The Man on the flying trapeze

W.C. Fields plays Ambrose Wolfinger who is a very henpecked family man. Given no respect from his overbearing relatives including a picky mother-in-law, lazy brother-in-law and his bossy and nagging wife, Ambrose has a constant battle as everything seeming to be against him. His saving only grace is his daughter from a previous marriage and the workplace where he has a mild respect for his amazing memory. What happens when he wants to have an afternoon off to see a wrestling match is a series of mishaps where he finds himself out of a job and exiled by his family. This comedy of errors is an entertaining display of the art of Fields as a comedian. “The Man on the Flying Trapeze” is made up of a collection of short gags, almost short films in themselves, which make up the whole compelling feature. It is a fine farce of married life, in-laws and dysfunctional relationships where nothing ever goes right but is always funny. Cast also includes Mary Brian, Kathleen Howard and Lucien Littlefield.