In Earthworm Tractors, high-pressure tractor salesman Joe E. Brown is out to land his most difficult sale yet, to timberman Guy Kibbee, and pulls out all the stops in this ground-shaking comedy. With June Travis, Dick Foran. 69 min.
Earthworm Tractors (1936) starring Joe E. Brown, June Travis, Guy Kibbe, Dick Foran, Gene Lockhart
In short, Earthworm Tractors is a very funny Joe E. Brown comedy. He plays his typical blustering (but likable) everyman, who’s trying to impress his girlfriend. By doing something “big”. So the “big” thing our salesman wants to sell is … tractors. Then, he wants to sell it to the most reluctant potential customer possibly, played hilariously by Guy Kibbe! But Joe’s a man who won’t take “no” for an answer. Even if his “demonstration” damages a sizable part of the town!
Editorial review of Earthworm Tractors, courtesy of Amazon.com
With JOE E. BROWN, JUNE TRAVIS, GUY KIBBEE, DICK FORAN, GENE LOCKHART. Wide-mouthed funny-man Joe E. Brown was at his best playing comically oblivious braggarts who were single-minded in their self-assurance. They would bluster on about being the best at everything but ultimately would prove to be far less than infallible. Here Brown stars as Alexander Botts, a self-described “natural born salesman.” Lately, he’s been hawking nondescript gadgets, and there is very little profit here. This displeases the father of the girl he loves. She isn’t too impressed herself.
She tells Botts that she wishes he would sell something “worthwhile.” He cannot sell ships or bridges. Even he knows this is impractical. Instead, he decides to peddle earthworm tractors! “That’s big,” Botts notes. “That’s important, That’s worthwhile.” Our hero promises to make a big success selling tractors. However, you quickly will see that a promise by Alexander Botts is not that easily kept. He may as well change his name to “Botch” as he attempts to peddle a tractor to a perpetual grump (played to a tee by Guy Kibbee). The scenes in which Botts and his tractor run amuck are especially amusing. 68 minutes.
Cast of characters
- Joe E. Brown (Show Boat; You Said a Mouthful) … Alexander Botts
- June Travis (The Case of the Black Cat) … Mabel Johnson
- Guy Kibbee (Joy of Living) … Sam Johnson
- Dick Foran (Private Buckaroo) … Emmet McManus
- Carol Hughes (The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer) … Sally Blair
- Gene Lockhart (Hangmen Also Die) … George Healey
- Olin Howland (The Paleface) … Mr. Blair
- Joseph Crehan (Babes in Arms) … Mr. Henderson
- Rosalind Marquis … Telephone Girl
- Charles C. Wilson (The Return of Doctor X) … H.J. Russell
- William B. Davidson (Marked Woman) … Mr. Jackson
- Irving Bacon (Blondie for Victory) … Taxicab Driver
- Stuart Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World) … The Doctor
Additional Cast
- Harry Depp … Johnson’s Bookkeeper (uncredited)
- Jerry Fletcher … Bellboy (uncredited)
- Henry Hall (The Ape Man) … The Banker (uncredited)
- Milton Kibbee … Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
- Spec O’Donnell … Telegram Boy (uncredited)
- Henry Otho … Road Worker (uncredited)
- Harvey Parry … Road Construction Worker (uncredited)
- Russ Powell … Hardware Man (uncredited)
- John J. Richardson … Accident Spectator (uncredited)
- Tom Wilson … Accident Spectator (uncredited)
- Jack Wise … Johnson’s Clerk (uncredited)