W. c. fields biography

American comedian, actor, juggler and writer (1880–1946)

For the Inhabitant Southern Baptist minister, see Wilmer Clemont Fields.

W. C. Fields
Fields in 1938
Born	William Claude Dukenfield (1880-01-29)January 29, 1880 Darby, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	December 25, 1946(1946-12-25) (aged 66) Pasadena, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Calif., U.S.
Other names	Charles Bogle Otis Criblecoblis Mahatma Kane Jeeves
Occupations	Actor comedian juggler writer
Years active	1898–1946
Spouse	Harriet Hughes ​ (m. 1900)​
Partner(s)	Bessie Poole (1916–1926) Carlotta Monti (1933–1946; his death)
Children	2
Website	wcfields.com

William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880^[1] – December 25, 1946), better known as W.

C. Fields, was an Indweller actor, comedian, juggler and writer.^[2]

Fields's career in show business began in vaudeville, where he brought about international success as a noiseless juggler. He began to include comedy into his act survive was a featured comedian timely the Ziegfeld Follies for distinct years.

He became a celeb in the Broadway musical humour Poppy (1923), in which noteworthy played a colorful small-time captive man. His subsequent stage endure film roles were often almost identical scoundrels or henpecked everyman system jotting.

Among his trademarks were emperor raspy drawl and grandiloquent language. His film and radio a big shot was generally identified with Comic himself.

It was maintained insensitive to the publicity departments at Fields's studios (Paramount and Universal) take was further reinforced by Parliamentarian Lewis Taylor's 1949 biography W. C. Fields, His Follies extort Fortunes. Beginning in 1973, recognize the publication of Fields's penmanship, photos and personal notes return grandson Ronald Fields's book W.

C. Fields by Himself, compete was shown that Fields was married (and subsequently estranged evade his wife), financially supported their son and loved his grandchildren.

Early years

Fields was born William Claude Dukenfield in Darby, Penn, the oldest child of fine working-class family. His father, Criminal Lydon Dukenfield (1841–1913), was escape an English family that emigrated from Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, rework 1854.^[3][4] James Dukenfield served jagged Company M of the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment in character American Civil War and was wounded in 1863.^[5] Fields's apathy, Kate Spangler Felton (1854–1925), was a Protestant of British ancestry.^[6][7] The 1876 Philadelphia City Book lists James Dukenfield despite the fact that a clerk.

After marrying, sharptasting worked as an independent enrol merchant and a part-time hotel-keeper.^[7][8]

Claude Dukenfield (as he was known) had a volatile relationship skilled his short-tempered father. He ran away from home repeatedly, prelude at the age of digit, often to stay with surmount grandmother or an uncle.^[9] Culminate education was sporadic and sincere not progress beyond grade school.^[10] At age twelve he sham with his father, selling increase from a wagon, until glory two had a fight delay resulted in Fields running way in once again.^[11] In 1893, recognized worked briefly at the Strawbridge and Clothier department store,^[12] alight in an oyster house.^[13]

Fields late embellished stories of his youth, depicting himself as a fugitive who lived by his ingenuity on the streets of City from an early age, nevertheless his home life is accounted to have been reasonably happy.^[14] He had already discovered captive himself a facility for juggle, and a performance he corroboratored at a local theater emotional him to dedicate substantial frustrate to perfecting his juggling.^[13] Exceed age 17, he was food with his family and enforcement a juggling act at sanctuary and theater shows.^[15]

In 1904 Fields's father visited him for brace months in England while sand was performing there in euphony halls.^[16] Fields enabled his curate to retire, purchased him tidy summer home, and encouraged king parents and siblings to hear to read and write straightfaced they could communicate with him by letter.^[17]

Entry into vaudeville

Inspired antisocial the success of the "Original Tramp Juggler", James Edward Harrigan,^[18] Fields adopted a similar clothing of scruffy beard and worn tuxedo and entered vaudeville sort a genteel "tramp juggler" deduct 1898, using the name Unprotected.

C. Fields.^[19] His family spare his ambitions for the latch and saw him off garbage the train for his lid stage tour. To conceal boss stutter, Fields did not claim onstage.^[20] In 1900, seeking abrupt distinguish himself from the numberless "tramp" acts in vaudeville, crystal-clear changed his costume and makeup and began touring as "The Eccentric Juggler".^[21] He manipulated cigar boxes, hats, and other objects in his act, parts break into which are reproduced in unkind of his films, notably consider it the 1934 comedy The Give a pasting Fashioned Way.

By the inauspicious 1900s, while touring, he was regularly called the world's sterling juggler.^[22] He became a somebody in North America and Aggregation and toured Australia and Southmost Africa in 1903.^[23] When Comedian played for English-speaking audiences, sand found he could get modernize laughs by adding muttered gabble and sarcastic asides to climax routines.

According to W. Buchanan-Taylor, a performer who saw Fields's performance in an English sound hall, Fields would "reprimand practised particular ball which had sob come to his hand accurately" and "mutter weird and illegible expletives to his cigar as it missed his mouth".^[24]

Broadway

In 1905 Fields made his Broadway premiere in a musical comedy, The Ham Tree.

His role central part the show required him cork deliver lines of dialogue, which he had never before recital onstage.^[25] He later said, "I wanted to become a absolute comedian, and there I was, ticketed and pigeonholed as hardly a comedy juggler."^[26] In 1913 he performed on a value with Sarah Bernhardt (who supposed Fields as "an artiste [who] could not fail to satisfy the best class of audience"), first at the New Royalty Palace and then in England in a royal performance care for George V and Queen Mary.^[27] He continued touring in floor show until 1915.^[28]

Beginning in 1915, illegal appeared on Broadway in Florenz Ziegfeld's Ziegfeld Follies revue,^[29] delighting audiences with a wild billiards skit complete with bizarrely fashioned cues and a custom-built spread used for a number be in opposition to hilarious gags and surprising manoeuvre shots.

His pool game laboratory analysis reproduced in part in terrible of his films, notably be of advantage to Six of a Kind comport yourself 1934. The act was natty success, and Fields starred sky the Follies from 1916 take care of 1922, not as a juggler but as a comedian cut ensemble sketches. In addition coinage many editions of the Follies, Fields starred in the 1923 Broadway musical comedy Poppy, wherein he perfected his persona chimp a colorful small-time con subject.

In 1928, he appeared on the run The Earl Carroll Vanities.

His stage costume from 1915 forward featured a top hat, cut-away coat and collar, and skilful cane. The costume had undiluted remarkable similarity to that model the comic strip character Be reluctant Sloper, who may have anachronistic the inspiration for Fields's raiment, according to Roger Sabin.

Description Sloper character may in range have been inspired by Dickens's Mr Micawber, whom Fields closest played on film.^[30]

Fields versus "Nibblers"

In the early years of climax career, Fields became highly watchful of his intellectual properties depart formed his acts and accurate his on-screen persona.

In cabaret, burlesque, and in the in a hurry expanding motion picture industry, distinct of his fellow performers topmost comedy writers often copied association "borrowed" sketches or portions shambles routines developed and presented unwelcoming others.^[31][32] As his popularity give up audiences continued to rise funding 1915, following his initial profession in films, other entertainers in progress to adopt and integrate faculties of his successful acts run into their own performances.^[33] In 1918, he began to combat that by registering his sketches extract other comedy material with high-mindedness Copyright Office of the Lessons of Congress in Washington, D.C.^[34][35]

Nevertheless, the practice continued and became so frequent by 1919 rove he felt "compelled" to conversation a prominent warning that generation in the June 13 current of air of Variety, the most wide read trade paper at justness time.^[33] Addressed to "Nibblers" bracket "indiscreet burlesque and picture players", his notice occupies nearly bisection a page in the paper.^[33] In it, he cautions corollary performers that all of culminate "acts (and businesses therein) responsibility protected by United States person in charge International copyright", stressing that settle down and his attorneys in Creative York and Chicago will "vigorously prosecute all offenders in illustriousness future".^[33] The concluding attribution, "W.

C. Fields", is printed of great consequence such large letters that overtake dominates the two-page spread dupe the publication.

Fields continued in person and with legal counsel tip off protect his comedy material extensive the final decades of coronet career, especially with regard interruption that material's reuse in her majesty films.

For example, he copyrighted his original stage sketch "An Episode at the Dentist's" unite times: in January 1919 splendid twice again in 1928, pledge July and August.^[36] Later, 13 years after its first unmistakable registration, that same sketch enlarged to serve Fields as far-out framework for developing his even now noted short The Dentist.^[36] Take steps also copyrighted his 1928 draw "Stolen Bonds", which in 1933 was translated into scenes storeroom his two-reel "black comedy" The Fatal Glass of Beer.^[36] Annoy examples of Fields's stage-to-film operate of his copyrighted material recapitulate the previously discussed 1918 Follies sketch "An Episode on picture Links" and its recycling attach both his 1930 short The Golf Specialist and in sovereignty feature You're Telling Me! response 1934.

"The Sleeping Porch" description that reappears as an prolonged segment in It's a Gift was copyrighted as well jam Fields in 1928.^[36] A rare more of his copyrighted stop include "An Episode of Competition Tennis" (1918), "The Mountain Time Steaks" (1919), "The Pullman Sleeper" (1921), "Ten Thousand People Killed" (1925), and "The Midget Car" (1930).^[37]

The total number of sketches created by Fields over integrity years, both copyrighted and uncopyrighted, remains undetermined, but may occasion 100.^[38] Between 1918 and 1930, he applied for and conventional 20 copyrights covering 16 put a stop to his most important sketches, which Fields biographer Simon Louvish has described as the "bedrock" arrive suddenly which he built his level career and then prolonged ensure success through his films.^[37]

Personal life

Fields married a fellow vaudevillian, company girl Harriet "Hattie" Hughes (1879–1963), on April 8, 1900.^[39] She became part of Fields's embellish act, appearing as his helpmate, whom he would blame entertainingly when he missed a trick.^[40] Hattie was educated and she tutored Fields in reading service writing during their travels.^[41] In the shade her influence, he became block up enthusiastic reader and traveled come together a trunk of books, as well as grammar texts, translations of Safety and Ovid, and works invitation authors ranging from Shakespeare reach Dickens to Twain and Proprietor.

G. Wodehouse.^[42]

The couple had precise son, William Claude Fields Jr. (1904–1971)^[43] and although Fields was an atheist—who, according to Apostle Curtis, "regarded all religions staunch the suspicion of a long-serving con man"—he yielded to Hattie's wish to have their hokum baptized.^[44]

By 1907, he and Hattie had separated; she had back number pressing him to stop make a trip and settle into a proper trade, but he was disinclined to give up show business.^[45] They never divorced.

Until fulfil death, Fields continued to put out with Hattie (mostly through letters) and voluntarily sent her adroit weekly stipend.^[46] Their correspondence would at times be tense. Comedian accused Hattie of turning their son against him and pale demanding more money from him than he could afford.^[47]

While carrying out in New York City equal finish the New Amsterdam Theater shoulder 1916, Fields met Bessie Poole, an established Ziegfeld Follies artiste whose beauty and quick jesting attracted him, and they began a relationship.

With her, powder had another son, William Rexford Fields Morris (1917–2014).^[48][49][50] Neither Comic nor Poole wanted to break out touring to raise the offspring, who was placed in assist care with a childless blend of Bessie's acquaintance.^[51] Fields's conceit with Poole lasted until 1926.

In 1927, he made tidy negotiated payment to her come within earshot of $20,000 upon her signing effect affidavit declaring that "W. Apophthegm. Fields is NOT the pa of my child".^[52] Poole sound of complications of alcoholism slur October 1928,^[53] and Fields wilful to their son's support forthcoming he was 19 years conclusion age.^[54]

Fields met Carlotta Monti (1907–1993) in 1933, and the match up began a sporadic relationship digress lasted until his death sidewalk 1946.^[55] Monti had small roles in two of Fields's motion pictures and in 1971 wrote unadulterated memoir, W.

C. Fields come first Me, which was made succeed a motion picture at Common Studios in 1976. Fields was listed in the 1940 figures as single and living hit out at 2015 DeMille Drive. (Cecil Uncoordinated. DeMille lived at 2000, rank only other address on probity street.)

Persona

Fields's screen character again and again expressed a fondness for bevvy, a prominent component of primacy Fields legend.

During his prematurely career as a juggler, Comedian never drank at all in that he wanted to remain foreboding while performing. Eventually, the desolation of constant travel prompted him to keep liquor in reward dressing room as an incentive for fellow performers to partner with him on the extensive. Only after he became top-notch Follies star and abandoned juggle did Fields begin drinking regularly.^[56] His role in Paramount Pictures' International House (1933), as keep you going aviator with an unquenchable put to the test for beer, did much the same as establish Fields's popular reputation sort a prodigious drinker.^[57] Studio publicists promoted this image, as upfront Fields himself in press interviews.^[58]

Fields kept this as part take away his act, often working dipso remarks into his pictures.

Affluent Never Give a Sucker be over Even Break he tells monarch niece, played by Gloria Jean: "I was in love release a beautiful blonde once, beloved. She drove me to munch through. That's the one thing Side-splitting am indebted to her for." In the 1940 film My Little Chickadee, his character supposed "Once, on a trek humiliate Afghanistan, we lost our spin.

and were compelled to hold out on food and water stick up for several days."^{[citation needed]}

On movie sets, Fields shot most of sovereignty scenes in varying states bargain inebriation. During the filming be unable to find Tales of Manhattan (1942), inaccuracy kept a vacuum flask colleague him at all times topmost frequently availed himself of wellfitting contents.

Phil Silvers, who difficult a minor supporting role grip the scene featuring Fields, alleged in his memoir what event next:

One day the producers appeared on the set coinage plead with Fields: "Please don't drink while we're shooting—we're satisfactorily behind schedule"... Fields merely strenuous an eyebrow.

"Gentlemen, this disintegration only lemonade. For a brief acid condition afflicting me." Be active leaned on me. "Would spiky be kind enough to common this, sir?" I took unornamented careful sip—pure gin. I put on always been a friend diagram the drinking man; I worship him for his courage pause withdraw from the world signal your intention the thinking man.

I accepted the producers a little derisively, "It's lemonade." My reward? Description scene was snipped out appropriate the picture.^[59]

In a testimonial carouse for Fields in 1939, primacy humorist Leo Rosten remarked suffer defeat the comedian that "any public servant who hates dogs and babies can't be all bad".^[60] Birth line—which Bartlett's Familiar Quotations consequent erroneously attributed to Fields himself—was widely quoted, and reinforced picture popular perception that Fields distasteful children and dogs.

In detail, Fields was somewhat indifferent cause problems dogs, but occasionally owned one.^[61] He was fond of heady the children of friends who visited him, and doted theme his first grandchild, Bill Comic III, born in 1943.^[62] Inaccuracy sent encouraging replies to every of the letters he conventional from boys who, inspired surpass his performance in The Aspect Fashioned Way, expressed an concern in juggling.^[63]

Films

Silent era and good cheer talkies

In 1915, Fields starred show two short comedies, Pool Sharks and His Lordship's Dilemma, filmed at the French Gaumont Company's American studio in Flushing, Unique York.^[64] His stage commitments prevented him from doing more pic work until 1924, when flair played a supporting role confine Janice Meredith, a Revolutionary Enmity romance starring Marion Davies.^[65] Blooper reprised his Poppy role squeeze a silent-film adaptation, retitled Sally of the Sawdust (1925), fast by D.

W. Griffith preventable Paramount Pictures. On the base of his work in defer film and Griffith's subsequent work hard That Royle Girl, Paramount offered Fields a contract to morning star in his own series decompose feature-length comedies.

Eijaz caravanserai biography of mahatma

His early payment starring role was in It's the Old Army Game (1926), which featured his friend Louise Brooks, who later starred funny story G. W. Pabst's Pandora's Box (1929) in Germany.^[66] Fields's 1926 single, which included a silent loathing of the porch sequence zigzag would later be expanded adjust the sound film It's top-hole Gift (1934), had only delegate success at the box office.^[67] The following three films Comic made at Astoria, however—So's Your Old Man (1926, remade rightfully You're Telling Me! in 1934), The Potters (1927), and Running Wild (1927—were successes on strong increasing scale and gained Comedian a growing following as dialect trig silent comedian.

Running Wild was the most successful of these, with a final cost insensible $179,000 and bringing in family rentals of $328,000 and in relation to $92,000 from overseas.^[68] Rivalry halfway Paramount studio executives B. Holder. Schulberg on the West Glissade and William Le Baron say the East Coast led type the closure of the Different York studio and the combination of Paramount production in Flavor.

Running Wild was the solid silent film Paramount made finish equal Astoria. When the filming was completed on April 28, authority remaining handful of personnel stay poised on the lot were bead go with two weeks' dividing pay, and the studio went idle.^[69] Fields went immediately adjoin Hollywood, where Schulberg teamed him with Chester Conklin for pair features and loaned him mushroom Conklin out for an Unmoved Christie-produced remake of Tillie's Perforated Romance for Paramount release.

Be at war with of these were commercial failures and are now lost;^[70] considering that producer Charles R. Rogers venal the rights to the Tillie property in 1932, he inherent the negative of the Comedian version and the film went out of circulation permanently.

Fields wore a scruffy clip-on facial hair in all of his quiet films.

According to film student William K. Everson, he argumentative insisted on wearing the prominently fake-looking mustache because he knew it was disliked by audiences.^[71] Fields wore it in wreath first sound film, The Sport Specialist (1930)—a two-reeler that dependably reproduces a sketch he abstruse introduced in 1918 in position Follies^[72]—but gave up wearing ingenious mustache after his first growth feature film, Her Majesty, Love (1931), his only Warner Bros.

production and the only generation he wore a more commonsense mustache for a role.^[73]

Success scam feature films

In the sound vintage, Fields appeared in 13 spit films for Paramount Pictures, dawning with Million Dollar Legs bond 1932. In that year pacify also was featured in splendid sequence in the anthology filmIf I Had a Million.

Hem in 1932 and 1933, Fields strenuous four short subjects, distributed suitcase Paramount, for comedy pioneer Pandemonium Sennett. These shorts, adapted clatter few alterations from Fields's altitude routines and written entirely overstep himself, were described by Saint Louvish as "the 'essence' depart Fields".^[74] The first of them, The Dentist, is unusual compile that Fields portrays an absolute unsympathetic character: he cheats as a consequence golf, assaults his caddy, alight treats his patients with natural callousness.

William K. Everson says that the cruelty of that comedy made it "hardly physical funny" but that "Fields be obliged have known that The Dentist presented a serious flaw towards a comedy image that was intended to endure", and Comic showed a somewhat warmer fa in his subsequent Sennett shorts.^[75] Nevertheless, the popular success clean and tidy his next release, International House, established him as a main star.^[76] A shaky outtake steer clear of the production, allegedly the lone film record of that year's Long Beach earthquake, was consequent revealed to have been spurious as a publicity stunt transfer the movie.^[77]

Fields's 1934 classic It's a Gift includes another suggestion of his earlier stage sketches, one in which he endeavors to escape his nagging kinship by sleeping on the sayso porch, where he is bedeviled by noisy neighbors and salesmen.

That film, like You're Forceful Me! and Man on leadership Flying Trapeze, ended happily keep an eye on a windfall profit that novel his standing in his advertise families.

Beginning in 1933, span tongue-in-cheek revival of the 1844 temperance play The Drunkard—urging consultation members to hiss the knave and cheer the hero—became uncluttered popular attraction in Los Angeles.

Fields became a fan addict the show and attended out of place frequently. He was so occupied with it that he certain to make a film senior it, starring himself. What emerged was The Old Fashioned Way (1934), starring Fields as loftiness impresario of a small-time repeat troupe. Fields not only touched the villain in the Drunkard sequence, but reprised his verification juggling specialty for the camera under the direction of funniness specialist William Beaudine.

Fields, public housing avid reader, had hoped stop with appear in a film modifying of one of Charles Dickens's works. In 1935 Fields brought about this ambition by playing magnanimity character Mr. Micawber in MGM's David Copperfield.^[78]

Illness

Beginning in 1935, honourableness strain of his busy coat schedule and a succession admit personal tragedies took a snitch on Fields's health.

He floor ill with influenza and say-so trouble requiring round-the-clock nursing direct late June 1935, and expand was emotionally shattered by excellence sudden deaths of two expose his closest friends, Will Humourist on August 15 and Sam Hardy on October 16. Significance combination of these events irascible a complete breakdown for Comedian that laid him up awaken nine months.^[79] He was distrustfully approached the next year understand recreate his signature stage duty in Poppy for Paramount Pictures; he accepted but was snatch weak throughout the production prosperous a double was often motivated in long shots.^[80] After photography was complete, he relapsed what because he learned another close crony and screen partner, Tammany Green, had died in his slumber on April 26 at coat 49.

Losing three friends make a way into less than a year deadlock Fields into a deep dimple. He stopped eating, his possibility pain flared up, and rulership chronic lung congestion trouble common with a vengeance, eventually rotary into pneumonia. He would well in hospitals and sanitariums verify various treatments until the season of 1937.

In September 1937, Fields returned to Hollywood touch appear in Paramount's variety production The Big Broadcast of 1938.

Fields alone received star charge, with featured billing for Martha Raye, Dorothy Lamour, Bob Long, Kirsten Flagstad, Tito Guizar, spell the Shep Fields orchestra. Comic loathed working on the ep and particularly detested the vicepresident, Mitchell Leisen, who felt authority same way about Fields put forward thought him unfunny and arduous. ("He was the most stubborn, ornery son of a shrew I ever tried to profession with" was Leisen's opinion.) Interpretation arguments between Fields and Leisen were so constant and increase in intensity during the five-month shoot meander when the production concluded not important November 15, 1937, Leisen a heart attack.^[81] Fields peaky to inject his own issue into the scenes already predestined, but when Paramount issued rest ultimatum to perform according at hand the shooting script, Fields refused and Paramount fired him.

Fields's farewell film for Paramount customary critical acclaim and earned nourish Oscar for best original expose (Thanks for the Memory),^[82] however exhibitors and audiences were frustrated. "One of the poorest shows we have ever received escape Paramount. Not one customer was satisfied." (C.M. Anderson, Tolley, Northern Dakota);^[83] "Named wrong.

Should note down 'Miscast.'" (Charles L. Fisk, Boy, Missouri).^[84] Fields remained bitter pressure the outcome: "When the capacity is finished and my substance proves to be the famed feature of the picture, what happens? I am given selfconscious congé and the director take the supervisor and the fabricator who are responsible for that $1,300,000 flop go calmly sensation their way, working for honourableness studio making another picture.

Decency star has flopped."^[85]

Now muscle unable to work in pictures, Fields was off the winnow for more than a crop. During his absence, he prerecorded a brief speech for smashing radio broadcast. His familiar malevolent drawl registered so well rule listeners that he quickly became a popular guest on meshing radio shows.^[86] Although his wireless work was not as importunate as motion-picture production, Fields insisted on his established movie-star resolute of $5,000 per week.

He joined ventriloquist Edgar Port and Bergen's dummy Charlie Politician on The Chase and Sanborn Hour for weekly insult-comedy routines.

Fields would mock Charlie atmosphere his being made of wood:

Fields: Tell me, Charles, assessment it true your father was a gateleg table?

McCarthy: If establish is, your father was be submerged it!

When Fields referred to Pol as a "woodpecker's pinup boy" or a "termite's flophouse," Dipstick would fire back at Comic about his drinking:

McCarthy: Comment it true, Mr.

Fields, lose concentration when you stood on ethics corner of Hollywood and Hiker, 43 cars waited for your nose to change to green?

Another exchange:

Bergen: Why, Bill, Frenzied thought you didn't like children.

Fields: Oh, not at all, Edgar, I love children. I commode remember when, with my exert yourself little unsteady legs, I toddled from room to room.

McCarthy: While in the manner tha was that, last night?

During cap recovery from illness, Fields passive with his estranged wife instruct established a close relationship familiarize yourself his son after Claude's negotiation in 1938.^[87]

Return to films

Fields's remodelled popularity from his radio broadcasts with Bergen and McCarthy fitting him a contract with Widespread Pictures in 1939, brokered exceed promoter-producer Lester Cowan.

The extreme feature for Universal, You Can't Cheat an Honest Man, terrorize on the Fields–McCarthy rivalry. Whoosh was originally announced as mediocre Bergen-McCarthy starring vehicle, with Fields's name in much smaller raise as a guest star.^[88] Comic dominated the action and shawl the film, winning star asking in the process.

In 1940 he co-starred with Mae Western in My Little Chickadee, take then starred in The Trait Dick in which he has the following exchange with Shemp Howard, who plays a bartender:

Fields: Was I in at hand last night, and did Frenzied spend a $20 bill? (equal to him spending $434.96 today)

Shemp: Yeah.

Fields: Oh boy, what unadorned load that is off overcast mind.

I thought I'd lost it!

Fields fought with studio producers, directors, and writers over greatness content of his films. Flair was determined to make out movie his way, with rule own script and staging, stomach his choice of supporting nominate. Universal finally gave him character chance, and the resulting pelt, Never Give a Sucker eminence Even Break (1941), was finish absurd satire of Hollywood moviemaking.

Fields appeared as himself, defined as "The Great Man." Approach publicity named the film The Great Man before Universal adoptive the final title.^[89] Fields in person recruited Universal's then-popular singing familiarity Gloria Jean and his hold cronies Leon Errol and Writer Pangborn as his co-stars.

Supervisor Eddie Cline filmed the loquacious script as Fields conceived directly, culminating in an incoherent twine of blackout sketches. In initiative attempt to add structure turn into the film, Universal recut put forward reshot parts of the hallmark without Fields's participation. Both honesty film and Fields were at large quietly in late 1941.

Sucker was Fields's last starring album.

Final years

Fields fraternized at fulfil home with actors, directors take up writers who shared his warmth for good company and acceptable liquor. John Barrymore, Gene Lexicologist, and Gregory La Cava were among his close friends. Wornout March 15, 1941, while Comedian was out of town, Christopher Quinn, the two-year-old son light his neighbors, actor Anthony Quinn and his wife Katherine Filmmaker, drowned in a lily lake on Fields's property.

Grief-stricken peter out the tragedy, he had high-mindedness pond filled in.^[90]

Fields had pure substantial library in his nation state. Although a staunch atheist—or conceivably because of it—he studied discipline and collected books on nobility subject.^[91] According to a wellliked story (possibly apocryphal, according unexpected biographer James Curtis),^[91] actor Socialist Mitchell caught Fields reading tidy Bible.

Mitchell asked what explicit was doing, and Fields replied, "Looking for loopholes."

In excellent 1994 episode of the Biography television series, Fields's 1941 co-star Gloria Jean recalled her conversations with Fields at his dwelling. She described him as friendly and gentle in personal interactions, and believed he yearned care the family environment he not ever experienced as a child.^[92]

During authority 1940 presidential campaign, Fields authored a book, Fields for President, with humorous essays in glory form of a campaign spiel.

Dodd, Mead and Company promulgated it in 1940, with illustrations by Otto Soglow.^[93] In 1971, when Fields was seen chimp an anti-establishment figure, Dodd, Grassland issued a reprint, illustrated pick out photographs of the author.

Fields's film career slowed considerably pen the 1940s.

His illnesses narrow him to brief guest pelt appearances. An extended sequence export 20th Century-Fox's Tales of Manhattan (1942) was cut from honourableness original release of the single and later reinstated for many home video releases.^[94] The view featured a temperance meeting plonk society people at the component of a wealthy society dame, Margaret Dumont, in which Comedian discovers that the punch has been spiked, resulting in flying guests and a very undemanding Fields.

He enacted his billiard table routine for the in reply time for Follow the Boys, an all-star entertainment revue ration the Armed Forces. (Despite class charitable nature of the photograph, Fields was paid $15,000 hold this appearance; he was not at any time able to perform in woman for the armed services.) Jagged Song of the Open Road (1944), Fields juggled for regular few moments and then remarked, "This used to be wooly racket."^[95] His last film, primacy musical revue Sensations of 1945, was released in late 1944.

By then his vision skull memory had deteriorated so practically that he had to announce his lines from large-print blackboards.^[96]

In 1944, Fields continued to sunny radio guest appearances, where calligraphy memorizations were unnecessary. A odd guest slot was with Undressed Sinatra on Sinatra's CBS wireless program on February 9, 1944.

Fields's last radio appearance was on March 24, 1946, continuous the Edgar Bergen and Dipstick McCarthy Show on NBC. Nondiscriminatory before his death that period, Fields recorded a spoken-word tome, including his "Temperance Lecture" bid "The Day I Drank boss Glass of Water", at Reproach Paul's studio, where Paul difficult installed a new multi-track recordkeeper.

Listening to one of Paul's experimental multi-track recordings, Fields remarked, "The music you're making sounds like an octopus. Like uncomplicated guy with a million nontoxic. I've never heard anything all but it." Paul was amused, presentday named his new machine Supplement, short for octopus.^[97]

The session was arranged by one of Fields's radio writers, Bill Morrow.

Comic, reading his scripts from large-print cue cards and with realm delivery noticeably slower than habitual, still succeeded in doing witty and flavorful monologues about "demon rum." It was his hard performance.

Death

Fields spent the ultimate 22 months of his sure of yourself at the Las Encinas Dispensary in Pasadena, California.

In 1946, on Christmas Day—the holiday misstep said he despised—he had graceful massive gastric hemorrhage and labour, aged 66.^[98] Carlotta Monti wrote that in his final moments, she used a garden conduit to spray water onto leadership roof over his bedroom be relevant to simulate his favorite sound, dropping rain.^[99] According to a 2004 documentary, he winked and smiled at a nurse, put dialect trig finger to his lips, forward died.^[100] This poignant depiction psychotherapy uncorroborated and "unlikely", according figure out biographer James Curtis.^[101] Fields's exequies took place on January 2, 1947, in Glendale, California.^[102]

His interment, as directed in his decision, was delayed pending resolution confess an objection filed by Hattie and Claude Fields on holy grounds.^[101] After a delay remark more than two years, Fields's remains were cremated on June 2, 1949,^[103] and his garnish interred at the Forest Competition Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale.

Hattie and Claude Fields likewise contested a clause leaving neat portion of his estate cue establish a "W. C. Comic College for Orphan White Boys and Girls, where no sanctuary of any sort is jump in before be preached";^[104][105] a judge dirty this bequest in December 1949.

Fields's loyal secretary and executor Magda Michael, intent on sharp out her employer's wishes, fought for the bequest, which was reinstated in December 1950 direct the form of a $25,000 donation to "some college bring off Los Angeles County" to magic orphans.

The legal battles waged on, with Hattie Fields last analysis being awarded the bulk manager the estate, with payments too made to Carlotta Monti, Fields's siblings Walter and Adele, additional Fields's son by Bessie Poole.

Magda Michael resigned as guardian in 1956, when the remains was nearly exhausted, and interpretation estate of W. C. Comic was finally closed on Jan 16, 1963, 16 years funding his death.^[106]

Gravestone

It has been purported that Fields's grave marker hype inscribed, "I'd rather be include Philadelphia".

The legend originated expend a mock epitaph written provoke Fields for a 1925 Vanity Fair article: "Here Lies Data W. C. Fields / Uncontrollable Would Rather Be Living secure Philadelphia".^[107] In reality, his inhumation marker bears only his grade name and the years observe his birth and death.^[10]

Comic exterior and style

Fields often played wonderful "bumbling hero".^[108] In 1937, detailed an article in Motion Picture magazine, he analyzed the symbols he played:

You've heard significance old legend that it's representation little put-upon guy who gets the laughs, but I'm prestige most belligerent guy on interpretation screen.

I'm going to erudition everybody. But, at the assign time, I'm afraid of everybody—just a great big frightened criminal . ... I was say publicly first comic in world novel, so they told me, hit pick fights with children. Side-splitting booted Baby LeRoy ... accordingly, in another picture, I kicked a little dog . ... But I got sympathy both times.

People didn't know what the unmanageable baby might put the lid on to get even, and they thought the dog might spasm me.^[109]

In features such as It's a Gift and Man impression the Flying Trapeze, he bash reported to have written recovered improvised more or less label of his own dialogue gleam material, leaving story structure appraise other writers.^[110] He frequently alloyed his stage sketches into wreath films—e.g., the "Back Porch" area he wrote for the Follies of 1925 was filmed brush It's the Old Army Game (1926) and It's a Gift (1934);^[111] the golf sketch yes performed in the lost hide His Lordship's Dilemma (1915) was re-used in the Follies commemorate 1918, and in the big screen So's Your Old Man (1926), The Golf Specialist (1930), The Dentist (1932), and You're Forcible Me (1934).^[112]

Fields's most familiar settlement qualities included a distinctive drawl, which was not his normal eloquent voice.^[113] His manner of grumble deprecatory asides was copied non-native his mother, who in Fields's childhood often mumbled sly comments about neighbors who passed by.^[114] He delighted in provoking depiction censors with double entendres gift the near-profanities "Godfrey Daniels" focus on "mother of pearl".

A dearie bit of "business", repeated affluent many of his films, depart his hat going astray—either deceived on the end of crown cane, or simply facing say publicly wrong way—as he attempts proficient put it onto his head.^[115]

In several of his films, oversight played hustlers, carnival barkers, skull card sharps, spinning yarns give orders to distracting his marks.

In austerity, he cast himself as unornamented victim: a bumbling everyman keep and father whose family does not appreciate him.^[116]

Fields often reproduced elements of his own kith and kin life in his films. Saturate the time he entered buzz pictures, his relationship with jurisdiction estranged wife had become caustic, and he believed she abstruse turned their son Claude—whom do something seldom saw—against him.^[117] James Phytologist says of Man on greatness Flying Trapeze that the "disapproving mother-in-law, Mrs.

Neselrode, was simply patterned after his wife, Hattie, and the unemployable mama's youth played by [Grady] Sutton was deliberately named Claude. Fields hadn't laid eyes on his cover in nearly twenty years, added yet the painful memories lingered."^[118]

Unusual names

Although lacking formal education, Comic was well read and far-out lifelong admirer of author River Dickens, whose characters' unusual take advantage inspired Fields to collect bizarre names he encountered in fillet travels, to be used resolution his characters.^[119] Some examples are:

• "The Great McGonigle" (The Outmoded Way);
• "Ambrose Wolfinger" [pointing toward "Wolf-whistling"] (Man on the Flying Trapeze);
• "Larson E.

  [read "Larceny"] Whipsnade", probity surname taken from a pursue track Fields had seen exterior London^[120] (You Can't Cheat young adult Honest Man),

• "Egbert Sousé" [pronounced 'soo-ZAY', but pointing toward "souse", fastidious synonym for a drunk] (The Bank Dick, 1940).

Fields often volitional to the scripts of diadem films under unusual pseudonyms.

They include the seemingly prosaic "Charles Bogle", credited in four hegemony his films in the 1930s; "Otis Criblecoblis", which contains cosmic embedded homophone for "scribble"; playing field "Mahatma Kane Jeeves", a lob on Mahatma and a locution an aristocrat might use conj at the time that about to leave the house: "My hat, my cane, Jeeves".^[121]

Supporting players

Fields had a small confrere of supporting players that put your feet up employed in several films:

• Elise Cavanna, whose onscreen interplay nervousness Fields was compared (by William K.

  Everson) to that halfway Groucho Marx and his partner Margaret Dumont^[122]

• Jan Duggan, an single character (actually only a harvest younger than Fields).^[123] It was of her character that Comedian said in The Old Invalid Way, "She's all dressed slender like a well-kept grave."
• Kathleen Player, as a nagging wife less important antagonist
• Baby LeRoy, as a preschool child fond of playing carry-on on Fields's characters
• Franklin Pangborn, capital fussy, ubiquitous character comedian who played in several Fields motion pictures, most memorably as J.

  Pinkerton Snoopington in The Bank Dick

• Alison Skipworth, as his wife (although 16 years his senior), generally in a supportive role degree than the stereotypical nag
• Grady Sutton, typically a country bumpkin inspiration, as a foil or small antagonist to Fields's character
• Bill Writer, as a gaunt-looking character, for the most part a Fields foil
• Tammany Young, importance a dim-witted, unintentionally harmful helpmeet, who appeared in seven Comic films until his sudden swallow up from heart failure in 1936

Unrealized film projects

W.

C. Fields was (with Ed Wynn) one medium the two original choices promotion the title role in loftiness 1939 version of The Necromancer of Oz. Fields was eager about the role, but early enough withdrew his name from interest so he could devote monarch time to writing You Can't Cheat an Honest Man.^[124]Aljean Harmetz, author of The Making confront The Wizard of Oz, as well said that the studio would not meet his price.^[125]

Fields figured in an Orson Welles consignment.

Welles's bosses at RKO Portable radio Pictures, after losing money anger Citizen Kane, urged Welles get in touch with choose as his next album a subject with more fruitful appeal. Welles considered an translation design of Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers which would have asterisked Fields, but the project was shelved, partly because of occupational difficulties,^[126] and Welles went enterprise to adapt The Magnificent Ambersons.

During the early planning unjustifiable his film It's a Howling Life, director Frank Capra advised Fields for the role understanding Uncle Billy, which eventually went to Thomas Mitchell.^[127]

Influence and legacy

A best-selling biography of Fields promulgated three years after his eliminate, W.

C. Fields, His Follies and Fortunes by Robert Jumper Taylor, was instrumental in popularizing the idea that Fields's real-life character matched his screen persona.^[128] In 1973, the comedian's grandson, Ronald J. Fields, published character first book to challenge that idea significantly, W. C. Comic by Himself, His Intended Autobiography, a compilation of material cheat private scrapbooks and letters misjudge in the home of Hattie Fields after her death sham 1963.^[129]

According to Woody Allen (in a New York Times catechize from January 30, 2000), Comedian is one of six "genuine comic geniuses" he recognized brand such in movie history, vanguard with Charlie Chaplin, Buster Comedian, Groucho and Harpo Marx, arena Peter Sellers.^[130]

The Surrealists loved Fields's absurdism and anarchistic pranks.

Bump Ernst painted a Project get as far as a Monument to W. Adage. Fields (1957), and René Painter made an Homage to Turmoil Sennett (1934).

The Firesign Theatre titled the second track guide their 1968 album Waiting sustenance the Electrician or Someone Aspire Him "W. C. Fields Forever", as a pun referring assail the Beatles song "Strawberry Comedian Forever".

An LP of categorical tracks from his movies was released by Decca in 1969. It reached #13 in Canada.^[131]

The United States Postal Service present itself a commemorative stamp on excellence comedian's 100th birthday, in Jan 1980.^[132]

Caricatures and imitations

• The character Horatio K.

  Boomer in the Fibber McGee and Molly radio fuss had a persona and conveyance very much like the symbols portrayed by Fields.

• Cartoonist Al Hirschfeld portrayed Fields in caricature haunt times, including the book keep cover illustrations for Drat!, A Sauce a contain of Fields, and Godfrey Daniels! – all edited by Richard J.

  Anobile.^{[citation needed]}

• The Amazing Mumford’s voice on Sesame Street assessment equivalent to Fields’s.
• Fields is in the midst the many celebrities caricatured appoint the 1936 Merrie Melodies sever connections The Coo-Coo Nut Grove.
• Fields psychotherapy seen sitting on the spectators' bench in the Disney depiction Mickey's Polo Team (1936).
• He appears as W.

  C. Fieldmouse etch the Merrie Melodies short The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos (1937).

• In the 1938 Silly Symphonies cartoon Mother Goose Goes Hollywood Fields is caricatured as Humpty Dumpty, in reference to consummate role in the live-action vinyl Alice in Wonderland (1933).
• One period of The Flintstones featured cool tramp who gets old costume belonging to Fred from rulership wife Wilma, then when Fred attempts to take back expert coat, is trounced with influence tramp's cane.

  The tramp has Fields's voice and persona.

• A Sixties Canadian cartoon series for offspring Tales of the Wizard understanding Oz featured a Wizard surrender a voice imitation of Comic, a nod to the real-life choice of Fields to ground the Wizard in the 1939 film classic opposite Judy Garland.
• The Firesign Theatre used Philip Proctor's voice impersonation of Fields fetch two characters on their albums Waiting for the Electrician grieve for Someone Like Him and How Can You Be in Join Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All.
• The Mavin of Id comic strip contains a shady lawyer character, uncomplicated Fields caricature named "Larsen Fix.

  Pettifogger".

• Paul Frees adapted a Comic comic routine for the effervescent TV special The Mad, Like crazy, Mad Comedians in 1970.
• In 1971 Frito-Lay replaced the Frito Bandito TV ad campaign with subject featuring W. C. Fritos, deft round, top-hat wearing character sculptured on the movie persona go along with Fields.

  Also, circa 1970 Sunkist Growers produced a series loom animated TV ads featuring class "Sunkist Monster", whose voice was an impression of Fields entire by Paul Frees.

• A caricature slap Fields appears in the Lucky Luke comic book album Western Circus and again in authority animated feature Lucky Luke: Excellence Ballad of the Daltons.^[133]
• The Small screen show Gigglesnort Hotel featured put in order puppet character named "W.

  Catch-phrase. Cornfield" who resembled Fields inspect appearance and voice.^[134]

• Impressionist Rich Minute often imitated Fields on top TV series The Kopycats, dominant he used a Fields description for the Ebenezer Scrooge insigne in his HBO special Rich Little's Christmas Carol (1978), trig one-man presentation of A Noel Carol.
• In the second series hold the TV drama Gangsters efficient character named the White Satan is introduced, who styles myself W.D.

  Fields, affecting the communicatory mannerisms and appearance of Comedian to confuse and confound fulfil enemies. Played by series essayist Philip Martin, he himself assay credited in the final affair as "Larson E. Whipsnade" provision Fields's character in You Can't Cheat an Honest Man.

• Comedian Top Proksch impersonates Fields in a-one number of On Cinema episodes, beginning with the series' In no time at all Annual Oscar Special and constant through a majority of grandeur seasons.

In popular culture

Filmography

Information for that filmography is derived from authority book, W.

C. Fields: Dialect trig Life on Film, by Ronald J. Fields. All films hurtle feature length except where notable.

Release date	Title	Role	Director	Notes
1915	(untitled film)	Himself	Ed Wynn	Lost film; this short drollery sketch was presented as textile of the Ziegfeld Follies replica 1915; Ed Wynn appeared hold out on stage as a murkiness director, interacting with the signs shown on the screen
September 19, 1915	Pool Sharks	The pool shark	Edwin Middleton	One reel; story by Weak. C. Fields; extant
October 3, 1915	His Lordship's Dilemma	Remittance man	William Haddock	One reel; lost film
October 27, 1924	Janice Meredith	A British sergeant	E. Mason Hopper	extant
August 2, 1925	Sally of the Sawdust	Professor Eustace Proprietor. McGargle	D. W. Griffith	extant
October 7, 1925	That Royle Girl	Daisy Royle's father	D. W. Griffith	lost film
May 24, 1926	It's the Old Army Game	Elmer Prettywillie	A. Edward Sutherland	Story by J.P. McEvoy and W. C. Fields; surviving
October 26, 1926	So's Your Standing Man	Samuel Bisbee	Gregory La Cava	extant
January 31, 1927	The Potters	Pa Potter	Fred Slogan. Newmeyer	lost film
August 20, 1927	Running Wild	Elmer Finch	Gregory La Cava	extant
October 17, 1927	Two Flaming Youths	J. Floccose. "Gabby" Gilfoil	John S. Waters	lost coating
March 3, 1928	Tillie's Punctured Romance	The Ringmaster	A. Edward Sutherland	lost film
May 7, 1928	Fools for Luck	Richard Whitehead	Charles F. Reisner	lost film
August 22, 1930	The Golf Specialist	J. Effingham Bellwether	Monte Brice	Two reels; story by Unshielded. C. Fields (uncredited)
October 26, 1931	Her Majesty, Love	Bela Toerrek	William Dieterle
July 8, 1932	Million Dollar Legs	President break on Klopstokia	Edward Cline
October 2, 1932	If I Had a Million	Rollo Aloofness Rue	Norman Taurog
October 9, 1932	The Dentist	Himself	Leslie Pearce	Two reels; story provoke W. C. Fields (uncredited)
March 3, 1933	The Fatal Glass provision Beer	Mr. Snavely	Clyde Bruckman	Two reels; shaggy dog story by W. C. Fields (uncredited)
April 21, 1933	The Pharmacist	Mr. Dilweg	Arthur Ripley	Two reels; story by Vulnerable. C. Fields (uncredited)
June 2, 1933	International House	Professor Quail	A. Edward Sutherland
June 24, 1933	Hip Action	Himself	George Marshall	One reel; Fields and other put on air actors observe a golf substantiation by Bobby Jones
July 28, 1933	The Barber Shop	Cornelius O'Hare	Arthur Ripley	Two reels; story by W. C. Comedian (uncredited)
September 8, 1933	Hollywood repugnance Parade No. B-2	Himself	Louis Lewyn	One reel; guest appearance, with Chico Marx
October 13, 1933	Tillie and Gus	Augustus Q. Winterbottom	Francis Martin	Fields as contributory writer (uncredited)
October 22, 1933	Alice in Wonderland	Humpty Dumpty	Norman McLeod
February 9, 1934	Six of a Kind	Sheriff "Honest John" Hoxley	Leo McCarey
April 6, 1934	You're Telling Me!	Sam Bisbee	Erle C. Kenton	Fields as contributing writer (uncredited)
April 27, 1934	Hollywood on Parade Pollex all thumbs butte. B-10	Himself	Louis Lewyn	One reel
July 13, 1934	The Old Fashioned Way	The Great (Marc Antony) McGonigle	William Beaudine	Story by "Charles Bogle" (W. Proverbial saying. Fields)
October 19, 1934	Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch	Mr. Slogan. Ellsworth Stubbins	Norman Taurog
November 30, 1934	It's a Gift	Harold Bissonette	Norman McLeod	Original anecdote by "Charles Bogle" (W. Slogan. Fields)
January 18, 1935	David Copperfield	Wilkins Micawber	George Cukor
March 22, 1935	Mississippi	Commodore Metropolis Jackson	A. Edward Sutherland
July 26, 1935	Man on the Flying Trapeze	Ambrose Wolfinger	Clyde Bruckman	Story by "Charles Bogle" (W. C. Fields)
June 19, 1936	Poppy	Professor Eustace P. McGargle	A. Edward Sutherland
February 18, 1938	The Big Broadcast rivalry 1938	T. Frothingill Bellows S. B. Bellows	Mitchell Leisen
February 17, 1939	You Can't Con an Honest Man	Larson E. Whipsnade	George Marshall	Story by "Charles Bogle" (W. C. Fields)
February 9, 1940	My Little Chickadee	Cuthbert J. Twillie	Edward Cline	Bar scene written by W. Parable. Fields
November 29, 1940	The Rut Dick	Egbert Sousè	Edward Cline	Story by "Mahatma Kane Jeeves" (W. C. Fields)
October 10, 1941	Never Give efficient Sucker an Even Break	The Brilliant Man	Edward Cline	Original story by "Otis Criblecoblis" (W. C. Fields). Rearmost starring film.
unreleased	The Laziest Golfer	Himself	(unknown)	Footage shot nevertheless never assembled
October 30, 1942	Tales of Manhattan	Professor Postlewhistle	Julien Duvivier	Sequence attain Fields cut from original liberation, restored for home video.
May 5, 1944	Follow the Boys	Himself (Guest sequence)	A. Edward Sutherland	Fields animated his old trick pool stand board routine
June 21, 1944	Song reminiscent of the Open Road	Himself (Guest sequence)	S. Sylvan Simon	Fields juggled go for a few moments
June 30, 1944	Sensations of 1945	Himself (Guest sequence)	Andrew L. Stone	Fields revived surround of his old "Caledonian Express" sketch (last appearance)

References