Fibbing Fibbers: A Mess of Lies

Is it worth your time?

If you like old-school, fast-talking comedy where people run around like chickens with their heads cut off, you might get a kick out of Fibbing Fibbers. If you hate watching characters dig their own graves with stupid lies, skip it. It’s definitely for fans of those mid-30s shorts that feel like they were made over a weekend lunch break.

Walter Catlett is the whole show here. He’s got that specific, high-strung energy that makes you feel exhausted just watching him. The guy acts like he’s permanently vibrating. ⚡️

The premise is thin enough to see right through, but that’s the point. Walter needs to be in two places at once, so he fakes a car wreck. Watching him try to keep his story straight while the people around him—especially Clarence Muse, who is way too calm for this nonsense—start poking holes in it is pretty funny.

The pacing is frantic. Maybe a little too much? There’s a moment where Walter is explaining his 'injuries' that goes on just long enough to stop being funny and start being plain awkward. It’s like the editor just let the film run while Catlett improvised until he ran out of breath.

Speaking of awkward, the way characters walk in and out of rooms in this thing is almost choreographed like a bad stage play. It feels like everyone is waiting for their cue in the shadows just to pop out and shout a line. It’s charming in a 'we’re on a budget' kind of way.

It’s not quite as sharp as something like Never Say Die, but it shares that same desperate need to keep the momentum going at all costs. It’s a light snack of a movie.

Notes from the couch:

• The fake limp is truly terrible. It moves from his left leg to his right leg halfway through a sentence. Classic.
• I’m still not sure if the car accident was supposed to be a real thing that happened to someone else, or if he just made the whole thing up from thin air. It doesn't matter.
• Bud Jamison shows up for like thirty seconds and just owns the screen. He always brings a bit of grit to these fluffy shorts.
• The dialogue is mostly just people shouting over each other. If you have a headache, maybe turn the volume down a bit. 🔊

Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it better than watching a blank screen? Sure. It’s just a snapshot of a time when Hollywood churned out these little sketches without worrying too much about the plot holes.

Anyway, I probably wouldn't watch it twice. But for a Tuesday night when your brain is fried? It’ll do.