It's a Gift
A beleaguered grocer seeks escape from domestic nagging through a disastrous California ranch venture that becomes a showcase for W. C. Fields’s exasperated clowning.
Overview
A henpecked husband seeks peace but finds chaos on his journey to California.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- warm
- classic comedy night
- lazy afternoon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a classic W. C. Fields comedy whose rough construction is outweighed by its brilliant routines and warmly human comic performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Harold's store, porch, automobile, orange grove, and ranch house each become arenas for elaborately escalating comic breakdowns.
Harold is hounded by Amelia's status anxiety and nagging while trying to secure sleep, dignity, and independence.
The film's comic identity rests on W. C. Fields's performance as Harold Bissonette, including his distinctive delivery and lethargic physical reactions.
Harold's mail-order orange ranch initially appears worthless, yet the land's value to a racetrack operator produces the happy resolution.
Films like It's a Gift, and why
The Bank Dick
shared anarchic physical comedy, exasperated domestic conflict, and a charismatic comic performance
Duck Soup
shared screwball timing, escalating everyday disasters, and affectionate human absurdity
My Man Godfrey
shared pre-code comic energy, eccentric character work, and ordinary life turned into farce
Movie Details
- Director
- Norman Z. McLeod
- Release Date
- 1934-11-30
- Runtime
- 68 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (111)
Cast
- W.C. Fields
- Baby LeRoy
- Kathleen Howard
- Jean Rouverol
- Julian Madison
- Tommy Bupp
- Tammany Young
- Morgan Wallace
- Charles Sellon
- Josephine Whittell
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is It's a Gift about?
- A beleaguered grocer seeks escape from domestic nagging through a disastrous California ranch venture that becomes a showcase for W. C. Fields’s exasperated clowning.
- What is It's a Gift like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of It's a Gift as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is It's a Gift violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in It's a Gift.
- What did critics think of It's a Gift?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a classic W. C. Fields comedy whose rough construction is outweighed by its brilliant routines and warmly human comic performance.
- Which films are like It's a Gift?
- Films with a similar feel include The Bank Dick, Duck Soup, and My Man Godfrey.
- How long is It's a Gift?
- It's a Gift runs 68 minutes.
- Where can I watch It's a Gift?
- In United States, It's a Gift is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
