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Bupp Filmology
Week Two

"It's A Gift" 1939 W.C.Fields signed this for Tommy, "To Tommy Bupp, Best wishes and appreciation of his talent"

MOVIE NAME: It's A Gift
STUDIO: PARAMOUNT PROD.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: EMANUEL COHEN
PRODUCER:WM. LE BARON
DIRECTOR: NORMAN MCLEOD
DATE: 1934
TYPE: COMEDY

CAST:
W.C.FIELDS as Harold Bissonette, KATHLEEN HOWARD as Amelia Bissonette ,JEAN ROUVEROL as Mildred Bissonette, JULIAN MADISON as John Durston, TOM BUPP as Norman Bissonette,BABY LE ROY as Baby Dunk, TAMMANY YOUNG as Everett Ricks, MORGAN WALLACE as James Fitzmueller, CHARLES SELLON as Mr. Muckle

SOURCE: A F I, Catalog of Feature Films 1931-1940
STORY: An inept storekeeper from New Jersey, Harold Bissonette is constantly badgered by his wife Amelia, braty son Norman and his lovestruck daughter Mildred. When his Uncle Bean dies, Harold buys an orange ranch in California with the inheritance money through John Durston, Mildred's boyfriend, and does not tell Amelia. A blind man, a child and molasses cause catastrophe at his store, so Harold closes and goes home to more nagging. John finds out the ranch is no good for growing oranges and tells Harold. He doesn't believe him and packs up his family and heads for California in a "junker", running into one escapade after another. Naturally the property turns out to be a run-down shack covered in weeds. Amedia furiously walks off with the children. A neighbor shows up to tell Harold that a couple of racetrack owners are coming to make an offer on his property. They offer low, but despite Amelia's objections, Harold holds out until he has enough to buy a successful orange ranch and leads a leasurely life as owner of Bissonette's Bluebird Oranges.
Note:
This movie had a working title of "Back Porch". Some of the funniest scenes are on Harold's back porch, as he tries to get some sleep. One of my favorite scenes is at a rich mans estate, that the Bissonettes think is a park. They make quite a mess. Charles Bogle, who is credited with writing the story is W.C.Fields pseudonym.

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