Earthworm Tractors

"Earthworm Tractors" is a very good 30's-style comedy, with pleasantly silly main characters and a story designed to set up some good comic sequences. It's the kind of movie that can easily come out badly if not done with some skill, but this one is done nicely and it works.

Joe E. Brown plays Alexander Botts, a self-described born salesman and master mechanic, whose real talent is for getting in over his head. His attempts to make a big sale of tractors to grumpy, old-fashioned lumberman Johnson (Guy Kibbee) lead him into one disaster after another. Much of it is stock humor, but it is pleasantly done, and there are some particularly funny sequences of the tractor rampaging out of control. Kibbee and Brown are both good, giving deliberately exaggerated performances that work well. It's mostly a two-man show, but the rest of the cast does well when called on.

Anyone who likes comedies of the era should enjoy this film. It's very pleasant, and at times is hilarious.

Alexander C. Botts - a natural born salesman - tries to sell EARTHWORM TRACTORS to a most unwilling businessman.

Based on William Hazlett Upson's short stories for the Saturday Evening Post, this very funny, fast-paced film is an excellent vehicle for Joe E. Brown. His great rubbery face registering amusement, determination or frustration, Brown propels himself from one slapstick situation to another. His goofy antics - moving his girlfriend's house without her permission is just one of them - are genuinely hilarious.

Human pepper pot Guy Kibbee is Brown's perfect foil. Eyes bulging & voice booming, he inevitably finds himself involved in Brown's more dangerous schemes. At one point, words utterly failing him, he discovers his only possible response to Brown's incredible behavior is a quick sock on the jaw.

Mention should be made of laconic Olin Howlin, shoe polish guzzling Gene Lockhart & telephone operator Rosalind Marquis, each of whom add bright moments to the film.

Alert movie mavens will spot two humorous goofs early in the film: 1) In the first scene, when rival Dick Foran parks his car in front of pretty Carol Hughes' home, the cameraman & camera are perfectly reflected in the convertible's driver side window; 2) A little later on, Joe E. Brown's white suit is mad-splattered when he tries to extricate lovely June Travis' auto from a puddle - but when he jumps in with her moments later the fabric has miraculously laundered itself.

This is a very pleasant and enjoyable comedy, with a lot of clever laughs. Perfect for one of those Saturday or Sunday afternoons when you just want to disconnect, and indulge in a little pointless old-time movie watching.

Joe E. Brown is a self-proclaimed Natural Born Salesman (it even says so on his business card), whose confidence greatly outweighs his actual sales abilities. He's the type of salesman who bumbles into jam after jam, says and does exactly the wrong things, and yet somehow stumbles into making a sale in the end.

And Guy Kibbee is his perfect foil, as the blustery, old fashioned owner of a company that needs the new-fangled Earthworm Tractors that Brown sells, in order to survive. But the irritable Kibbee loudly rejects Brown's wild sales pitches throughout the film, which just drives the stubborn and determined Brown to make even wilder pitches, in an effort to sell him the tractors. Blustery windbags were Kibbee's sweet spot as an actor,and he and Brown make a great comedy team in this film. If they had stuck together through a series of movies, they might have achieved Laurel-and-Hardy legendary status. The one small criticism that I have of this film is that the two of them don't get enough screen time together.

This is a movie made with directors and writers who knew what they were doing, and stars who were hitting their stride. I watched this film alone one afternoon, and laughed out loud at several points, which is truly the mark of a great comedy.

Or perhaps a crazy person.

No. Great comedy. Try it.

This exceptionally noisy comedy is an absolute must for all Joe E. Brown and mechanical tractor fans. Others may find Mr Brown's determined camera-hogging heavy going, though it must be admitted that all the other major male players (with the notable exception of Dick Foran) try to steal scenes too by constantly shouting at the top of their voices.

Although June Travis is pretty enough, the girls get hardly a look-in.

Of course there are also several spectacularly staged accidents to keep our eyes riveted on Mr Brown. And it must be admitted, director Enright keeps the plot moving along at a commendably rapid pace.

Joe E. Brown was the star of some of these short films produced by Warner Bros. Mr. Brown was an excellent comedy actor, as can be appreciated in "Earthworm Tractors". The film relies on its star to be the center of the action in this funny movie that shows Mr. Brown's talents under the direction of Ray Enright.

The film has some amazing sequences that makes the viewer wonder how were they executed because in those days the special effects technology wasn't that much developed. The first one involves Alexander Botts (Joe E. Brown) give the prospective client, Sam Johnson (Guy Kibbee) a demonstration and we watch the tractor practically destroy everything in sight! The second one is at the end of the film and again, Alexander takes the scared Mr. Johnson to a place where dynamite is being used to clear the area and we watch in disbelief how Botts make it through a suspended bridge that keeps shedding its base as he goes up, an amazing feat for 1936.

Joe E. Brown gives an incredible performance. The supporting cast, June Travis, Guy Kibbee, Charles Wilson, Carol Hughes and Dick Foran, among others, are also good.

Catch it whenever is shown on cable. It's always a pleasure to see Joe E. Brown on the screen.