Too Many Highballs: A chaotic mess of a short

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you have a soft spot for 1930s slapstick and don’t mind when a plot barely holds together, you’ll probably find something to chuckle at. If you’re looking for a tight script or anything that resembles modern pacing, steer clear. This one is really only for the film history nerds or people who have a weird obsession with Fiddlesticks-era antics.

The whole premise is basically every sitcom trope from the last century rolled into a short amount of time. You’ve got the guy who just wants a little peace and the in-laws who seem to be auditioning for the role of 'houseguests from hell.' It’s all very predictable, but there’s a frantic energy here that’s hard to completely ignore.

The W.C. Fields touch

You can tell Fields had a hand in this. The dialogue—what little of it there is—has that dry, cynical bite that he was famous for. But it doesn't always land. Sometimes it just feels like the actors are waiting for the next bit of physical chaos to start. It’s not quite on the level of The Racket, but it tries, I guess.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Too Many Highballs (1933) through its definitive frames.

There is this one moment where the lead tries to sneak out for a championship fight, and the timing is just… weird. It feels like someone dropped the remote control and accidentally skipped a few frames. It’s charming in a 'nobody knew what they were doing' kind of way, but definitely clunky.

• The brother-in-law is so annoying I almost wanted to quit watching.
• The house set feels incredibly cramped, like they were filming in a literal closet.
• That one scene with the highballs? It goes on for about 40 seconds too long.
• The final punchline is a total shrug.

Honestly, I kept thinking about how this compares to other stuff from the era like High Hats and Low Brows. It lacks that same polished punch, but it’s got enough grit to keep you watching. It's a bit like watching a car crash in slow motion, except the car is just a guy trying to get a drink in peace.

I wouldn't say this is a hidden gem. It’s more of a dusty rock you find in the backyard that happens to have a cool shape. 🍺 If you’re bored on a Tuesday, go for it. If not, maybe just watch something else.