A former juggler, vaudevillian and stage performer whose red, bulbous nose, unique line delivery and propensity for caustic wisecracks made him an international star, W.C. Fields began making regular film appearances in 1924, partly propelled by his successful starring role as Eustace McGargle in the 1923 Broadway musical "Poppy". His innovatively abrasive humor--which included a professed hatred for animals and babies as well as numerous jokes about his love of liquor--came into its own with the arrival of sound. In the 1930s and 40s, often with a story or screenplay provided by himself under a pseudonym, Fields did battle with authority figures and henpecking wives and one-lined his way through such classics as "It's a Gift" (1934), "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" (1935), "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man" (1939), "The Bank Dick" (1940), "My Little Chickadee" (1940) and the almost surrealistically incoherent "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break" (1941). In a rare dramatic role, he also made a perfect Mr. Micawber in George Cukor's memorable adaptation of Charles Dickens' "David Copperfield" (1935). Though often misanthropic, Fields' comic persona was nonetheless popular and sympathetic, earning him a place as one of the greatest screen comics of all time.
- Also Credited As:
Charles Bogle, Mahatma Kane Jeeves, Otis Criblecoblis, William Claude Dukenfield
- Born:
January 29, 1880 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Died:
December 25, 1946.
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Job Titles:
Actor, Comedian, Juggler, Screenwriter, Vaudevillian, Cigar store assistant, Ice delivery boy, Newspaper vendor, Scullery boy
Family
Significant Others
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Companion: Bessie Chatterton Poole. together c. 1914 to c. 1916; gave birth to a son William on August 15, 1917, who later claimed to be Fields' illegitimate son; Fields reportedly paid child support for the boy until 1927 when Poole signed an agreement that William would make no further claims on any future inheritances and swearing that Fields was not the boy's father in return for $20,000 paid by Fields
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Companion: Carlotta Monti. began on-again, off-again relationship with Fields in 1933; detailed their relationship in book "W.C. Fields and Me"; later biographers of Fields disputed many of her claims
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Companion: Fay Adler. together c. 1928 to c. 1933
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Companion: Judith Allen. began short-term relationship in 1934
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Companion: Maude Fenwick. had relationship c. 1916 to c. 1923
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Companion: Mildred L Blackburn. had relationship c. 1923 to c. 1928
Milestones
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1898 Began touring with the Monte Carlo Girls
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1898 Left home just before his 18th birthday and made stage debut peforming in vaudeville in Philadelphia
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1899 NYC debut at Miner's Bowery Theatre (January)
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1900 Solo debut on the Orpheum circuit; began tour in San Francisco
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1901 Embarked on European tour, beginning in Berlin, Germany; later played London and Paris
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1902 Returned to Europe, playing Berlin, Vienna, Prague and London
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1903 Traveled to Australia and then South Africa
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1904 Toured Great Britain; also appeared in France and Italy
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1905 After completing performances in Denmark, Germany and Spain, returned to USA for first time in nearly three years
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1905 Broadway acting debut in "The Ham Tree"; toured with show on and off until 1907
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1907 Resumed vaudeville performances, returning with a juggling act
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1908 Continued to divide time appearing throughout the USA, in Europe, South Africa and Australia
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1915 Film acting debut in short, "Pool Sharks"
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1922 Appeared in Ziegfeld rival George White's "Scandals of 1922"
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1923 Starred as Eustace McGargle on stage in "Poppy"
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1924 Returned to films after nine years; made feature film acting debut in cameo role in "Janice Meredith"
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1925 Began making features for Paramount; first was "That Royle Girl" (no longer extant), directed by Griffith
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1925 Returned to the "Ziegfeld Follies"
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1925 Starred in "Sally of the Sawdust", directed by D.W. Griffith, a film adaptation of the stage play "Poppy"; recreated stage role of Eustace McGargle
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1927 Acted in feature "Running Wild", helmed by Gregory La Cava
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1928 Appeared in Earl Carroll's "Vanities"
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1928 Last Paramount silent, "Fools for Luck" (no longer extant)
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1928 Played the ringmaster in "Tillie's Punctured Romance"
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1930 Again co-starred in Earl Carroll's "Vanities"
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1930 First sound film, the RKO short "The Golf Specialist", recreating routine from the "Ziegfeld Follies of 1918"
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1930 Made final appearances in vaudeville at the Palace Theater
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1931 First sound feature film role, played a barber in "Her Majesty Love"
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1933 Cast as Humpty Dumpty in the screen version of "Alice in Wonderland"
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1933 First film with Baby LeRoy, "Tillie and Gus"
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1933 Radio debut as guest on "California Melodies"
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1934 Provided the stories (under pseudonym Charles Bogle) for "The Old Fashioned Way" and ""It's a Gift"
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1935 Delivered sole career dramatic performance playing Mr. Micawber in the George Cukor-directed "David Copperfield"
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1935 Starred in and provided story for "Man on the Flying Trapeze", a loose remake of "Running Wild"
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1936 Again reprised stage role in "Poppy", a remake of "Sally of the Sawdust"
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1937 Co-starred on the NBC radio program "Chase and Sanborn Hour", alongside Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy
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1938 Last film for Paramount, "The Big Broadcast of 1938"
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1939 Reportedly declined to play the title role in "The Wizard of Oz", feeling the film would be a flop
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1939 Signed on at Universal for more than $100,000 per picture; first vehicle, "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man"
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1940 Starred in the comedy "The Bank Dick"; wrote screenplay under pseudonym Mahatma Kane Jeeves
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1940 Teamed with Mae West for the comedy "My Little Chickadee"; also credited with co-writing screenplay with West
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1941 Last starring vehicle, "Never Give A Sucker an Even Break"; also wrote story under pseudonym Otis Criblecoblis
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1944 Recreated his legendary pool routine in the vaudeville-inspired feature "Follow the Boys"
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1945 Made last feature film appearance in "Sensations of 1945"
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Acted in a series of short films for producer Mack Sennett, including "The Dentist" (1932), "The Fatal Glass of Beer" and "The Pharmacist" (both 1933)
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Became a Broadway headliner with the yearly editions of the "Ziegfeld Follies"
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Debuted at the Follies Bergere in Paris
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Final Broadway performance in "Ballyhoo"
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Raised in the Philadelphia area
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Suffered various alcohol-related illnesses, including cirrhosis of the liver and kidney disease; made attempts to stop drinking but was unsuccessful