2hotFeature
one of my absolute favorites!
SnoReptilePlenty
Memorable, crazy movie
Guillelmina
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Horst in Translation ([email protected])
"The Barber Shop" is a 1933 short film, so it already had its 80th birthday a couple years ago. And while it is still in black-and-white, this is from the early days of sound film already. It runs for 20 minutes and the director is Arthur Ripley. The writer here is W.C. Fields who also plays the main character. If you have seen some of Fields' other short films, you basically know what to expect here. He focused on different professions and included chaotic behavior and some known plot topics such as relationship struggles with the wife etc., all while dealing with his customers and sadly he is not always (well, never) the most skilled at his craft. So much for the general facts. The specifics here are in my opinion about a film that is not really too funny. It's probably just me as, while I see his talent, the writing and comedic approach by Fields are rarely really to my liking. In my opinion, the comedy in here has not aged as well as some of the other comedy from back then and with this statement I am for example referring to the (sound and silent) short films by Laurel and Hardy, that are still worth seeing today. This one here is not and I give it a thumbs-down.
JoeytheBrit
Another dose of madness from W. C. Fields, this short sees him playing the part of Cornelius O'Hare, small-town barber with a cutting observation for all who pass his path. Fields comes up with a number of gags that possibly only he would dream up, whether its testing the sharpness of a razor on his tongue, playing a bass fiddle in his own inimitable way, or shaving a hapless customer with all the delicacy of a blind man painting a barn door. This forms a loose trio with The Dentist and The Pharmacist, which Fields also made for Mack Sennett, and all of which present the comedian at the height of his talent – although this one is perhaps the weaker of the three.
Snow Leopard
With the great W.C. Fields in fine form, and a setup that provides him with a lot of good material, "The Barber Shop" is a very enjoyable short comedy. It is filled with the kinds of details and subtle gags that make Fields's comedies worth watching attentively."The Barber Shop" closely resembles the Fields feature "The Pharmacist", with very similar settings and stories. Both are very good, and in both of them Elise Cavanna is funny as the domineering wife of Fields's character. Both have some gags that are deliberately absurd, and others that are less obvious. Both feature amusing exchanges between Fields and numerous customers.When Fields was at his best, he could really get across the wackiness of so much of what happens in daily life, and that's one of the things that works quite well here.
Marta
W.C. plays the title role of the Barber. He gets to flirt with the manicurist in his shop all day, and go upstairs to his unadoring wife at night. His shaving technique is truly frightening, and his steamroom is truly amazing. He even manages to babysit for a neighbor and to capture a criminal in his shop, through no fault of his own, during his very full day. And you haven't lived till you've heard Fields play the bass fiddle!Fields is good as usual in this film; it's not as hilarious as others of his but is fairly even.
