alive but not amused. When his boss discovers the deception, he fires Ambrose. The poor man returns home to face the cold stares of his wife's family. They goad and harass him until he can stand no more: when brother-in-law insults his daughter, Ambrose punches him out (a scene that always results in audience cheers) and tells everyone else where to go. Soon after, his anxious ex-boss calls up; only Ambrose can decipher the important messages left behind on his cluttered desk, and would Ambrose like to come back to work? His loyal and loving daughter negotiates a hefty salary hike for Ambrose, and the film ends with Our Hero assuming his proper role as head of the household, with his obnoxious in-laws literally left out in the rain. An uproarious "worm turns" farce, Man on the Flying Trapeze was an expanded version of 1932 Mack Sennett two-reeler, Too Many Highballs, and a partial remake of Fields' own silent feature Running Wild (27). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 5 min.
Directed By: Clyde Bruckman
Written By: W.C. Fields, Ray Harris
Genres: Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1935 Wide
On DVD: Mar 20, 2007
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
A plangent anti-Cult of Domesticity symphony

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Cast

            W.C. Fields as Ambrose Wolfinger

            Mary Brian as Hope Wolfinger

            Kathleen Howard as Leona Wolfinger

            Grady Sutton as Claude Neselrode

            Vera Lewis as Mrs. Cordelia Neselrode

            Lucien Littlefield as Mr. Peabody

            Oscar Apfel as President Malloy

            Lew Kelly as Adolph Berg

            Arthur Ayleswofth as Night Court Judge

            Tammany Young as Willie the Weasel

            Walter Brennan as "Legs" Garnett

            Harry Ekezian as Hookallockah Mishabbob

            David Clyde as J. Farnsworth Wallaby

            Jack Baxley as Night Court Officer

            Mickey Bennett as Office Employee

            Billy Bletcher as Timekeeper

            Harry C. Bradley as Peeved Driver

            James Burke as Patrolman

            Eddy Chandler
            
            Charles "Heinie" Conklin as Street Cleaner

            Sarah Edwards as Car Owner

            James Flavin as Henry the Chauffeur

            Edward Gargan
            
            Tor Johnson as Tosoff Russian Behemoth

            Sam Lufkin as Ticket Taker

            Carlotta Monti as Ambrose's Secretary

            Charles E. Morris as Turnkey

            Pat O'Malley as Officer

            Lorin Raker as Ring Announcer

            Eddie Sturgis as Bystander at Arena Gate

            Rosemary Theby as Helpful Pedestrian

            Minerva Urecal as Italian Woman in Ambulance

            Michael Visaroff as Homicidal Maniac

            Joe Sawyer as Ambulance Driver

            Helen Dickson as Miss Dickson

            Keith Daniels as Ticket Seller

            Robert Littlefield as Neighbor with Correct Time

            Albert Taylor as Clerk

            Dorothy Thompson as Information Girl
See full cast

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