A filmmaker attempts to sell a surreal script he has written, which comes to life as he pitches it.
Kelvin Harrison Jr. takes inspiration from his real life to help craft one of the most intense dramas of the year in Waves.
Related News
-
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
16 July 2018 | Trailers from Hell -
The Truth About Zardoz, Plus Nine Other Things I Learned At Tcmff 2017
15 April 2017 | Trailers from Hell -
A Tcmff 2017 Preamble
06 April 2017 | Trailers from Hell
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
More Like This
It's a Gift
(1934)
Certificate: Passed
Comedy
Director:
Norman Z. McLeod
Stars:
W.C. Fields,
Kathleen Howard,
Jean Rouverol
The Bank Dick
(1940)
Comedy
Director:
Edward F. Cline
Stars:
W.C. Fields,
Cora Witherspoon,
Una Merkel
Comedy
Directors:
George Marshall,
Edward F. Cline
Stars:
W.C. Fields,
Edgar Bergen,
Charlie McCarthy
My Little Chickadee
(1940)
Certificate: Passed
Comedy
|
Western
Director:
Edward F. Cline
Stars:
Mae West,
W.C. Fields,
Joseph Calleia
Man on the Flying Trapeze
(1935)
Certificate: Passed
Comedy
Directors:
Clyde Bruckman,
W.C. Fields
Stars:
W.C. Fields,
Mary Brian,
Kathleen Howard
The Old Fashioned Way
(1934)
Certificate: Passed
Comedy
Director:
William Beaudine
Stars:
W.C. Fields,
Joe Morrison,
Baby LeRoy
You're Telling Me!
(1934)
Certificate: Passed
Comedy
Director:
Erle C. Kenton
Stars:
W.C. Fields,
Joan Marsh,
Buster Crabbe
The Dentist
(1932)
Certificate: Passed
Comedy
|
Short
Director:
Leslie Pearce
Stars:
W.C. Fields,
Marjorie Kane,
Arnold Gray
Million Dollar Legs
(1932)
Certificate: Passed
Comedy
|
Sport
Director:
Edward F. Cline
Stars:
Jack Oakie,
W.C. Fields,
Andy Clyde
Poppy
(1936)
Certificate: Passed
Comedy
Director:
A. Edward Sutherland
Stars:
W.C. Fields,
Rochelle Hudson,
Richard Cromwell
The Fatal Glass of Beer
(1933)
Certificate: Passed
Short
|
Comedy
Director:
Clyde Bruckman
Stars:
W.C. Fields,
Rosemary Theby,
George Chandler
International House
(1933)
Certificate: Passed
Comedy
Director:
A. Edward Sutherland
Stars:
W.C. Fields,
Peggy Hopkins Joyce,
Rudy Vallee
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| W.C. Fields | ... | The Great Man | |
| Gloria Jean | ... | Gloria | |
| Leon Errol | ... | The Rival | |
 |
Billy Lenhart | ... | Butch (as Butch) |
|
|
Kenneth Brown | ... | Buddy (as Buddy) |
| Margaret Dumont | ... | Mrs. Hemogloben | |
| Susan Miller | ... | Ouilotta Hemogloben | |
| Franklin Pangborn | ... | The Producer | |
| Mona Barrie | ... | The Producer's Wife | |
| Charles Lang | ... | Pete Carson | |
| Anne Nagel | ... | Madame Gorgeous | |
| Nell O'Day | ... | The Salesgirl | |
| Irving Bacon | ... | The Soda Jerk | |
| Jody Gilbert | ... | The Waitress | |
| Minerva Urecal | ... | The Cleaning Woman | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (41) »
Storyline
Fields wants to sell a film story to Esoteric Studios. On the way he gets insulted by little boys, beat up for ogling a woman, and abused by a waitress. He becomes his niece's guardian when her mother is killed in a trapeze fall during the making of a circus movie. He and his niece, who he finds at a shooting gallery, fly to Mexico to sell wooden nutmegs in a Russian colony. Trying to catch his bottle as it falls from the plane, he lands on a mountain peak where lives the man- eating Mrs. Hemogloben. When he gets to the Russian colony he finds Leon Errol (father of the insulting boys and owner of the shooting gallery) already selling wooden nutmegs. He decides to woo the wealthy Mrs. Hemogloben but when he gets there Errol has preceded him. The Mexican adventure is the story that Esoteric Studios would not buy. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Keywords:
cigar smoking | falling from an airplane | russian colony | mexico | guardian |Taglines:
IT'S FIELDS' FUNNIEST FILM...and funniest funsters! (original print ad) See more »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
10 October 1941 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Great Man See more »Filming Locations:
Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
(1850) (uncredited)
from "Lohengrin"
Written by Richard Wagner
In the score when Fields returns to Mrs. Hemogloben
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
In the soda-shop scene, Fields turns to the camera and announces that the scene was supposed to have been filmed in a saloon "but the censor cut it out". He was telling the truth. See more »Goofs
During the ice cream parlor scene, when WC Fields blows the foam off the ice cream soda, part of it lands on his hand. In the subsequent close up shot, when he picks the soda up, his hand is clean. See more »Crazy Credits
The film opens with W. C. Fields' credit as star over a cartoon caricature of him. Then the chest of the character expands to bloated proportions, and the title of the film is printed on Fields' huge cartoon chest. See more »Soundtracks
BRIDAL CHORUS (HERE COMES THE BRIDE)(1850) (uncredited)
from "Lohengrin"
Written by Richard Wagner
In the score when Fields returns to Mrs. Hemogloben
See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.On IMDb TV, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!
Explore popular action and adventure titles available to stream with Prime Video.
W.C. Fields was a pioneer of the American cinema. As such, he was a true original who not only acted, but also wrote most of the material for his films. Mr. Fields left an important body of work for us to watch, laugh and admire.
His "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break" was his last film. The film, although a bit dated, still has some sparks thanks to Mr. Fields, playing the Uncle Bill of the story. The film, directed by Edward C. Cline, still has a lot of laughs.
The film is a satire about the movie industry that Mr. Fields knew so well. Mr. Fields takes us behind the cameras to show us the craziness that is associated with making films. Of course, it is somewhat exaggerated as we don't believe what goes on at some of the Esoteric Studios.
Aside from Mr. Fields, Gloria Jean plays his niece, the sweet voiced girl appearing in one of the films in production. Also, Leon Errol, Margaret Dumont and some old pros are seen doing their best.