Customer Reviews

Earthworm Tractors

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This old movie is the one of the ancestors of modern slapstick comedy. I don't normally like slapstick - in fact, I diligently avoid it - but I really enjoyed this movie. The stunts are overdone, the expressions and mannerisms exaggerated, the style is absurd, but it's funny. Funny enough to watch repeatedly. Like most of the movies of the era, there's no reason not to let the kids watch it. It's cute and light, and everybody's happy in the end.

This is a super comedy.I first saw it on TCM and would watch it each chance that I had to.Joe makes a great would-be salesman trying to sell a tractor only no one wants him to.I can't wait for more of his movies to become available to purchase.

My copy of the Earthworm Tractors DVD has an oversaturated, distorted soundtrack. This especially evident in the opening fanfare. I find I must turn down the volume to make the DVD listenable. The video quality of the DVD is no better than a VHS copy I have viewed.

Although Warner Brothers studio was famous for many film genres in the 1930s and 1940s, comedy was not one of them. They didn't have any great comedy actors on their roster, so Joe E. Brown was their comedy "star" in a series of B-films. If you like your comedy played very broadly, you might find him funny. Personally, I don't see the appeal. In this film, he stars as a "natural born salesman" trying to sell earthworm tractors to lumberyard owner Guy Kibbee, who does not want any new-fangled machinery. At first, he does so to try and impress his old girlfriend, but in the end he is trying to impress his new girlfriend, Kibbee's daughter June Travis. There's much slapstick with his misadventures with the tractors, and most of it goes on for far too long. Director Ray Enright poorly paces the film, letting jokes drag on and on well past the point of being funny. The acting is weak and obvious, although Travis does display some talent. Mercifully, the film is short, and there are a couple of moments that made me grin (such as when he is repeatedly tossed out the door), but a couple of moments is hardly enough for a whole film.

My copy of Alpha Video's DVD of Joe E. Brown's Earthworm Tractors is marred. The soundtrack is oversaturated. It is very distorted during the opening fanfare. I find I must turn down the volume drastically to make this DVD listenable. The visual quality of this DVD is no better than the VHS version I have borrowed from my local library. I recommend instead the VHS version distributed by Nostalgia Family Video - until a better transfer is offered on DVD

People who haven't read the stories may find this movie very funny, but my husband and I are old enough to have read the 'Earthworm Tractor' stories when published in the Saturday Evening Post.

We were disappointed with this movie as Joe E Brown played the role of Alexander Potts, the main character, as a complete idiot. We both like Joe E Brown but this was not a story for his kind of humor, or the director had him play it like that. Whatever, neither of us liked the movie.

I work in a middle school where the students have this book as a required reading. I heard so much about it and how much they liked it that I had to get a copy to read myself.

A 'slapstick' comedy done in the 1930s-40s style. The anctics of a tractor salesman (Alexander Botts), and the method of showing the tractors capabilities are humerous. Considering the time when this movie was made, and none of todays movie technologies (Computer generated images etc.) make it interesting. The challanges that the movie director had to make were pretty creative. A simple story line,silly antics, creative photography make this a light hearted movie that may help in reducing your daily "stress".....(Joe E. Brown, June Travis, Guy Kibbee, Dick Foran)

I loved this movie when I first saw it on TV a few years ago and have also watched it when ever possible. Its amazing how few people know who Joe E. is, The local library which has a HUGE collection of DVDs has not even one of his movies. I recommend this movie to anyone, its fun and made at a time when style and wholesome values ruled. check out Joe's other movies as well.

I laughed thru the whole book its a riot about the efforts of a loudmouth salsman [Joe E Brown] who thinks he knows every thing about anything. imagine yourself on a buldozer without any knowledge of how to run it,trying to act like your an expert getting into allsorts of funny situations. all the while trying to make points with a stuborn potiential customers daughter