W.C. Fields (1879-1946)
The anarchic and anti-authoritarian tone
of the comedy of W.C. Fields probably has more resonance today than
when his films were made. Fields was one of the funniest men ever to
appear on film.
He began his film career in the silents with the short Pool Sharks (1915) which was supposed to show his famous pool table routine but did not. It wasn't until Six of a Kind (1934) that the classic routine was preserved on film. Returning to the stage Fields headlined the Ziegfeld Follies before appearing in the play Poppy. This was turned into a silent film Sally of the Sawdust (1925) and a Paramount talkie a decade later. Although he could display his great juggling skills the full force of Fields' personality wasn't felt until the arrival of sound when that rasping voice could be heard.
In the early 30s he starred in a series of shorts for Mack Sennett including The Barber Shop (1933) and the hilarious The Dentist (1932), a film I wouldn't advise you view if you have a dental appointment ! Signed by Paramount Fields entered the peak period of his career with films like The Old Fashioned Way (1934) (he plays the Great McGonigle in a fond tribute to the old vaudeville days), It's A Gift (1934) (probably his funniest and greatest film) and The Man On The Flying Trapeze (1935).
Fields was a heavy drinker though and by the mid Thirties this was beginning to seriously affect his health. He was out of showbusiness for a couple of years in the late 30s due to illness. In 1938 he left Paramount to join Universal where he made his last major films : the excellent The Bank Dick (1940) and Never Give A Sucker An Even Break (1941). A film with Mae West : My Little Chickadee (1940) had its moments but was overall disappointing. After 1941 Fields was relegated to cameo roles as his health deteriorated.
Fields' films are decidedly not PC in their outlook and they aren't cinematic masterpieces but his greatest routines have a comic brilliance which will shine forever.
He began his film career in the silents with the short Pool Sharks (1915) which was supposed to show his famous pool table routine but did not. It wasn't until Six of a Kind (1934) that the classic routine was preserved on film. Returning to the stage Fields headlined the Ziegfeld Follies before appearing in the play Poppy. This was turned into a silent film Sally of the Sawdust (1925) and a Paramount talkie a decade later. Although he could display his great juggling skills the full force of Fields' personality wasn't felt until the arrival of sound when that rasping voice could be heard.
In the early 30s he starred in a series of shorts for Mack Sennett including The Barber Shop (1933) and the hilarious The Dentist (1932), a film I wouldn't advise you view if you have a dental appointment ! Signed by Paramount Fields entered the peak period of his career with films like The Old Fashioned Way (1934) (he plays the Great McGonigle in a fond tribute to the old vaudeville days), It's A Gift (1934) (probably his funniest and greatest film) and The Man On The Flying Trapeze (1935).
Fields was a heavy drinker though and by the mid Thirties this was beginning to seriously affect his health. He was out of showbusiness for a couple of years in the late 30s due to illness. In 1938 he left Paramount to join Universal where he made his last major films : the excellent The Bank Dick (1940) and Never Give A Sucker An Even Break (1941). A film with Mae West : My Little Chickadee (1940) had its moments but was overall disappointing. After 1941 Fields was relegated to cameo roles as his health deteriorated.
Fields' films are decidedly not PC in their outlook and they aren't cinematic masterpieces but his greatest routines have a comic brilliance which will shine forever.
Click on the mp3
player for some classic Fields :
FILMOGRAPHY
1915 POOL SHARKS performer
1924 JANICE MEREDITH performer, screenwriter
1925 SALLY OF THE SAWDUST performer, screenwriter
1925 THAT ROYLE GIRL performer, screenwriter
1926 IT'S THE OLD ARMY GAME performer, screenwriter
1926 SO'S YOUR OLD MAN performer, screenwriter
1927 THE POTTERS performer, screenwriter
1927 RUNNING WILD performer, screenwriter
1927 TWO FLAMING YOUTHS performer, screenwriter
1928 FOOLS FOR LUCK performer, screenwriter
1928 TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE performer, screenwriter
1930 THE GOLF SPECIALIST performer
1931 HER MAJESTY, LOVE performer, screenwriter
1932 THE DENTIST (short) performer, screenwriter
1932 IF I HAD A MILLION performer, screenwriter
1932 MILLION DOLLAR LEGS performer, screenwriter
1933 ALICE IN WONDERLAND as Humpty-Dumpty
1933 THE BARBER SHOP (short) performer, screenwriter
1933 THE FATAL GLASS OF BEER performer, screenwriter
1933 INTERNATIONAL HOUSE performer, screenwriter
1933 THE PHARMACIST (short) performer, screenwriter
1933 TILLIE AND GUS performer, screenwriter
1934 IT'S A GIFT performer, also story under pseudonym Charles Bogle
1934 MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH performer, screenwriter
1934 THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY performer, also story under pseudonym Charles Bogle
1934 SIX OF A KIND performer, screenwriter
1934 YOU'RE TELLING ME performer, screenwriter
1935 DAVID COPPERFIELD as Micawber
1935 THE MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE performer, also story under pseudonym Charles Bogle
1935 MISSISSIPPI performer, screenwriter
1936 POPPY performer, screenwriter
1938 THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1938 performer, screenwriter
1939 YOU CAN'T CHEAT AN HONEST MAN performer, also story under pseudonym Charles Bogle
1940 THE BANK DICK performer, screenwriter— under the pseudonym Mahatma Kane Jeeves
1940 MY LITTLE CHICKADEE performer, co-screenwriter— with Mae West
1941 NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK performer, also story under pseudonym Otis Criblecoblis
1942 TALES OF MANHATTAN (A 20-minute episode that was eliminated from the final release print of the film but can be found in some private collections) performer
1944 FOLLOW THE BOYS cameo, in billiard routine
1944 SENSATIONS/ SENSATIONS OF 1945 cameo
1944 SONG OF THE OPEN ROAD as himself
1915 POOL SHARKS performer
1924 JANICE MEREDITH performer, screenwriter
1925 SALLY OF THE SAWDUST performer, screenwriter
1925 THAT ROYLE GIRL performer, screenwriter
1926 IT'S THE OLD ARMY GAME performer, screenwriter
1926 SO'S YOUR OLD MAN performer, screenwriter
1927 THE POTTERS performer, screenwriter
1927 RUNNING WILD performer, screenwriter
1927 TWO FLAMING YOUTHS performer, screenwriter
1928 FOOLS FOR LUCK performer, screenwriter
1928 TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE performer, screenwriter
1930 THE GOLF SPECIALIST performer
1931 HER MAJESTY, LOVE performer, screenwriter
1932 THE DENTIST (short) performer, screenwriter
1932 IF I HAD A MILLION performer, screenwriter
1932 MILLION DOLLAR LEGS performer, screenwriter
1933 ALICE IN WONDERLAND as Humpty-Dumpty
1933 THE BARBER SHOP (short) performer, screenwriter
1933 THE FATAL GLASS OF BEER performer, screenwriter
1933 INTERNATIONAL HOUSE performer, screenwriter
1933 THE PHARMACIST (short) performer, screenwriter
1933 TILLIE AND GUS performer, screenwriter
1934 IT'S A GIFT performer, also story under pseudonym Charles Bogle
1934 MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH performer, screenwriter
1934 THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY performer, also story under pseudonym Charles Bogle
1934 SIX OF A KIND performer, screenwriter
1934 YOU'RE TELLING ME performer, screenwriter
1935 DAVID COPPERFIELD as Micawber
1935 THE MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE performer, also story under pseudonym Charles Bogle
1935 MISSISSIPPI performer, screenwriter
1936 POPPY performer, screenwriter
1938 THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1938 performer, screenwriter
1939 YOU CAN'T CHEAT AN HONEST MAN performer, also story under pseudonym Charles Bogle
1940 THE BANK DICK performer, screenwriter— under the pseudonym Mahatma Kane Jeeves
1940 MY LITTLE CHICKADEE performer, co-screenwriter— with Mae West
1941 NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK performer, also story under pseudonym Otis Criblecoblis
1942 TALES OF MANHATTAN (A 20-minute episode that was eliminated from the final release print of the film but can be found in some private collections) performer
1944 FOLLOW THE BOYS cameo, in billiard routine
1944 SENSATIONS/ SENSATIONS OF 1945 cameo
1944 SONG OF THE OPEN ROAD as himself
