Only Saps Work
You Just Know It's Funny!
1930 | 77m | English
Popularity: 0.9 (history)
| Director: | Cyril Gardner, Edwin H. Knopf |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Sam Mintz, Percy Heath, Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Dec 05, 1930 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Cyril Gardner, Edwin H. Knopf |
| Writer: | Sam Mintz, Percy Heath, Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
| Genres: | |
| Keywords | robbery, con man, hypochondriac, stolen money, attraction, comedy routine, pre-code, landlady, meet cute, bellboy, rich snob, kleptomaniac, simpleton, former athlete, pantry boy, social error |
| Production Companies | Paramount Pictures, Paramount Publix Corp. |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 19, 2026 Entered: May 04, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Leon Errol | James Wilson |
| Richard Arlen | Larry Payne |
| Mary Brian | Barbara Tanner |
| Stuart Erwin | Oscar |
| Anderson Lawler | Horace Baldwin |
| Charley Grapewin | Simeon Tanner |
| Clarence Burton | Sergeant Burns (uncredited) |
| Nora Cecil | Mrs. Partridge (uncredited) |
| George Chandler | Elevator Operator (uncredited) |
| G. Pat Collins | Rafferty (uncredited) |
| Clifford Dempsey | Detective Smith (uncredited) |
| Charles Giblyn | Dr. Jasper (uncredited) |
| Charlie Hall | Waiter (uncredited) |
| George Irving | Dr. White (uncredited) |
| Fred Kelsey | Murphy (uncredited) |
| Jack Richardson | Chef (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Cyril Gardner | Director |
| Rex Wimpy | Director of Photography |
| Sam Mintz | Adaptation, Screenplay |
| Percy Heath | Adaptation, Screenplay |
| Earl S. Hayman | Sound Engineer, Sound |
| Edwin H. Knopf | Director |
| Edward Dmytryk | Editor |
| Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Adaptation, Screenplay |
| Owen Davis | Theatre Play |
| Ballard MacDonald | Songs |
| Dave Dreyer | Songs |
| Leo Reisman | Music Director |
| Adolph Zukor | Presenter |
| Name | Title |
|---|
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 2024 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 2024 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trending Position