Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism

Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

Michael_Elliott It's the Old Army Game (1926) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Entertaining comedy has W.C. Fields playing Elmer Prettywillie, a druggist who constantly finds himself unhappy due to other people. One day he catches a break, which could lead to him getting rich but it might turn out to be a scam.IT'S THE OLD ARMY GAME certainly isn't what you'd call "classic Fields" but there's no doubt that fans of his will enjoy seeing him here. This is especially true since IT'S A GIFT is basically a sound version of this. The biggest problem with the movie is that the fact that the screenplay comes across like four or five short films instead of a real feature.I say that because we basically got different scenarios that Fields gets himself into. The first one is him trying to get some sleep yet a woman will stop at nothing for him to open his store. There's another subplot dealing with a very annoying kid that lives with him and who is constantly trying to get his way. You've got another subplot where Fields gets involved with someone who might be a bit shady.

bbmtwist At nearly 1 and 3/4 hours, this is far too long a silent comedy. The plot is very thin and so much of it is padded with "routines," that have no or little relation to the plot. Furthermore, the routines go on forever and forever, wearing out the audience with tedium and boredom. The film could have easily shaved half an hour off its running time and been the better for it. There are some prints that run 70 minutes and I have a suspicion that they play better than the original.Fields is quite slim and performs his many trademark routines with original aplomb. One screen title announces his mantra, "Never Give A Sucker An Even Break."Brooks has only a few scenes with Fields and as the romantic subplot heroine she could have been in an entirely different film and just wandered onto Fields' set. She is pert and pretty and shows a good grasp of romantic and comedic acting. Her resemblance to Clara Bow and Colleen Moore must have worked against her getting a foothold in silent cinema. She only appears on screen for perhaps 20-30 minutes of the film, all totaled, and is perfectly adequate. This was her fourth film and at this writing the second and third are still lost with the first missing a reel.This is one for Fields and Brooks fans, not for the general comedy audience. The best sequence in the film is the next to last one with fields running down a street, pursued by (he thinks) angry townspeople, shedding bits of clothing and possessions as he runs, presumably to lighten himself. Do watch it but don't expect to be blown away by it.

bensonmum2 While I've always considered by self a movie fan, I've never really been big on silent films. My favorite silents tend to be horror related - movies like The Unknown with Lon Chaney and M with Peter Lorre. But having recently "discovered" Louise Brooks, I'm determined to watch more of her films. So, my Louise Brooks journey starts with It's the Old Army Game. While it's definitely a W.C. Fields vehicle, Louise Brooks really shines in the moments she's on screen.Most of It's the Old Army Game is made up of various gags or comedic bits featuring Fields. I've never been much of a Fields' fan and this movie doesn't change that much. He's hit or miss here. The two best gags are the baby and the boy in the shop. They would have been even better had the "children" involved not been so creepy looking - especially the "baby". But scenes like the picnic didn't really work with me. It overstays its welcome. I did enjoy the subplot featuring the con man's land deal in New York. More of this would have been good. In the end, this plot thread felt horribly rushed.But as I said at the start, I watched It's the Old Army Game mostly for Louise Brooks. And she did not disappoint. She is the center of attention anytime she's on screen. She has that something special about her. Two scenes that show what I mean about Brooks are the ice cream soda scene at the beginning and the scene where Fields is trying to get something out of a lady's eye. In the first, just watching her sitting on that stool in the middle of the firemen is such an engaging visual. Those eyes - she's gorgeous. In the second scene, Brooks isn't really even in it - she's watching the events from above. But her smile is mesmerizing and infectious. You could feel her joy in what she's watching. I've got to see more of her stuff.

drednm The version I have is an excellent print from a showing in Oregon. It runs 105 minutes (not the 70 or 77 minutes mentioned on IMDb) and boasts a nice, live piano performance by Keith Taylor. This film was considered to be lost for many decades but exists in a very nice print.This film is basically a forerunner of the hilarious 1934 film, IT'S A GIFT, but is based on a play entitled "The Comic Supplement." As with most W.C. Fields material, the story here is a mish-mash from several sources and his own stage routines.Fields started filing a couple of his stage routines in 1915 as shorts but was not successful, In 1924 he landed a small but effective role in Marion Davies' JANICE MEREDITH. He finally landed a starring role in a feature film the following year in SALLY OF THE SAWDUST, a version of his stage hit "Poppy." He appeared fairly regularly through the end of his silent films in 1928.Here Fields plays a small-town druggist who is much put upon by his family (a sister and nephew), a local spinster, and the town at large. His only good relationship is with Brooks, who works in his store. As with most Fields films, his only close relationships is with a grown daughter or young lady.In a subplot, a real estate sharpie (William Gaxton) comes to town and falls for Brooks. He talks Fields into letting him use his store to sell New York City lots (not Florida, as mentioned elsewhere). Of course Gaxton is hauled away by the law and Fields feels compelled to pay back the money to all the "investors" who have been bilked.As with IT'S A GIFT, we have scenes on the back porch where Fields is trying to sleep, the nagging and odious family (Mary Foy, Mickey Bennett), and a prolonged picnic scene on the grounds of a private estate. This version also has Fields hassling with NYC traffic (the wrong way on a one way street) as he ventures to right the wrongs of Gaxton.Of course Gaxton is freed and the investors all become rich, so when Fields returns to town and sees the crowds, he's afraid they are out to get him. This leads to a chase scene where Fields ends up in jail.Heavy on the sentimental melodrama, IT'S THE OLD ARMY GAME is not really a comedy, but a film with comic scenes. Fields never really became a comedian until the talkies, where his films were trimmed of melodrama and his famous rasping voice finally gave him a personality. His decades-long stage career was spent mainly as a silent juggler.Yet Fields is certainly impressive here (as he was in SALLY OF THE SAWDUST) but the meandering storyline doesn't help much. Louise Brooks is just stunning here as the small-town girl. Gaxton and Foy are OK. Bennett is a little brat, and Blanche Ring is funny as the fluttery spinster who pines for Fields. Also funny is one of Fields favorites, Elise Cavanna as the near-sighted woman who wants a 2-cent stamp.