W.C. Fields' contract called for a fee of $125,000 per film. In addition, his writer's allowance brought him $25,000.

Fields named his younger daughter in the film for his sisters Elsie May and Adel. Her full name is Elsie Mae Adele Brunch Sous.

According to rumors, Al Hill, who played bank robber Repulsive Rogan, was originally employed by the mob to keep an eye on their motion picture interests. He asked for a small role in one of the film's he was supervising for them, and nobody could turn him down. He enjoyed acting so much, he switched to it full time, frequently playing gangsters.

Egbert wins his shot at directing a film by bragging to the producer that he once directed Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton and other Mack Sennett stars. Director Edward F. Cline had worked with Sennett and co-directed some of Keaton's early shorts.

Memorable Quotes from THE BANK DICK

"Shall I bounce a rock off his head?"
"Respect your father, darling. What kind of rock?" -- Evelyn Del Rio, as Elsie Mae Adele Brunch Souse, and Cora Witherspoon, as Agatha Souse.

"Father, this is Og Oggilby."
"Og Oggilby! Hmmmm, sounds like a bubble in the bathtub." -- Una Merkle, as Myrtle Souse -- introducing fiance Grady Sutton, as Og Oggilby, to her father, W.C. Fields as Egbert Souse.

"Was I in here last night, and did I spend a twenty-dollar bill?"
"Yep!"
"Oh, boy! What a load that is off my mind. I thought I'd lost it." -- Fields, as Egbert Souse, questioning Shemp Howard, as Joe Guelpe.

"Take off your hat in the presence of a gentleman." -- Fields, as Egbert, addressing a closed bottle of whisky, something he does several times in the film.

"The bank opens promptly at ten."
"Oh, well, that's all right. If I'm not here on time you just go right ahead without me. I'll catch up with ya." -- Pierre Watkin, as Mr. Skinner, giving Fields his working hours.

"I'd rather part with my dear old grandmother's paisley shawl than to part with these bonds."
"Yes, it must be tough to lose a paisley shawl." -- Russell Hicks, as J. Frothingham Waterbury, conning Fields.

"Take a chance. Take it while you're young. My uncle, a balloon ascensionist, Effingham Huffnagel, took a chance. He was three and a half miles up in the air. He jumped out of the basket of the balloon and took a chance of alighting on a load of hay."
"Did he make it?"
"Ah...no...he didn't. Had he been a younger man he probably would have made it. That's the point -- don't wait too long in life." -- Fields, convincing Sutton, as Og Oggilby to embezzle for him.

"Don't be a luddy duddy! Don't be a moon calf! Don't be a jabbernowl! You're not those, are you?" -- Fields, clinching the deal with Sutton, as Og.

"Mommy, doesn't that man have a funny nose?"
"You mustn't make fun of the gentleman, Clifford. You'd like to have a nose like that full of nickels, wouldn't you?" -- Bobby Larson, as Boy in Bank, and Jan Duggan, as Mother in Bank, commenting on Fields' appearance.

"Oh, I knew this would happen! I was a perfect idiot to ever listen to you!"
"You listen to me, Og! There's nothing in this world that is perfect." -- Sutton and Fields.

"Mr. Souse, if duty called, I would go into the tsetse fly country of Africa and brave sleeping sickness if there were books to be examined." -- Franklin Pangborn, as J. Pinkerton Snoopington.

"The resale value of this car is going to be practically nil when we get through with this trip." -- Fields, driving the bank robber's getaway car.

"Give me that wheel!"
"[Pulling wheel free and handing it to him] Here it is, but it won't do you any good in that back seat." -- Al Hill, as Repulsive Rogan, trying to get control of the getaway car from Fields.

Compiled by Frank Miller