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7.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Old Fashioned Way remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Is The Old Fashioned Way worth your time tonight? Absolutely, but only if you love watching a grumpy old man outsmart annoying toddlers and angry landlords. 😤
If you hate slow, dusty 1930s stage acting, you will probably turn this off after ten minutes.
W.C. Fields plays The Great McGonigle, a total fraud who runs a broke theater troupe.
They basically roll into town, trick the locals, perform a terrible play, and run away before the sheriff catches them.
It feels a bit like those chaotic kids' shorts like Helping Grandma, but with more alcohol references and unpaid bills. 💸
The plot is barely there, honestly.
It is just an excuse for Fields to be his usual cynical self.My favorite part is definitely his rivalry with Baby LeRoy.
That kid is like two years old and Fields treats him like a mortal enemy.
There is this one moment where Fields sneaks a quick kick at the baby when the mother looks away.
It is so wrong but I laughed out loud. 😂
You can tell Fields actually hated working with kids.
The annoyance in his eyes is 100% real.
Then we get the play within the movie.
They perform this old melodrama called "The Drunkard."
Honestly, the play goes on for way too long.
I found myself looking at the background extras instead of the main stage.
One guy in the front row of the audience has this incredibly fake mustache that looks like it is slipping off.
I kept waiting for it to drop. It never did. 😭
But then Fields does his juggling act.
A lot of people forget he started as a real vaudeville juggler.
He balances a cane on his nose and juggles plates, and it is actually impressive.
No special effects, just pure old-school skill.
It made me appreciate how talented these old performers had to be to survive.
The movie reminds me a bit of the stage struggles in The Prince of Avenue A, but far more ridiculous.
It has this loose, sketchy feel.
Like they wrote the script on a napkin during lunch.
Some scenes just sort of end without a punchline.
Like when he is trying to eat dinner and the plate keeps sliding.
It just cuts to the next day.
The audio is a bit hiss-heavy, which is expected for 1934.
And the actress playing the rich widow is incredibly loud.
Every time she laughed, I had to reach for my remote control to turn the volume down. 🙉
Still, there is something so cozy about this.
It is like wrapped in a dusty, moth-balled blanket.
It does not try to teach you a lesson.
It just wants you to watch a fat man juggle and dodge his bills.
If you want something deep, look elsewhere.
But if you want to see a baby get outsmarted by a master comedian, this is the gold standard.
IMDb —
1927
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