Film & Shorts Discussions > Random Comedy Reviews

Pool Sharks (1915) - W. C. Fields

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HomokHarcos:


https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0005910/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Here we are with what I believe is W. C. Fields' first ever film. He had already been a stage performer for decades by this point, first gaining fame as a juggler and then ended up in the Ziegfeld Follies. I know he's not often seen as a silent film comedian as his work was often verbal, but he did make a few silent films, and I found Pool Sharks to be an enjoyable one-reeler.

The beginning of the short has W. C. Field's getting into trouble at a picnic. It's funny seeing him get into fights, and the fight reminds me of what you'd see the Three Stooges do. Eventually they decide to settle their differences in a... pool match?

At the pool match you see stop motion animation. I think it was supposed to be awe-inspiring, but it looks so goofy and fake. Not that I'm complaining, because it's actually much funnier that way. After the pool match they get into a fight once again, with a bunch of slapstick scenes including a woman getting water dumped on her and people smacking each other with pool sticks.

I think it was actually a fun short, even if it didn't suit Fields.

metaldams:
I’ll get a fresh viewing of this one on Saturday and pitch in my thoughts, but this is a pleasant surprise.  For now, I’ll just give a rundown on silent Fields.

He did two one reelers in 1915, POOL SHARKS being the only one that survives. He didn’t make his next film until nine years later, a small role in Marion Davies’ JANICE MEREDITH, the only surviving silent Fields I have not seen.  He then did two D.W. Griffith features where he has major parts, SALLY OF THE SAWDUST being the only one that survives - and one I’d like to review someday.  He then made seven features for Paramount in the late twenties, three of which survive.

metaldams:
      Ah, forget about Saturday, just rewatched it now.  The debut film of W.C. Fields and a valuable artifact to have.  Since the next surviving footage was released in 1924, this is by far the youngest Fields we can witness at age 35.  An established stage star at this point, POOL SHARKS was just made to get Fields captured on film.  He wasn’t aiming to develop a film character as far as I know at this point.

      So what do I learn seeing Fields at age 35?  There’s just something about the way the guy moves, even at this point and I would guess even younger, that has this grace to it I can’t necessarily put into words.  Earlier in the short, he hits his rival over the head with a cane.  Something about it just seems more elegant than the average knock about comedian - maybe because he takes his time with it.  Speaking of taking his time, that face to face close up fight is something to behold.  We talk about other comedians milking gags, Fields milks an eye gouge.  Notice the way he sadistically holds his opponents eye open as he goes for the poke.  Not even Moe would do that!  But again, a bit most people do in a blink Fields takes his time with.

      The stop motion animation for me is a bit of a novelty.  I guess when I get a rare opportunity to see a younger Fields on screen, I’d want as much time focused on him and not film effects.  His pool routine is done to better effect in SIX OF A KIND.  For a brief nano second, he juggles some pool balls.  Now that is something I wish he would have done an extended scene of as he was a brilliant juggler.  A shame we don’t have more footage of that circa 1915.

      He does get a mini rivalry with a child, taking the boy’s chair out from under.  The boy gets back at Fields with a pea shooter, so fighting the youth is already established here.  A not yet thought of Baby Leroy is waiting in the wings. 

      Overall a historically interesting film and not bad for a debut film made in 1915.  I really think Fields could have developed real well as a silent film comedian if he worked a few years in shorts and for the sake of history, a shame he didn’t.  His bread was buttered elsewhere, so you can’t blame the guy.
 

Paul Pain:
It's an interesting artifact to say the least.  Not my favorite style of comedy, and it was a bit corny in parts even by 1915 standards, but not a bad way to spend 10 minutes and to learn a little about a comic legend.

Umbrella Sam:
I’ve admitted in the past to not being a Fields fan, yet I’ve also admitted I’ve only seen a select few films by the man. Sure, I didn’t like any of them, but it’s only a few films and that doesn’t mean there aren’t any Fields films out there I might like. I know people talk highly of films like NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK and MILLION DOLLAR LEGS, neither of which I’ve seen yet, but one of these days I’ll get to them. I think I’m at that stage where I’m willing to give Fields another chance.

As for POOL SHARKS, a fairly standard comedy for the time, with Fields acting a bit like Keystone Chaplin at times, which isn’t totally expected for a comedy from this period. One moment that does feel very much like Fields is when he tips the kid out of the chair, and, yeah, I actually did find that really funny. Even in THE BANK DICK, I liked the idea of him being someone defying everyone constantly; there was just something about the execution that didn’t sit right, almost as though it didn’t meet the right balance between reality and fantasy. That’s kind of why I want to see NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK, as I’ve heard it’s supposed to be much more wild, and probably the type of thing Fields could have succeeded at. A lot of this short is just showing off stop motion effects, which are decent for the time, and we even get to see Fields juggling briefly. Other than that, not a ton to say. Not bad and I got some joy out of it, but it’s also the kind that would be easily forgotten if it weren’t the first film of a well-known comedian.

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