It’s A Gift

W. C. Fields movie, It’s a Gift – one of the funniest films that he ever made! The henpecked, disrespected family man with a dream … oranges!

It’s A Gift (1934) starring W. C. Fields

Synopsis of It’s a Gift

 In It’s A Gift, W. C. Fields presents one of the funniest movies that he ever made.  He plays the role of Harold Bissonette, the ultimate henpecked husband who gets no respect from his haranguing wife, self-absorbed daughter, bratty son, the customers at his general store, or anywhere else.  He is still a man with a dream, however, who dreams of having his own orange grove in California, and keeps an article about his “dream grove” with him at all times. 

During the course of the story, a rich relative passes away, leaving W. C. Fields’ character with enough money to buy his California orange grove—but, in keeping with his sad sack character, he buys a ‘lemon’ of a land—from his daughter’s boyfriend, in fact.  The boyfriend tries to buy the bad land back, but Fields will have nothing to do with it, moving his family to California to a wasteland of a ‘farm’ and a ramshackle hovel as a house.  Fate finally smiles on him however … but you’ll have to see the film for yourself to find out how!

Review of It’s a Gift

The entire film is hilarious, with several highlights including W. C. Fields trying to shave himself with his daughter constantly moving the mirror for her own use, an extended scene in the grocery store where a customer is slowly losing his temper (waiting for his order of kumquats) while a blind man wanders around the store, gradually destroying everything breakable with his cane, an extended scene where W. C. Fields is simply trying to sleep at night with a comedy of errors (and Baby LeRoy) conspiring to keep him awake, an impromptu picnic held on a private estate (unknown to the owner of the estate), and the hilarious conclusion where the mouse roars.

Funny movie quotes from It’s A Gift, starring W. C. Fields

Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Vegetable man? Vegetable gentleman?

Insurance salesman

Insurance Salesman: How old are you?
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): None of your business.
Insurance Salesman: I’d say you were a man about 50.
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): You would say that.

Insurance Salesman: Do you know a man by the name of LaFong? Carl LaFong? Capital L, small a, Capital F, small o, small n, small g. LaFong. Carl LaFong.
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): No, I don’t know Carl LaFong – capital L, small a, capital F, small o, small n, small g. And if I did know Carl LaFong, I wouldn’t admit it!

Insurance Salesman: If you should live to be 100…
[Harold chases him off the deck]
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): And suppose I live to be 200, I’ll get a velocipede!

At home

[Harold has slipped on a skate]
Norman Bissonette (Tommy Bupp): Ha ha. Do it again, Pop.
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Shut up!
Amelia Bissonette (Kathleen Howard): Hurt yourself, Dear?
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Shut… Umm no, Dear.

Norman Bissonette (Tommy Bupp): Hey Pop, who ya think is dying?
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Dying what?
Norman Bissonette (Tommy Bupp): Uncle Bean is dying!
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Well you don’t have to spit in my eye do ya?

Mother: Just use your own judgment.
Daughter: You tell me where to go.
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): [muttering] I’d like to tell you both where to go.

At night

Amelia Bissonette (Kathleen Howard): Seems pretty strange someone would call you from a maternity hospital in the middle of the night.
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): They didn’t call me from a maternity hospital. They called thinking this was the maternity hospital.

Amelia Bissonette (Kathleen Howard): Wake up and go to sleep!

Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Sufferin’ sciatica!

Harry Payne Bosterly: You’re drunk!
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): And you’re crazy. But I’ll be sober tomorrow and you’ll be crazy for the rest of your life.

Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): You all gotta remember one thing: that I [quietly] am the boss in this house.

Everett: I told him I wouldn’t do it if I was him.
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): You told him you wouldn’t do it if you was him. Get him outta here!

[Harold ripped a pillow playing with the dog]
Amelia Bissonette (Kathleen Howard): Those were my mother’s feathers!
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Never knew your mother had feathers.

California

Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Ah, crackers. Good old crackers. That was a smart thing of me to bring those crackers along, wasn’t it?

Amelia Bissonette (Kathleen Howard): Now look what you’ve done!
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): She ran right in front of the car!
Amelia Bissonette (Kathleen Howard): It’s a statue, you idiot.

Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): This sun dial is ten minutes slow.
Amelia Bissonette (Kathleen Howard): Yes, the sun is wrong but your watch is right, of course.

Amelia Bissonette (Kathleen Howard): Harold!
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Don’t argue with them, dear, they’re beneath our dignity.

Amelia Bissonette (Kathleen Howard): Why were you sitting there like a stone image when those men were insulting me?
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): I was just waiting for one of ‘em to say something to me.

Mrs. Dunk: What do you have in the way of steaks?
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Nothing in the way of steaks, I can get right to them.

[at breakfast, Norman takes the plate of bacon before Harold can get it]
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Hey, put it down!
Norman Bissonette (Tommy Bupp): What’s the matter, Pop? Don’tcha love me anymore?
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): [he raises his hand to hit Norman] Certainly I love you.
Amelia Bissonette (Kathleen Howard): Don’t you strike that child!
Harold Bissonette (W. C. Fields): Well, he’s not gonna tell me I don’t love him.

Fitchmueller: Kumquats!