The short comedy The Fatal Glass of Beer stars the legendary W.C. Fields as Mr. Snavely, a prospector who is awaiting the return of his prodigal son, Chester, who has been in prison for the last few years. The last time Snavely saw his son was when the boy consumed "The Fatal Glass of Beer," and set out to the Big City in order to pursue a hedonistic life. The film is meant as a spoof of Northern melodramas that Fields enthusiasts have come to regard as an almost surreal masterpiece. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide