The Bank Dick Overview:

The Bank Dick (1940) was a Comedy - Black-and-white Film directed by Edward F. Cline and produced by Jack J. Gross and Cliff Work.

SYNOPSIS

Fields, crediting himself as "Mahatma Kane Jeeves," wrote this comedy classic in which he portrays Souse (pronounced Soo-zay), a lush who inadvertently trips a bank robber and ends up becoming a bank detective. He takes full advantage of his new job and embezzles bank funds to finance a fly-by-night mining operation. Notable for being Fields's last major role and for what many consider to be the funniest chase sequence in cinematic history.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

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The Bank Dick was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1992.

BlogHub Articles:

The Bank Dick (1940)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jan 9, 2024 From 4 Star Films

When W.C. Fields goes and names his protagonist Egbert Sous? it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to get the joke, although he does spend much of the movie explaining the correct pronunciation. The other half he spends drinking at his favorite bar: The Black Pussy Cat Cafe. His hometown is none oth... Read full article


The Great Movies: The Bank Dick

By Amanda Garrett on Sep 4, 2015 From Old Hollywood Films

Today I'm celebrating W.C. Fields' 100th anniversary with a look at his 1940 film, The Bank Dick. This classic comedy will air at 8 p.m. tonight on TCM. All of the great comedians of old Hollywood's golden age had their own distinct personas. The Marx Brothers were bringers of anarchy to polite so... Read full article


The Bank Dick (1940)

By Beatrice on May 1, 2013 From Flickers in Time

The Bank Dick Directed by Edward F. Cline 1940/USA Universal Pictures Repeat viewing #140 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Elsie Mae Adele Brunch Sous?: Shall I bounce a rock off his head? Agatha Sous?: Respect your father, darling. What kind of a rock? Well, it’s time for another ... Read full article


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Quotes from

Egbert Sousé: [to bank robber, after narrowly missing the police during a car chase] Seems to be a great deal of traffic here for a country road. Don't you think?


Egbert Sousé: The jockey was a very insulting fellow. He referred to my proboscis as an adscititious excrescence. I had to tweak his nose.


Egbert Sousé: My uncle, a balloon ascensionist, Effingham Hoofnagle, took a chance. He was three miles and a half up in the air. He jumped out of the basket of the balloon and took a chance of alighting on a load of hay.
Og Oggilby: Golly! Did he make it?
Egbert Sousé: Uh... no. He didn't. Had he been a younger man, he probably would have made it. That's the point. Don't wait too long in life.


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Facts about

Lompoc is properly pronounced "Lompoke". It was also founded as a Temperance town, probably another reason Fields picked it as his hometown in this film, and the towns people of the day disliked Fields for these two reasons.
The newspaper being read by Egbert Sousé is the Lompoc Picayune Intelligencer.
Premiere voted this movie as one of "The 50 Greatest Comedies Of All Time" in 2006.
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National Film Registry

The Bank Dick

Released 1940
Inducted 1992
(Sound)




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Also directed by Edward F. Cline




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Also produced by Jack J. Gross




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Also released in 1940




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