Barely mediocre Fields comedy
"You Can't Cheat an Honest Man" was a disappointing effort due to the fact that rather than featuring W.C. Fields director George Marshall chose to allow Edgar Bergen and protege Charlie McCarthy to hog the screen. I was under the impression that ventriloquists were not supposed to move their lips. This was a condition that was lost on Bergen. I'm at a loss as to understand what the captivation was with his tired act.

Fields playing perpetually indebted traveling circus owner Larson E. Whipsnade was given too few opportunities to perform his particular style of hijinks. One notable exception was the scene in the ticket booth where he used his excellent comedic tools.

The widowed Fields' kids Victoria and Phineas played by Constance Moore and John Arledge are being supported by him as they attend a prestigious college. Arledge aware of Fields' monetary plight is encouraging his sister to marry rich guy Roger Bel-Goodie played by James Bush. Such a union would provide a business opportunity for Arledge in the Bel-Goodie family banking business and a solution to Fields' insolvency. The only trouble is that Moore doesn't love the rich guy and inexplicably falls in love with Edgar Bergen.

The predictable plot proceeds on to an apparent happily ever after ending that caps an overall unsatisfying film.

Old Time Radio stars brought to the screen!
I've been a long time Edgar Bergen fan, and was delighted with his performance in this comical movie, "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man". I had never seen W.C. Fields on the screen before, and was also pleasantly surprised by his outragous antics (his hat bit is wonderful). For anyone looking for a good laugh, or a movie for the whole family (litterally-Grandpa & Grandma will remember them, and the children will be introduced to them), this is a great movie to buy or rent.

A True Classic, Honest
This is a truly classic comedy featuring W.C. Fields and Edgar Bergen. Fields plays circus proprietor Larson Whipsnade. His circus is not a blazing success, and Whipsnade and company are on the run from the law and on the lam from creditors. Despite all, Whipsnade has managed to keep his son and daughter in college. As the story begins, Whipsnade's son is urging his sister to marry a fellow student who is wooing her. The suitor is from a wealthy family and Whipsnade Jr. sees the marriage as a way to improve the Whipsnade family fortune. Unfortunateley, sis isn't in love with the boy. Instead, she falls for Bergen, who works in dad's circus.

I suppose, if you like Fields but not Bergen, you might think there is too much Bergen & company in this movie and not enough of Fields. Then, again, a Bergen fan might make the opposite argument. Personally, I find them both hilarious. The plot here is rather thin, but the comedy is non-stop. Of course, Whipsnade can't stand Bergen, and Charlie McCarthy is a constant thorn in his side. Similarly, the idea of Whipsnade as Bergen's father-in-law is more than Charlie can take. Both Fields and Bergen get in some classicly funny scenes. Add in a couple of cameo appearances by Mortimer Snerd, a whole load of one-liners, and you one of the best comedies ever filmed.

Cinematic Hodgepodge
W.C. Fields' "You Can't Cheat An Honest Man" (1939) is a rather schizophrenic affair. As Larson E. Whipsnade, Fields remains his old inimitable self - whether playing high-society ping pong or getting hosed by a circus elephant. However, when he is off-screen for long stretches, the film becomes an Edgar Bergen-Charlie McCarthy vehicle and drags terribly. Though the Fields-McCarthy radio "feuds" have become classics, they do not translate as well in cinematic form. With the exception of a brief reunion in "Song of the Open Road" (1944), it's easy to see why there never was a Fields-Bergen encore on the big screen. "You Can't Cheat An Honest Man" has its moments of hilarity, but a little more Fields would have helped.

Clever, Quick, and Funny!
This is definatly W.C. Fields at his finest. While the plot maybe is not so great, all of the comedians bring this light hearted comedy to the highest expectations. Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen are at their mischevious, cleverest best. Recommended for anyone who loves old comedies.