Tweet Original continuity for NEVER GIVE A SUCKER.....

I wonder if the original shooting script for NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK is available anywhere?. The post-production tampering is obvious-note all the abrupt line cuts early in the final chase scene, which was seemingly intended for a place earlier in the film(It sounds as if Fields and Gloria are ABOUT TO fly to the Russian village, and that Gloria's mother's cut death scene has already occured. Cut dialog probably indicated that they were heading for the airport.).What happened after Fields and Gloria ran away from Mrs. Hemoglobin? I can't realy blame Universal for cutting Anne Nagel's death, but I'd love to find out how the film was originally supposed to go.

There's a published edition of the script (combined with another Fields vehicle, Tillie and Gus) that came out in the '70s. Copies are available from Amazon. I haven't read it, so I don't know what version of the film it represents, but it's a pretty good bet the continuity lapses are explained, either in the script itself or (possibly) in introductory notes.

My two cents - I've always had the feeling that the story Pangborn reads was meant to be the entire film in the usual narrative manner. I wonder who thought up the idea of framing the story so every time something absurd happens, the film cuts to Pangborn exclaiming how absurd it is. The film is loaded with great bits but the funniest line for me is one of the most low key - when Pangborn answers his phone and the call is for the cleaning lady. He nonchalantly hands the phone to her as if this is common place. Yeah, I can really see a film producer doing that!

Fields' problems with Universal have been pretty well documented. The death of Nagel's character was just Fields being obstinate over not getting that same scene put into YOU CAN'T CHEAT AN HONEST MAN. It became almost a running gag as a version of it seemed to turn up in all of his scripts he submitted while at Universal. Universal execs were rather cagey dealing with Bill Fields - the majority of what he wrote was never even filmed so it's not likely that you are going to be turning up any outtakes.

Re Outtakes, the only WCF ones I've seen are from TALES OF MANHATTAN (1942). In each of several takes, Fields says completely different things. Fascinating. Then there's the so-called "earthquake" outtake from INTERNATIONAL HOUSE that some say was really staged.

One of the funniest things in SUCKER is the fact that Fields doesn't even give a seconds thought before launching himself out of the airplane following his bottle.

[silentfilm]

There's a published edition of the script (combined with another Fields vehicle, Tillie and Gus) that came out in the '70s. Copies are available from Amazon. I haven't read it, so I don't know what version of the film it represents, but it's a pretty good bet the continuity lapses are explained, either in the script itself or (possibly) in introductory notes.

I have this book. I haven't read it in at least 20 years. Flipping through it, there is only a short introduction. There is one page describing Field's battle with Universal and the censors, and it mentions some of the changes force by the studio. It's not much though. Since the author thanks Universal for the dialogue continuities, so that is apparently the basis for the book.

It's accepted knowledge that the earthquake footage was staged. Fields set it up with a Paramount publicist and director Eddie Sutherland. They attached wires to the set to knock things over, shook the set and rolled the cameras as Fields plays it straight and calmly directs the actors off of the set. They sent the footage to the newsreel company and it was playing in theaters a week later.

George Burns tells his earthquake story while on the set of the film. When the quake hit everyone quickly left the building. Once outside Burns realizes that Gracie is still inside the studio. He runs in to fetch her and finds her standing under an elevator shaft. He yells at her that it isn't safe to be inside the building. Gracie, who was raised in San Francisco and as a toddler survived the Great Quake of 1906, told him to relax. "The safest place to be is under a door structure." "Yes," an exasperated Burns said, "but that is a fake studio prop you are standing under and there is a 200 pound kelig lamp directly above you."

Now that sounds like a staged story.

There are production stills from several scenes that do not appear in the picture, including the Madame Gaga scene.

It doesn't have the original shooting script, but the book W. C. Fields by Himself: His Intended Autobiography includes Fields' original scenario and outline for Sucker, along with those for several of his other films, thus making it an essential purchase for Fields fans.

There are production stills from several scenes that do not appear in the picture, including the Madame Gaga scene.

Madame or Lady? (somebody had to say it)

I guess it's actually Madame Gorgeous. Anyway, here are some shots from the deleted midway scene.