Carny con artist and snake-oil salesman Eustace McGargle tries to stay one step ahead of the sheriff but is completely devoted to his beloved daughter Poppy.
Acting
Fields' juggling, pool trick, and verbal gymnastics are masterclass.
Writing
Dialogue dances between sentiment and larceny with pre-Code freedom.
Director
A. Edward Sutherland
W.C. Fields
Eustace McGargle
Rochelle Hudson
Poppy
Richard Cromwell
Billy Farnsworth
Catherine Doucet
Maggi Tubbs DePuizzi
Lynne Overman
Attorney Whiffen
Granville Bates
Mayor Farnsworth
Maude Eburne
Sarah Tucker
Adrian Morris
Constable Bowman
Rosalind Keith
Frances Parker
Tom Kennedy
Hot Dog Stand Proprietor (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Fields originated this role on Broadway in 1923, then again in a 1935 silent short called 'The Old Fashioned Way'—he was essentially refining the same scam for thirteen years.
This was Paramount's attempt to soften Fields' image with more heart after 'It's a Gift'—the studio feared his drunk misanthrope was too dark for Depression audiences craving uplift.
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