Never Give a Sucker an Even Break

Although only credited (as Otis Criblecoblis) with devising the story, WC Fields actually scripted his final feature because director Edward Cline felt the rewrite imposed by the Universal front office was abysmal. In addition to being a dart directed at the empty heart of Hollywood, this is also a joyously anarchic assault on the sort of film narrative that Tinseltown held dear. By linking a series of bizarre, unrelated incidents and by blurring the line between reality and fantasy, Fields was way ahead of his time. A blistering parting gesture to an industry that failed to appreciate his genius.