''You're Telling Me!'' is a 1934

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

comedy film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring

W.C. Fields WC or wc may refer to: * Water closet or flush toilet Arts and entertainment * ''W.C.'' (film), an Irish feature film * WC (band), a Polish punk rock band * WC (rapper), a rapper from Los Angeles, California * Westside Connection, former h ...

. It is a remake of the

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

'' So's Your Old Man'' (1926), also starring Fields. Both films are adapted from the story ''Mr. Bisbee’s Princess'' by

Julian Leonard Street Julian Leonard Street (April 12, 1879–February 19, 1947) was an American author, born in Chicago. He was a reporter on the New York ''Mail and Express (later Evening Mail'') in 1899 and had charge of its dramatic department in 1900–01. His w ...

. It was released by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

Plot

Sam Bisbee is an

optometrist Optometry is a specialized health care profession that involves examining the eyes and related structures for defects or abnormalities. Optometrists are health care professionals who typically provide comprehensive primary eye care. In the Un ...

and amateur inventor. His daughter Pauline is in love with Bob Murchison, but Bob's upper-class mother disapproves of the Bisbee family. Sam's wife Bessie is ashamed of Sam because he prefers to act as himself rather than feigning sophistication. Pauline is the one woman who truly loves Sam, accepting her father as he is. Sam receives a letter from a tire company expressing interest in one of his inventions, a puncture-proof tire that can resist bullets. However, his opportunity becomes a disaster when he mistakenly uses a police car as the subject of his demonstration. When the car's tires fail to resist Sam's bullets, he must flee the irate police. On the train trip home, feeling that he has failed completely, Sam contemplates committing suicide by drinking a bottle of

iodine Iodine is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , ...

, but decides against it at the last minute. On the train, he meets a woman who also has a bottle of iodine. Mistakenly thinking that she is also considering suicide, Sam tries to dissuade her by telling her about his own troubles. He does not know that she is Princess Lescaboura, engaged in agood-will tour of the area. She is moved by Sam's story and secretly decides to help him. The next day, the Princess visits Sam's town and informs its residents that he once saved her life. As a result, the townspeople, including Mrs. Murchison, suddenly see Sam as admirable. Sam, believing the Princess is posing as royalty to help him, quietly congratulates her on her successful ruse. At a new golf course, Sam is given the honor of driving the first ball. After a number of random events foil Sam's attempts to hit the ball, Mr. Robbins, the president of the tire company, arrives at the course. He excitedly tells Sam that they have found his car and tested his tires, and want to manufacture them. He offers Sam $20,000 for his invention, but the princess says that she wants the patent for her own country. She bids against Robbins until Robbins finally offers $1,000,000 plus a

royalty Royalty may refer to: * Any individual monarch, such as a king, queen, emperor, empress, etc. * Royal family, the immediate family of a king or queen regnant, and sometimes his or her extended family * Royalty payment for use of such things as int ...

for each tire, which Sam accepts. Later, Sam's family is wealthy and respected, and his daughter Pauline is married to Bob. Sam is happy, but he still doesn't realize the Princess is genuine. As she is about to leave, she says, "Goodbye, Sam—I want to thank you for a lot of fun!” Sam says, "The pleasure's mutual," then leaks closer and says, "We certainly put that princess stuff over, didn't we?" To which she replies, "You're telling ''me!''"

Cast

as Sam Bisbee, optometrist * Adrienne Ames as Princess Lescaboura * Joan Marsh as Pauline Bisbee * Larry "Buster" Crabbe as Bob Murchison *

Louise Carter Louise Carter (born Betty-Lee Carter; March 17, 1875 – November 10, 1957) was an American stage and film actress. She appeared in 48 films between 1924 and 1940, mostly in maternal supporting roles. Among her roles were the mother of Paul Muni ...

as Mrs. Bessie Bisbee * Kathleen Howard as Mrs. Edward Quimby Murchison * Del Henderson as Crystal Springs mayor Brown *

Nora Cecil Nora Cecil (September 26, 1878 – May 1, 1951) was an English-born American actress whose 30-year career spanned both the silent and sound film eras. Career Stage Cecil's career began on the stage, when she debuted in London at age 19 ...

as Mrs. Price, town's spinster * George Irving as Mr. Robbins, president of National Tire Co. * James B. "Pop" Kenton as Doc Beebe, Sam's friend * Robert McKenzie as Charlie Bogle, Sam's friend *

Tammany Young Tammany Young (September 9, 1886 – April 26, 1936) was an American stage and film actor. Early life Born in New York City, Young appeared on Broadway in '' The Front Page'' (1928) by Ben Hecht and '' The New Yorkers'' (1930) by Herbert Fiel ...

as the Caddy

Production

The sequence at the golf course is largely the routine that formed the nucleus of Fields' earlier short film '' The Golf Specialist''. This was filmed at the Lakeside Golf Club in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, wh ...

, which was also used in Fields' short '' The Dentist (1932 film)''. The triumph of Fields' character over his circumstances, and the happy ending thanks to a windfall profit, would be repeated later in 1934 in '' It's a Gift''. The film received only a cursory review in William K. Everson's 1967 book ''The Art of W.C. Fields'' as it was unavailable because of ownership issues. The issues were resolved and the film is included in the Universal DVD set ''W.C. Fields Comedy Collection, Volume Two''. Everson mentions that the name of the film's minor character Charlie Bogle was adopted as Fields' writing pseudonym for several of his later films.

External links

* * {{Erle C. Kenton 1934 films 1934 comedy films American comedy films 1930s English-language films American black-and-white films Sound film remakes of silent films Remakes of American films Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Erle C. Kenton Films with screenplays by W. C. Fields 1930s American films