MovieChat Forums > It's a Gift (1934) Discussion > Let's hear it for Kathleen Howard!

Let's hear it for Kathleen Howard!

posted 17 years ago by Rollo_Treadway
8 replies | jump to latest

Kathleen Howard appeared as Fields' wife in "It's a Gift" and "Man on the Flying Trapeze", and she also appeared in "You're Telling Me!".
To my mind, she's right up there with Margaret Dumont as one of the greatest and classiest straightwomen a comedian could ask for. Wonderful delivery of lines (she was a former opera singer) and conveying her attitudes towards poor Bill just as clearly: impatient, long-suffering, demanding, despairing...
She managed to give portrayals that are both excruciating and utterly charming; no mean feat. With the help of Fields' great scripts (and possibly his "co-directing"?) she was able to add an extra dimension to the old cliché of the nagging wife, and supply several hilarious moments in his masterpieces.

Any other kathleenians out there?

"And the marvelous thing is there's no punctuation!"

[–] gnolti 16 years ago

"For 20 years I've STRUGGLED to make a home for you and the children, slaving DAY in and DAY out to make ends meet..."

LOL

I am in a blissful state, so don't bug me.

[–] Percivalx 16 years ago

I wouldn't call myself a "Kathleenian" but I surely loved her in this film. She surely gives Margaret Dumont a run for her money as greatest comic foil of the era.

I'd hate to take a bite out of you. You're a cookie full of arsenic.

[–] stomaino 16 years ago

She was the best foil for Fields and she shines in this one.

I especially love the bit with the phone call at night.
The line "Now, you change it" is one of the funniest of all time.

Sam Tomaino

[–] wmkingsman 16 years ago

" Funny thing they should call YOU up here,at this hour of the night....from the maternity hospital..."

[–] Avalon123 15 years ago

Quite frankly, I found her annoying.

[–] stomaino 15 years ago

Annoying was her job!

Sam Tomaino

[–] FranLovesBetteD 11 years ago

She was simply hilarious, absolutely brilliant in both "Man on the Flying Trapeze" and "It's a Gift", especially in the latter, in which -fortunately- she was given many more lines and a much longer screen time. I just loved the way she delivered her lines. Given I'm not a native English speaker, I ignore where her accent was from, but all I know is it was soooo funny ("Mildred! Miiildred!" ). Oh, and when she tried to correct her husband's pronunciation all the time! LOL. Every single line by her was priceless.

Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop

[–] greenbudgie (2355) 3 years ago

Catch her in a cameo role in 'Mysterious Intruder' (1946). She is a money grubbing sweet old dear who keeps her hard liquor in her knitting basket.