Big Hearted Herbert

Those who grew up hearing moralistic stories from their elders about how hard their childhoods were and how such rugged upbringings foster an appreciation for all things valuable might be surprised to watch this film from 1934--in the midst of the depression--whose main character, Herbert, is just such a person.

With a running time of about one hour, "Big Hearted Herbert" is a one-note comedy about a blowhard who loves to pontificate. Proud to be one of the common folk, he continually decries anything not status quo, including his family's wishes for higher education or changes in the home décor.

This film lampoons traditionalism for its own sake. It also suggests that it is not evil or immoral to enjoy life.

Guy Kibbee plays Herbert. His long-suffering wife Elizabeth is played by Aline MacMahon. One reviewer compared this film to "The Honeymooners". I do see a similarity between MacMahon's portrayal and Audrey Meadows' Alice Kramden.

In the end, the family finds a way to teach Herbert a lesson.

This is not the funniest comedy, but it is an interesting glimpse into depression era life.

BIG HEARTED HERBERT (WB, 1934), directed by William Keighley, is a domestic comedy, one of many turned out by many film studios during the Depression era '30s. Clocked at an hour's length, the characters are fully developed during its opening minutes showing middle-aged Herbert (Guy Kibbee) constantly yelling, finding fault with everything from his family to his employees. A self-made man who is in charge of a plumbing factory, Herbert has two things he treasures most, a giant portrait of his father that hangs over the fireplace, and the cuspidor which gets in the way of everyone in the living room. His wife Elizabeth (Aline MacMahon) is a simple-minded and patient mother who accepts her husband for what he is. The family has three children, Alice (Patricia Ellis), an attractive 19-year-old blonde; Junior (Trent Durkin), who would rather go to college to become an engineer than carry on in his father's business; and Robert (Jay Eaton), the youngest with a round face and big smile, who not only enjoys eating bananas, but appears to be the only one of the siblings who worships his father, finding his mannerisms more amusing than threatening. Alice is engaged to Andrew Goodrich (Phillip Reed), a college graduate, and wants her fiancé and his parents (Henry O'Neill and Nella Walker) to meet the family. The dinner becomes a disaster, thanks to Herbert's constant roaring. When Herbert wants to bring one of his most important client and his wife (Hale Hamilton and Claudia Coleman) over to dinner so they could be in the company of "just plain folks," Elizabeth decides to turn the tables around by presenting the family to his Havens as "just plain folks," much to the dismay of Herbert.

Supporting players include Marjorie Gateson as MacMahon's sister; Robert Barrat as her husband; Joseph Crehan as the IRS man; and George Chandler.

Straight-forward story, amusing comedy that pre-dates many of those situation comedy shows produced for television told within 30 minutes. Guy Kibbee succeeds in making his unsympathetic character likable while Aline MacMahon, as always, brings sincerity to her role. Helen Lowell plays a once-a-week housekeeper who finds it difficult to remember her line, "Dinner is served," at the gathering of the future in-laws. She gives a performance that would have have been more suitable to the likings of Ruth Donnelly.

Not as laugh-filled as the domestic stars of that genre ranging from the comic supplements of WC Fields, the wholesomeness of Will Rogers, the sentimental knowhow by Marie Dressler or the wackiness of Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland, but this production, based on the play by Sophie Kerr, combines a little of all, and thanks to the delightful team of the tall but sad-eyed Aline MacMahon and short, fat and bald Guy Kibbee, these two secondary scene stealers from the classic Depression musical, GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 (1933), make this rarely seen production worth viewing.

A sort of domestic comedy that might have prospered into a film series, but as it stands, nothing developed. BIG HEARTED HERBERT was remade by Warners as FATHER IS A PRINCE (1940) with Grant Mitchell assuming the role as the self-centered, egotistical father. Both movies, along with other MacMahon-Kibbee domestic comedies, can be seen and compared whenever presented on Turner Classic Movies. (**1/2)

Does Guy Kibbee, a popular 1930's character actor, have what it takes to carry the lead role in an entire movie? This film gives us the answer: No. But it's fun watching him try.

Kibbee plays the sarcastically-named Big Hearted Herbert, a blowhard who scares neither his family nor his daughter's fiancé with his incessant yelling and complaining. In most movies, Kibbee provides comic relief as a blustery background character, which is usually great. But his non-stop bellowing throughout an entire film is too much of a good thing, particularly because Kibbee's one-note acting style doesn't display at any sweet or lovable side of his personality. Only the eye-rolling and put-downs of the other cast members hint that Big Hearted Herbert is really a softy. It's kind of like watching Jackie Gleason play Ralph Kramden in The Honeymooners, except that the richer and more successful Big Hearted Herbert is a way less sympathetic character, and the more talented Gleason was able to demonstrate occasional warmth.

But despite this, the film is actually fun to watch. The cast does a great job of dragging Big Hearted Herbert into reluctantly accepting the lifestyles of his son and daughter. Apparently Herbert hates lawyers, which is a problem, because his daughter wants to marry one. (Imagine how many issues Big Hearted Herbert would have in the 21st century, when his daughter would want to become one!) And his son doesn't want to go into the family business that Herbert worked so hard to build. It's all mostly handled in a lighthearted way, except toward the end, when Big Hearted Herbert's wife has to threaten some drastic action to drag Herbert into developing a more enlightened viewpoint.

So spend an hour with this movie, have a very pleasant time, and gain a better understanding of why the talented Mr. Kibbee was relegated to minor parts for most of his career.

Aline MacMahon is her always wonderful self as the matriarch of a blue-collar family. The kids in this family have plans extending beyond the plumbing supplies business, however.

Guy Kibbee is such a likable actor we admire his performance but don't hate him as her skinflint husband.

It contains a scene that presages what is possibly the funniest in movie history: By that I mean the scene in which Irene Dunne masquerades as Cary Grant's sister in that greatest of all comedies, "The Awful Truth." Here we have the upright MacMahon putting on an act when guests come to dinner. The act lives up to her husband's penurious manner and is truly funny and is charming as well.

Guy Kibbee plays Herbert, self-made man. Opinionated and irascible, Herbert delights in telling the story of how he went to went to work when he was 10 years old and worked his way up to owning the factory. Aline MacMahon is Herbert's loyal (but suffering) wife. She loves him patiently but wishes he would take down the unpleasant portrait of his scowling father and put away the family heirloom cuspidor.

The trouble starts when grownup daughter Patricia Ellis brings home handsome young lawyer Phillip Reed, whom she plans to marry. A family dinner is planned to welcome Reed and his parents - all before Kibbee has even heard about the engagement. Naturally Kibbee doesn't like lawyers, as he doesn't believe in college at all. He makes a scene, insults the guests, everyone is embarrassed.... and MacMahon decides to teach him a lesson.

Kibbee's antics and rantings are fun to watch even though his character is kind of a pain. MacMahon is excellent - an hour long B movie doesn't offer much room for character development but MacMahon really succeeds in portraying a loving spouse who can put up with a lot but be pushed only so far.

A simple, straightforward story that keeps the subplots and side characters to a minimum: Very enjoyable even though there's really not much to it.