Mississippi

I've seen this about twice, but many years ago. Perhaps a corny, old fashioned melodrama, but you get the combination of a very young Bing Crosby singing sweetly, and a very funny W.C. Fields. In one scene, Fields' character is setting in the Cabin bragging (telling lies,of course) about his exploits as an "Indian Fighter". A "Cigar-Store Indian" is being carried along the deck, and as it passes his window, he does a double-take, and proclaims: "Of course now, the Red Man and I have smoked the pipe of peace". I believe that circa 2001 some people find this racist. I felt that scene actually MADE FUN of his blustering attitude, and gave all people of good nature a laugh on the character.

a nice film about South. beautiful music, high class cast, humor and honor. in fact, a wonderful work because it has charm and courage, a new manner to present delicate problems, a brilliant Bing Crosby, magnificent performance by W. C. Fields ( sure, that could not be a real surprise ) and a wise director who does more than honorable job. the mixture of naivety and ironic picture of society, the fight scenes and the cards play scene, the songs and the air of lost world, soft, bitter and refreshing are pillars of a film who , at second sigh, seems be more than a classic but image for a state of soul. a nice movie. but only at first sigh. because, after a short time it becomes a kind of experience.

I got lucky and copied Mississippi from I think AMC, about a hundred years ago. My wife and I LOVE IT!...for Joan Bennet...Bing...Gail Patrick...and of course WC.

The film and its characters has a sense of purity, of well, virginity about it that is hard to define yet easy on the eyes.

Every now and again, my wife will imitate WC's classic: "...cutting my way through a wall of human fleeeesh..." and we will sit down to watch it yet again. And love it all over again.

Mississippi may not be one of Field's best movies, but it ranks as one of our favorites.

Mississippi is truly a wonderful movie, Fields or otherwise. Foremost is the music itself and the wonderful depiction of the old south. Crosby's singing is delightful, and, in fact, many people felt he'd stolen the movie from Fields upon its release. Field's humor is great with many wonderful bits. Blowing cigar smoke, for example into the barrels of unshot guns to show he was the one who fired is truly wonderful. The tone of this movie is so light and airy, and the love for the subject matter is so apparent that it adds an additional dimension to a movie that can stand strongly on its own. The love story might be viewed as sappy by our current sensibilities, but, given the time, it is lovely to view. The Singing Killer indeed!

"Mississippi" is the culmination of everything Paramount wanted to put in a film. It has a handsome singing star, Bing Crosby. It has a great comedy element with W.C. Fields. It is set in the south on a riverboat, has early Bing songs, Fields as the flim-flam captain, a bunch of Southerners interested in keeping their honor, and throw in a few bad guys, a couple of fights, and that is what Paramount was "paramount" in doing in those days. Bing is cast as a northerner set to marry a southern woman who lives in one of those great plantations, and who has a prettier younger sister. He is challenged by an evil ex-suitor, but won't duel with him. So Bing is cast out in disgrace to sing on Fields' riverboat. Bing has to somehow survive Fields' influence, get back on shore and re-claim his marital "prize". But she is married to the "bad guy". What does Bing do? What is his relationship with the cute younger sister? There just has to be a solid reason for no video never being made of this film. The racial inferences are mild for its day. Crosby is cast as "The Singing Killer" by Fields, quite out of Bing's character, especially later on. The rules of southern honor must have been quite different for a singer from Spokane. All in all this is a very entertaining movie with something for everyone.

If it gets to be on television, tape it. Universal owns the rights to it and has shown not to put it on video yet. For Bing and Fields' fans, this would be a great film to own and to see on a lazy Sunday summer afternoon.