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| It's a Gift | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical poster to It's a Gift (1934) | |
| Directed by | Norman Z. McLeod |
| Written by | Jack Cunningham |
| Based on | The Comic Supplement 1925 play by J.P. McEvoy, story by Charles Bogle (Fields)[1] |
| Produced by | William LeBaron |
| Starring | W.C. Fields Baby LeRoy |
| Cinematography | Henry Sharp |
| Music by | John Leipold |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 68 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
It's a Gift is a 1934 American comedy film starring W.C. Fields. It was Fields's 16th sound film, and his fifth in 1934 alone. It was directed by Norman McLeod, who had directed Fields in his cameo as Humpty Dumpty in Alice in Wonderland (1933).
The film concerns the trials and tribulations of a grocer as he battles a shrewish wife, an incompetent assistant, and assorted annoying children, customers, and salesmen. The film reprises routines honed by Fields from his career over the years 1915–1925. Fields often tried to recapture sketches that led to his stage success onto film; skits such as "The Picnic", "A Joy Ride", and most famously, "The Back Porch" are all featured in It's a Gift.[2]
Lesser known than some of Fields' later works such as The Bank Dick, the film is perhaps the best example of the recurring theme of the Everyman battling against his domestic entrapment. Historians and critics have often cited its numerous memorable comic moments. It is one of several Paramount Pictures in which Fields contended with child actor Baby LeRoy.