Too Many Highballs

Harold Hobbs doesn't much like that his lazy, sponging and unemployed brother-in-law Claude and his mother-in-law live with him and his wife, Hortense, especially as the in-laws seem to rule the roost ever since they moved in. To get his in-laws out of the house, Harold has regularly left a bottle of booze for Claude to be able to entertain prospective employers. When Harold learns that on all the other occasions the employers have not showed (he assumes there probably were no prospective employers) leaving Claude to consume the booze on his own, he decides to show Claude a lesson by spiking the bottle with castor oil. Complications ensue when Joe, Harold's friend, encourages him to skip work to attend the prize fight. What Joe doesn't tell Harold is that he tells his boss that Harold needs the day off to attend to the sudden death of his brother-in-law.

Directed by Clyde Bruckman, Too Many Highballs leans on a strong ensemble — Lloyd Hamilton, Marjorie Beebe, Tom Dugan — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 1933.