Plot
Frequently and misleadingly advertised as a W.C. Fields vehicle, Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch confines the Great Man's appearance to the final two reels. The rest of the picture is a ploddingly paced adaptation of the hoary old Anne Hagan Rice novel about how wonderful it is to be poor. In a rare movie appearance, the great stage star Pauline Lord plays Mrs. Wiggs, the impecunious but ever-optimistic matriarch of a large, fatherless brood. Though creditors constantly hound Mrs. Wiggs, she remains firmly confident that all family problems will be resolved when her long-missing husband (Donald Meek) returns from his unexplained odyssey. It's quite a chore for our heroine to put on a happy face, especially after the death of the sickliest Wiggs child (George Breakstone), but she does -- and miracle of miracles, her faith in the elusive Mr. Wiggs turns out to be well-founded (though not intentionally so). W.C. Fields is cast as touring actor Mr. Stubbins the "mail-order husband" of Mrs Wiggs' spinsterish friend Miss Hazy (ZaSu Pitts). Once Fields shows up on screen, demanding a gourmet meal from poor Miss Hazy (who's never cooked anything in her life!) all the film's shortcomings and maudlin passages can be forgiven. W.C.'s best line: "The theatre was so packed, the audience couldn't applaud this way?" (claps sideways) "?They had to applaud this way." (claps up and down). Previously filmed in 1914 and 1919, Mrs.Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch was remade with Fay Bainter in 1942. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviReview
Those in a sentimental mood will favor this version of Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, the oft-filmed Alice Hegan Rice story. While the 1934 version is often sold as a W.C. Fields film, the comedian has a decidedly minor role and appears in only the last 15 or 20 minutes of the film. The star of the movie is Pauline Lord, a celebrated stage actress who made a mere handful of screen appearances, and Wiggs is worth watching for a glimpse of this once-famous, now-forgotten star. Lord has an undeniable warmth and an engaging personality, and she certainly knows how to play material for its dramatic points. She's quite sweet, which is exactly what the character calls for, and she does a fine job of holding the film together. At the same time, the screen is clearly not her natural home; there are mannerisms in her performance that probably worked beautifully in the theatre but that come across as artificial on film. Fields, with his natural acidity, is a welcome relief from some of the too-sticky aspects of the story, which many modern viewers will find extremely manipulative and flowery. There's also very valuable support from Zasu Pitts, who enlivens the proceedings considerably. The kids tend to be a bit much, but they're essentially only doing what they're asked to do. If Wiggs is a bit over the top in its reaching for the heartstrings, it still manages to be moderately affecting. ~ Craig Butler, RoviCast
- Pauline Lord - Mrs. Elvira Wiggs
- W.C. Fields - Mr. C. Ellsworth Stubbins
- ZaSu Pitts - Miss Tabitha Hazy
- Evelyn Venable - Lucy Olcott
- Kent Taylor - Bob Redding
Credit
Hans Dreier - Art Director, Robert Odell - Art Director, Norman Taurog - Director, Anne Bauchens - Editor, Charles B. Lang - Cinematographer, Douglas MacLean - Producer, William Slavens McNutt - Screenwriter, Jane Storm - Screenwriter, Alice Hegan Rice - Book Author, Anne Crawford Flexner - Play Author, Alice Hegan Rice - Play Author| Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1915 Film), Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1919 Film) | |
| Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1942 Film), Mrs. Winterbourne (1996 Film) |
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