W.C. Fields by Himself by W. C. Fields

Author:W. C. Fields
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781630761721
Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing

PART FIVE

The Movies

1932–1944

In 1915, the thirty-five-year-old Fields performed in front of the camera for the first time in his career. The movie, POOL SHARKS, was not much more than the pool routine he was performing in vaudeville. After that W.C. shied away from film until 1924, when he accepted a small role as a drunken British soldier in the costume romance JANICE MEREDITH. In this same year, however, W.C. attained stardom on Broadway by sharing the spotlight with Madge Kennedy in a “delightful play” named POPPY. One year later, Paramount produced a silent version of the play, SALLY OF THE SAWDUST, keeping W.C. as Professor Eustace McGargle and engaging D. W. Griffith as director. Fields combined pathos with humor as the foster father of the poor young girl, adding his juggling act to keep the laughs rolling.

W.C. Fields made three movies in 1926. THAT ROYLE GIRL, directed by Griffith, called for W.C. to play the role of a kindly crook, without introducing any juggling routines. Edward Sutherland directed W.C. in ITS THE OLD ARMY GAME. There was some hostility between Fields and Sutherland, but these battles subsided in the thirties and the truce brought a lasting friendship. The movie apparently included at least two of W.C.’s follies skits: “The Picnic” and “The Druggist.” Lastly, Fields starred in So’s YOUR OLD MAN, directed by Gregory La Cava, who was to become one of W.C.’s closest friends.

Most of these early movies were produced by Famous Players-Lasky; ARMY GAME was co-produced by Paramount’s Adolph Zukor.

In 1927 W.C. again made three movies: THE POTTERS, in which he played the father of an average family who, through various quirks of fate, became wealthy (needless to say, a constant theme in Fields’ films). RUNNING WILD again brought La Cava and Fields together; this time W.C. depicted a browbeaten, wife-bedraggled husband whose fate once again led him to fortune. TWO FLAMING YOUTHS, Fields’ first association with the veteran Chester Conklin, would prove to be an embryonic version of W.C.’s THE OLD FASHIONED WAY (in fact, most of W.C.’s earlier movies provided scenes, skits or the basic theme for some of his feature films). In 1928, W.C. teamed with Edward Sutherland for the second time in TILLIE’S PUNCTURED ROMANCE, with the plot once again revolving around a circus. Also in 1928, FOOLS FOR LUCK introduced his pool table routine to add gusto to the film, which continued the theme of “get rich quick.”

In 1930, Fields starred in his first “talkie”—THE GOLF SPECIALIST, a two-reeler that presented bits and pieces of his golf routine as performed in the FOLLIES.

In 1931, HER MAJESTY LOVE included W.C.’s juggling act and incorporated the tested triangle of poor daughter, rich man’s son and uncouth father. W.C. juggled everything in sight, including the plot.

The scene under discussion in this next letter occurs in MILLION DOLLAR LEGS (1932), directed by Edward Cline.

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