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Only Saps Work

Only Saps Work

DEC 5, 1930 · 77 MIN · DIR. CYRIL GARDNER

ComedyCrime

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.

Cast

  • Leon Errol

    Leon Errol

    James Wilson

  • Richard Arlen

    Richard Arlen

    Larry Payne

  • Mary Brian

    Mary Brian

    Barbara Tanner

  • Stuart Erwin

    Stuart Erwin

    Oscar

  • Anderson Lawler

    Anderson Lawler

    Horace Baldwin

  • Charley Grapewin

    Charley Grapewin

    Simeon Tanner

  • Clarence Burton

    Clarence Burton

    Sergeant Burns (uncredited)

  • Nora Cecil

    Nora Cecil

    Mrs. Partridge (uncredited)

  • George Chandler

    George Chandler

    Elevator Operator (uncredited)

  • G. Pat Collins

    G. Pat Collins

    Rafferty (uncredited)

  • Clifford Dempsey

    Clifford Dempsey

    Detective Smith (uncredited)

  • Charles Giblyn

    Charles Giblyn

    Dr. Jasper (uncredited)

Crew

Screenplay

Percy Heath

Screenplay

Sam Mintz

Screenplay

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Director of Photography

Rex Wimpy

Editor

Edward Dmytryk

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