Only Saps Work

"You Just Know It's Funny!"

1930 1h 17m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 3

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Rubber-legged comedian Leon Errol made his talkie starring bow in Paramount's Only Saps Work. Based on a play by Owen Davis Sr., the film casts Errol as James Wilson, a kleptomaniac who starts with picking pockets and ends up robbing a bank. Wilson's friend Lawrence Payne (Richard Arlen) inadvertently aids our hero during one of his heists, ending up in deep doo-doo with the law. Before Wilson is able to extricate Payne from his dilemma for the sake of heroine Barbara Tanner (Mary Brian), he pauses long enough to pose as a private eye -- and even gives bellboy Oscar (Stu Erwin) tips on how to spot a crook! If only all of Leon Errol's feature films had been as consistently hilarious as Only Saps Work.

“You Just Know It's Funny!”

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Cast

Leon Errol
James Wilson
Richard Arlen
Larry Payne
Mary Brian
Barbara Tanner
Stuart Erwin
Oscar
Anderson Lawler
Horace Baldwin
Charley Grapewin
Simeon Tanner
Clarence Burton
Sergeant Burns (uncredited)
Nora Cecil
Mrs. Partridge (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Cyril Gardner
Writers: Percy Heath, Sam Mintz, Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 77-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

96 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Cyril Gardner, shot by Rex Wimpy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Edward Dmytryk shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Leon Errol and Richard Arlen and Mary Brian carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "You Just Know It's Funny!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0021218 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Cyril Gardner directs. Rex Wimpy behind the camera. Edward Dmytryk cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 77-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
296 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Cyril Gardner, shot by Rex Wimpy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Edward Dmytryk shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Leon Errol and Richard Arlen and Mary Brian carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "You Just Know It's Funny!".
7IMDB entry: tt0021218 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 21 themes, including "robbery", "detective", "con man", "stolen money".