The Pharmacist (1933 film)

The Pharmacist
Directed by	Arthur Ripley
Written by	W.C. Fields
Produced by	Mack Sennett
Starring	W.C. Fields
Cinematography	Frank B. Good George Unholz
Production company	Mack Sennett Productions
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	April 21, 1933 (1933-04-21)
Running time	20 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Pharmacist is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Arthur Ripley and starring W. C. Fields.

Plot

Mr. Dilweg, a weary but patient pharmacist, struggles to balance his demanding life, enduring a nagging wife, self-absorbed daughters, and an endless stream of difficult customers. To cope with his frustrations, he finds solace in frequent martinis while secretly selling bootleg liquor under the counter to keep his business afloat—despite the watchful eye of the local sheriff.

His day begins at the firehouse playing cards before returning home for a chaotic family dinner. His younger daughter, Ooleota, throws tantrums, while his older daughter, Priscilla, is absorbed in a never-ending phone call with her boyfriend, Cuthbert Smith. As if his home life weren’t stressful enough, his pharmacy becomes a revolving door of absurd interruptions: a man needing a single postage stamp, a customer ordering cough drops for delivery, an elderly woman searching for a restroom, a federal agent looking for illegal liquor, a fainting customer, and, in the ultimate escalation, a gunman taking refuge in the store during a shootout with police.

The chaos culminates when a seemingly oblivious customer using the pay phone knocks the gunman unconscious with the receiver—only for Dilweg to realize that the unexpected hero is none other than his daughter's boyfriend, Cuthbert Smith. The film blends farcical comedy with social satire, portraying the overwhelmed pharmacist as a man beset by both family and professional obligations, navigating an absurdly tumultuous day with weary endurance.

Cast

• W.C. Fields as Mr. Dilweg
• Marjorie Kane as Priscilla Dilweg
• Elise Cavanna as Mrs. Grace Dilweg
• Grady Sutton as Cuthbert Smith
• Lorena Carr as Ooleota Dilweg

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds 100% approval rating based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10.

External links

• The Pharmacist at IMDb
• The Pharmacist is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive The two versions of The Pharmacist at Internet Archive contain only reel 1 of the 2-reel short (as of 15 June 2018).
• The Pharmacist at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films.