Comedy legend W.C. Fields (The Bank Dick) is back at it again, battling creditors, widows and annoying children in the 1934 classic comedy The Old Fashioned Way.
The Great McGonigle (W.C. Fields) and his very poor, theatrical troupe arrive in a small town to perform The Drunkard, a Victorian temperance play. They are on the run from creditors and the law, that McGonigle continues to elude! While preparing for the play, a subplot involving McGonigle’s daughter Betty (Judith Allen, Bright Eyes) trying to discourage her would be husband Wally (Joe Morrison) from getting involved in the act. But he wins a part anyway after there is a member resigns!
Discovering they have only sold a handful of tickets for the play, The Great McGonigle promises a part, basically one line “Here comes the prince” to the wealthy mother Cleopatra Pepperday (Jan Duggan, The Wages of Sin, My Little Chickadee) and her bratty son (Baby LeRoy, It’s a Gift) with her appearance guaranteeing a sell-out. She never gets to say her line as there is no prince, so she gets the sheriff after him. He staves off the local sheriff again, who intends to collect the receipts for the play.
Directed by legendary director William Beaudine (The Ape Man, The Chinese Ring, Billy the Kid vs. Dracula) The Old Fashioned Way is a comedic salute to Fields’ early vaudeville days including his juggling act. The actors all deliver superb performances in this comedy classic. The movie is a fun way to spend seventy minutes!
Receiving a 2017 4K Scan, The Old Fashioned Way arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The film has never looked any cleaner, any sharper than it does with this release. Whites look crisp along with nice dark blacks and a balanced greyscale. Film grain is present throughout giving the film an organic film-like appearance. Part of the picture is a bit soft, but it will not ruin the viewing experience. No DNR has been applied for this release.
Kino’s English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 soundtrack is also pleasing with nice crisp dialogue, keeping a good balance between that and background noises and music. The audio is without age-old issues such as crackling, hissing, or popping. English subtitles are offered.
This Blu-ray from Kino comes with a brand-new commentary by Film Historian James L. Neibaur, Author of The W.C. Fields Films and provides a lot of information and insight to the film and cast.
The other supplement are theatrical trailers for other W.C. Fields films released by Kino Lorber which include The Old Fashioned Way, You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man, My Little Chickadee and The Bank Dick.
Another key film of W.C. Fields has been released on Blu-ray and given a superb release with excellent audio and video quality! Recommended!
The Old Fashioned Way
Director- William Beaudine
Cast- W.C. Fields, Baby LeRoy
Country of Origin- US
Distributor – Kino Lorber
Number of Discs – 1
Reviewed by – David Steigman
Date –12/20/2021