I remember reading that someone asked Mr Fields how he came to be billed as the World's Greatest Juggler. He answered that it's easy when you are the one printing the posters. Classic!
@@pookah53 I didn't know how talented W.C. Fields was. My father would watch old movies of W.C. Feilds on T.V. when I was a little girl. I can remember my dad laughing until he'd cry.
W.C. is the best & I have shared a couple of his videos. He was reputed to have been caught reading the Bible by a friend who exclaimed “What you Bill?” Supposedly the response was “I’m just searching for loopholes.”
That....and "What is THAT noise?"......oh, those are some "Gipsies" my dear (instead of Gypsies). "It's a Gift" is really one of his greatest. Damn...the scene with the blindman destroying everything in his shop.....masterpiece. There was another great line in one of his films where he is sitting down to play cards and the other player asks , "Is this a game of "chance"?......and Fields goes, "Not the way I play it...."
@@johnlozauskas778 lol 😂 😂 or will say it now that he heard it. I have done the pool stick joke with my kid had him rolling. Of course I took complet credit. Nothing like the love that comes from watching your kid bust out laughing because you make him laugh. Wife would always make pretend jokes were knew and mine. I can still feel her looking out window rolling eyes on road trips. RIP miss you OB , ocean blue eyes.
One of the true giants of American Movie Humor. Many of us boomers discovered him in the mid to late 60's and found him as hip or"hiper" than the comedians of our own generation.
@@rickrick5041 Huh? Seems like he'd have little reason to hope for such a thing since they didn't have home video or TV and once a film finished its theater run it was stuck away or just trashed. In the '70s when I first started seeking Fields films, around half of them were believed to be lost - we're damn lucky that beautiful prints of nearly all have surfaced since then...
Having watched his films on late night TV in the 1950s and 1960s, I and my contemporaries have always considered him the top comedian of the golden age of Hollywood filmmaking. He was a superb conveyor of his craft!
During my sophomore year of high school (10th grade) one of my teachers had a poster of W.C. Fields hanging on the wall of his classroom. The poster featured the image of Fields with the quote, "I never drink water, that's the stuff that rusts pipes." I've always found this so amusing since it was a poster, which actually promoted drinking alcohol over water, hanging in a high school classroom. lol.
@@jessewolf7649 he likely said both. I don't think my teacher would have gotten away with hanging a poster in his classroom that even indicated the word "fxck" on it.
@@eddiemunster4094 it's a funny thing that in my freshman yearbook there is a picture taken of (I believe) the teacher's lounge which says something along the lines of, "This year, even teachers were no longer allowed to smoke on campus." That was the '89-'90 school year.
W.C. Fields was a superstar in his day, he was never underrated. Please, please, boy and girls, just because someone is no longer relevant in today's society, doesn't make them underrated.
no longer relevant? Have you read any of these comments? Field and his comedy are as relevant today as they ever were. I can't think of a reason why you would make such an idiotic statement.
@@rufust.firefly2474 You missed my point. I'm saying he was never underrated! He is no longer relevant in today's movies, but that doesn't mean he is underrated. He will never be forgotten, I am an absolute diehard fan.
Some of the fondest memories of my father involved W.C. Pops was a builder and involved in an horrific accident, where a piece of metal hit him in the head and he fell four stories. It was difficult communicating with him mostly but, in some of his moments of clarity you could have a fantastic time reciting sketches from Fields films. He was a massive fan. Thank you for posting this. A true original and very talented yet underrated comedian.
He was considered for the part but there are three reasons given why he didn’t take it One is he wasn’t going to be the star of the film, two is he wanted way more money than he knew they would be willing to pay him The third is probably the true reason, he just signed with Universal and was gearing up for his own film, You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man.
I met my wife at a W.C Fields show and now once a week we gather around with our children to watch one of his movies. My eldest will be 83 next tuesday
The character attributes he chose (not liking children or the self important) fluidity of his movement (eg. the hat and cane scene) and his linguistic style makes him one of my all time favorites . Great work!
Hats Off Entertainment The story about how he drained the fountain at his home permanently out of guilt and sadness when the neighbors kid drowned in it says how he really felt about children
@@mrnobodyz -All of his physical bits are priceless but one of my favorites is from the beginning of "You're Telling Me" where he gets 5 minutes of "business" out of getting tangled in the decorative doorway cords leading to the living room. He does a brief encore a few minutes later when he leaves the room. I was laughing myself stupid the whole time, and not a word was spoken.
Saturday afternoon on television is where as a kid I learned a love of language from WC Fields. good to see that you are making these mini docs. so much entertainment forgotten
I grew up with Fields in the sense that my father would laugh so hard at his movies he'd be nearly incapacitated by them. And he'd take me to see them back when there were LOTS of small town movie theaters that would run all sorts of old films on the weekends. My favorite of his screw-the-censors words was his reference to Lake Titicaca. And you can imagine how he pronounced it 😂
I grew up watching The Stooges and I'm just now getting into W.C. Fields films. I love this type of stress free comedy of the old days. Getting baked watching W.C. is the most hilarious time ever.
All right, ladies and gentlemen, here is the actual line. It comes from" never give a sucker an even break": Gloria Jean: Uncle Bill, why didn't you ever get married? Fields: I was in love with a beautiful blond once. She drove me to drink. That's the one thing I'm indebted to her for.
His biography is probably the most interesting biography I've read. He was a fascinating man. Self taught, self educated. He was equal parts grumpy S.O.B. and compassionate to those around him. He was the number one box office draw in the 1930's. They didn't just ask him to be the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz, they actually wrote the part for HIM and it you watch Oz you can see how it would have fit his style of humor well.
Bill Fields was not the first choice to play "The Wizard Of Oz"..Clown Ed Wynn was the first choice for the role..but..he turned it down..other performers..who were slated to try for the part were:Victor Moore,Charles Winnenger,Robert Benchley,and Wallace Beery. Wally Beery..could have played the part? but? he was doing other movies at MGM..at the time..and the studio execs wouldn't allow him to take time out to play"The Wizard". Bill Fields wanted to play the role..but? He haggled over his salary..and then? he was signed to write and play the role of circus con man"Larson E.Whipsnade" in"You Can't Cheat An Honest Man"at Universal. So the roles of "The Wizard","Prof.Marvel","The Doorman","The Cabbie" and "The Guard"in "The Emerald City"went to Frank Morgan.
Thank you so much for this! I have asked my executor to play the last few minutes of "Its a Gift" at my memorial. I'll never forget the lines when the farmer says "You're lucky and you didn't know it." and Fields says "I wasn't exactly sure"! The most classic and iconic line that I have every seen in cinema in my 70 years. Thanks again.
I was raised by my grandparents and my gfather was a big WC Fields fan. Retired Phila firefighter who grew up on these same streets in the 40s and 50s. Love ya dad.
I regard that scene as the funniest scene of physical comedy in movie history. After seeing it many times over 50 years, I still laugh till tears come. It’s a difficult film to find. Burns & Allen have top billing, but he steals the show.
I am someone who came across in later in life. His comedy routines, his timing, and by all means, his commentary and one liners are the best. To know his last phrase on earth was the wallpaper goes or I do and then he died is a fitting tribute to the man
As a kid, I grew up watching WC Fields' movies on local television, I would stop whatever I was doing just to fall-down laugh for a few hours. As a much older adult now, I still laugh at his films, but I make sure to remain on the couch when I laugh.
I've adored WC Field's movies for years but never knew he was acclaimed as the worlds best juggler! I fell for him after hearing his line, "Anyone that hates children and dogs can't be all that bad!"
I was excited to see this video pop up. My dad introduced me to W.C. Fields movies when I was young and they are very nostalgic to me for that reason. Not only did I appreciate the humor but I also learned allot from them. I learned about comedic film history and history itself. I'll always have those memories of laughing with dad as he treated and cultured me with these old films. Grateful to Dad, W.C. Fields, and this channel for this video. Thanks.
Great reportage! We thank you. Chaplin, Keaton, and Fields forever solidified the Ancient Greek Cynic Performist Tradition as the hallmark of the genius of American Humor, to which the Marx Brothers, George Burns, Oliver and Hardy, Will Rogers, and just a few others, would provide depth and subtlety while playing the same old tune. Nothing conparable exists today. Thank God much of this celluloid was preserved.
Thank you for this. My mother and her father were huge Fields fans at the time he was making films. Grandpa would spirit Mom away to the theater to catch a film and they'd spend the rest of the day repeating favorite lines....all to the tut-tutting of my grandmother. My mother transferred this Fieldsian enchantment to me and my siblings when I was a young teen -- back in the early 1960s. I can't begin to tell you how many hours we spent watching Fields films on the afternoon matinee channel or late at night. Most of my high school years were spent emulating Fields, mastering his voice, his jokes, his moves. To this day, all it takes is a tip of the hand and a curl of the lip and my brothers and sisters start to laugh, remembering those days when in carefree spirit we roared with laughter at Fields and his antics.
Even though I had heard of him, I was in my 60's before I ever saw an actual clip of W.C. Fields. It was one of those where he was fighting with a small child. I laughed my head off. It was a surprise to me that I had never previously realised just how funny and how much before his time his comedy was. I don't regret waiting till my sixties to discover him, because the discovery has been an unexpected gift.
Contrary to his image of hating children Jackie Cooper told how he entertained youngsters on the studio lot with his juggling an sleight of hand magic. Yet he did hate being upstaged by supporting actors including cute children. ☺
Do you know what he said about martinis? "One's not enough and two is too many!" On stage sets, Fields' code words for his ever-present martini flask was "pineapple juice"; late in his career, stage hands on the set swapped out his martini mixture with real pineapple juice -- it was reported that Fields was later heard bellowing "WHO PUT PINEAPPLE JUICE IN MY 'PINEAPPLE JUICE'??!!" 🍍🍸🌠
Most interesting and informative. As a lifetime fan, now 87, I am always delighted to recommend this to younger viewers. Most grateful to you. May, 2023.
When I was in college, a friend and I used to watch W.C. Fields movies every night on KTLA Channel 5 in L.A. After awhile we both started talking like him, even in public. That lasted for 3 or 4 months but finally we snapped out of it. Those were the days!
Not the same but... i was jogging behind some Pacer girls ( local strip classy joint ) who were exercising . "Somehow I ended up swaying my hip back and forth just like them as I followed them. Not so terrible price to pay to admire human nature.
I would also watch W. C. Fields on KTLA-5, often on it's "Movies Til Dawn" showing Fields, Burns &Allen, Bob Hope, Preston Sturges films, Mae West, and the Marx Bros.
Thank you for your channel, I have watched this 3 year old video a lot, you’re the reason for my love of WC Fields now. My parents would always show me old films, everything really. But comedies were always the three stooges, Laurel and hardy and Abbott and Costello, with other films that didn’t have a pigeon-holed comedy star(s), like a Cary Grant comedy. With your channel I have dug deep into WC fields and roscoe arbuckle. I will forever be in your debt for that, much appreciation.
He was important enough to my parents that they made sure my first initials are w.c. I definitely appreciate his work and the Bank Dick is one of my favorite movies.
@@SoylentThulhu In this particular case , I am pretty sure it was not random. Especially with his art of turning a phrase and his particular type of humor. WC ws way more common used for water closet back then.
I've always loved W.C. Fields. My perfect Saturday is home alone, lights out, cold beer in hand and W.C. Fields on the TV. That's the 2 hour recharge a man can get......
Fields was indeed a comic genus. I'm sitting here rewatching clips from movies I've seen a number of times, laughing my ears off. He was outrageous, Avant guard for his time...his stick is funnier than what's being produced today. Field's delivery and timing were prefect, his physical gags flawless. My favorite line is when he looks at an old lady, an aspiring actress and says as an aside "All made up like a well kept grave". Two greatest people out of Philadelphia: Ben Franklin and WC Fields! (My family was was Philly, too)
Love WC Fields. His influence is immense in the World of comedy. I’d say he’s still pretty well known among movie buffs, but certainly not at the level as he should be.
The narrator says that Fields' movies were some of the greatest in that era. His films are some of the best in that era, this era, and future ones to come.
I am a little bit surprised that you didn't mention that he was part of the inspiration behind the Mr. Magoo cartoon character! His influence on other creative people definitely left a legacy that goes beyond just his films.
I been a fan of the man for over five decades now. He is a comic genius. And this video in his honor got you an instant sub. W.C. Fields the original Gonzo.
What a wonderful icon. So far ahead of his time, teaching something we could all benefit from. Dont settle for status-quo. Well behaved women rarely make history. Challenge authority, within reason and do it with a laugh. Certainly my new hero, thank you for keeping this amazing man's legacy alive for future generations to learn a thing or two from.
Another good 'un, Joe - thanks! I agree with you about It's a Gift. It's my favorite Fields movie. That epic sequence where he's trying to take a nap on the balcony of his apartment, and is interrupted by a parade of obnoxious and annoying people, is one of my favorite film sequences of all time. Annoying Man: Well the fella I'm talking about is a railroad man, he leaves home very early in the morning." Fields: "Then he's a fool."
I happened to see that movie on TCM about 6 months ago, channel hopping and came across it,absolutely fantastic and it has a magical power to hold one's attention. I really enjoyed it. God bless the man. Classic. 🙂😄
I worked 30 years as a Vegetable Gentleman....ie produce clerk.....and whenever we got kumquats in ( about 4 weeks per year) I would relive that scene in my mind .....2 times I actually heard customers repeating "What About My Kumquats!!!"... Outloud to themselves...both times I waited a minute or two....and then came up to the customer and inquired...." Do you know a Mr. Carl La Fong?"....
@@antilogism No, I don't think so - Groucho wasn't much of a drinker. Some have attributed it to Dorothy Parker, but there doesn't seem to be good evidence for any particular story at this point
A very underrated comedic genius, I enjoyed watching his movies with my father as a youngster and I still enjoy his movies now with my children and grand children and am 75 years old now. Never get tired of watching the Diner sketch!!!
My music teacher (back in elementary school) had a caricature of W.C. Fields displayed on his office wall. The caption stated: "Anyone who hates music *and* children, can't be *all* bad."
Such a touching gesture to call attention to past greatness ... it seems that no one cares to peer into those times through film these days. Thank You for taking the time and expending the effort. The cartoons of Ub Iwerks are another example of true treasures that are slipping into obscurity ... watching 'Humpty Dumpty Jr.' is an EXCELLENT way to spend 6 or 7 minutes (or how ever many it is) 🙂.
A not talked about enough comedy legend. His movies are great examples of his comedy, but also worthy of note are his short features. One of me and my brothers favorite moments from them is one where he's out golfing with some friends, and you can imagine what he gets up to in the scene, but all the frustration culminates in him throwing his clubs into the drink (while the ambient sounds make it seem like ducks are laughing at his misses) and one of his mates comes up and says "now you can't do that!" And Fields says "whattya mean I can't do that? Why i can do anything I wanna do" (while shoving the caddy into the water as well!)
I remember reading that someone asked Mr Fields how he came to be billed as the World's Greatest Juggler. He answered that it's easy when you are the one printing the posters.
Classic!
He was, quite legitimately, a top-notch juggler in his day - a vaudeville headliner all over the world
🤣😆🤣😆🤣😆👍🎩
He was also a talented cartoonist and graphic artist who created his own vaudeville posters.
@@pookah53 I didn't know how talented W.C. Fields was. My father would watch old movies of W.C. Feilds on T.V. when I was a little girl. I can remember my dad laughing until he'd cry.
@David Henderson for those who haven't seen WC juggling, you tube it.. he was terrific
W.C. Fields was a comic genius and one of the pioneers of film. He is highly underrated.
He was not underrated at all......anyone that even partially thinks that.....is an idiot......
Agree
Underrated?
@@CowRecordsSanDiego It's a word that's overrated.
yes@@CowRecordsSanDiego
"It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to." - WC Fields
That´s a very wise saying. Wish I had the memory to be able to recall wise sayings on demand, but I don´t.
Point: No whining.
@@jaelge don't sell yourself short: If you have the fortitude to acknowledge and address your faults, you are ahead of most people.
So, so fitting for our day.
Ain't that the truth!?!?!??!!
Even today at age 74 I still cackle like a hyenna when I watch him. He was the comic genius of his time!
W.C. is the best & I have shared a couple of his videos. He was reputed to have been caught reading the Bible by a friend who exclaimed “What you Bill?” Supposedly the response was “I’m just searching for loopholes.”
“She ran right in front of the car” will never, ever get old to me, it makes me giggle every time.
You beat me to it. What husband/father hasn't said something similar?!?!
That....and "What is THAT noise?"......oh, those are some "Gipsies" my dear (instead of Gypsies). "It's a Gift" is really one of his greatest. Damn...the scene with the blindman destroying everything in his shop.....masterpiece.
There was another great line in one of his films where he is sitting down to play cards and the other player asks , "Is this a game of "chance"?......and Fields goes, "Not the way I play it...."
I fall back on lines like that when having difficulties at work. Short and sweet.
@@johnlozauskas778 lol 😂 😂 or will say it now that he heard it. I have done the pool stick joke with my kid had him rolling. Of course I took complet credit. Nothing like the love that comes from watching your kid bust out laughing because you make him laugh. Wife would always make pretend jokes were knew and mine. I can still feel her looking out window rolling eyes on road trips. RIP miss you OB , ocean blue eyes.
I was delighted with Fields as a child and even more so at 75. Brilliant comedian!
My father wrote, " W.C. Fields- An Annotated Guide". In the 80s, he had the worlds largest original Fields collection. I have some of it now.
@@jisungrocks5871 You clearly had an extraordinary Dad! You have creative gold at your fingertips!
@randallreed9048 Very kind of you! Thank you! Yes, my father was an extraordinary fellow! I miss him dearly.
One of the true giants of American Movie Humor. Many of us boomers discovered him in the mid to late 60's and found him as hip or"hiper" than the comedians of our own generation.
I wondered if W. C. Fields ever thought people would still enjoy watching and learning about him 140 years after he was born?
Great comment.
I sure hope so.
Yes
Charles Hall Yes. He often talked about it
@@rickrick5041 Huh? Seems like he'd have little reason to hope for such a thing since they didn't have home video or TV and once a film finished its theater run it was stuck away or just trashed. In the '70s when I first started seeking Fields films, around half of them were believed to be lost - we're damn lucky that beautiful prints of nearly all have surfaced since then...
Having watched his films on late night TV in the 1950s and 1960s, I and my contemporaries have always considered him the top comedian of the golden age of Hollywood filmmaking. He was a superb conveyor of his craft!
He has the wittiest tongue I have ever heard . I love his dark sarcasm.
I do too!
Mae West will put you any place you want to be.
One of Fields most laconic quips was, "Children are best when well cooked."
During my sophomore year of high school (10th grade) one of my teachers had a poster of W.C. Fields hanging on the wall of his classroom. The poster featured the image of Fields with the quote, "I never drink water, that's the stuff that rusts pipes." I've always found this so amusing since it was a poster, which actually promoted drinking alcohol over water, hanging in a high school classroom. lol.
Political correctness ended that seems so different now I remember cigarette vending machines 🤣
I believe he actually said re water: “I never touch the stuff, fish f..k in it”.
@@jessewolf7649 he likely said both. I don't think my teacher would have gotten away with hanging a poster in his classroom that even indicated the word "fxck" on it.
@@eddiemunster4094 it's a funny thing that in my freshman yearbook there is a picture taken of (I believe) the teacher's lounge which says something along the lines of, "This year, even teachers were no longer allowed to smoke on campus." That was the '89-'90 school year.
😂🤣😆😀😅😁😃😀
W.C. Fields... I can't honestly agree enough. This guy is a legend and is underrated.
Foxiest Boxes not underrated, but forgotten.
WC Fields forgotten?? Not as long as I'm around!
W.C. Fields was a superstar in his day, he was never underrated. Please, please, boy and girls, just because someone is no longer relevant in today's society, doesn't make them underrated.
no longer relevant? Have you read any of these comments? Field and his comedy are as relevant today as they ever were. I can't think of a reason why you would make such an idiotic statement.
@@rufust.firefly2474 You missed my point. I'm saying he was never underrated! He is no longer relevant in today's movies, but that doesn't mean he is underrated. He will never be forgotten, I am an absolute diehard fan.
Some of the fondest memories of my father involved W.C.
Pops was a builder and involved in an horrific accident, where a piece of metal hit him in the head and he fell four stories. It was difficult communicating with him mostly but, in some of his moments of clarity you could have a fantastic time reciting sketches from Fields films. He was a massive fan.
Thank you for posting this. A true original and very talented yet underrated comedian.
So sorry to hear about your father. He sounds like a great guy.
Are you sure your father's injury wasn't something genetic he passed on to you?
He would have been a great Wizard of Oz, "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, my dear, you bother me."
My thoughts as well, the part seems written for him.
He was considered for the part but there are three reasons given why he didn’t take it
One is he wasn’t going to be the star of the film, two is he wanted way more money than he knew they would be willing to pay him
The third is probably the true reason, he just signed with Universal and was gearing up for his own film, You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man.
@@skelelator Ah, but he would have been the greatest Wizard of them all. A truly benign, lovable, affable Humbug.
@@sinisterthoughts2896 It was - much of the language was designed for Fields - particularly the Professor Marvel bits
On the other hand, Frank Morgan did an excellent job with the part
I met my wife at a W.C Fields show and now once a week we gather around with our children to watch one of his movies. My eldest will be 83 next tuesday
Lmao
How are you still alive lol, or are you?? Lol
The character attributes he chose (not liking children or the self important) fluidity of his movement (eg. the hat and cane scene) and his linguistic style makes him one of my all time favorites . Great work!
Thanks for watching!
Hats Off Entertainment The story about how he drained the fountain at his home permanently out of guilt and sadness when the neighbors kid drowned in it says how he really felt about children
Yeah! I’m 58 and I’ve been practicing some of his easier moves for 40 years and still haven’t mastered them.
You really hit the nail on the head.
@@mrnobodyz -All of his physical bits are priceless but one of my favorites is from the beginning of "You're Telling Me" where he gets 5 minutes of "business" out of getting tangled in the decorative doorway cords leading to the living room. He does a brief encore a few minutes later when he leaves the room. I was laughing myself stupid the whole time, and not a word was spoken.
Saturday afternoon on television is where as a kid I learned a love of language from WC Fields. good to see that you are making these mini docs. so much entertainment forgotten
"Is this a game of chance?"
"Not the way I play it."
One of my favorite WCF lines....
@@jfan4reva Mine too.
W.C. Fields died on Dec 25th 1946.
" Any one who hates dogs and kids can't be all bad",
" Get away from me kid, you bother me."
I grew up with Fields in the sense that my father would laugh so hard at his movies he'd be nearly incapacitated by them. And he'd take me to see them back when there were LOTS of small town movie theaters that would run all sorts of old films on the weekends. My favorite of his screw-the-censors words was his reference to Lake Titicaca. And you can imagine how he pronounced it 😂
Sidekick: "why don't you get her a pet, women are crazy about pets" Fields: "they're just crazy, pets have nothing to do with it"
I grew up watching The Stooges and I'm just now getting into W.C. Fields films. I love this type of stress free comedy of the old days. Getting baked watching W.C. is the most hilarious time ever.
"It was a woman who drove me to drink, and I never even thanked her."
Apocryphal. just just a joke and sounded as though field would have said it and so was attributed to him.
profnasty The accurate quote is “fish function in it”
Damn I forgot that great line. Thanks for reminding me.
Glad your a fan of William Claude the 'Greatest Juggler in the World' He said' A woman drove me to drink and I've been indebted to her ever since!
All right, ladies and gentlemen, here is the actual line. It comes from" never give a sucker an even break":
Gloria Jean: Uncle Bill, why didn't you ever get married?
Fields: I was in love with a beautiful blond once. She drove me to drink. That's the one thing I'm indebted to her for.
His biography is probably the most interesting biography I've read. He was a fascinating man. Self taught, self educated. He was equal parts grumpy S.O.B. and compassionate to those around him. He was the number one box office draw in the 1930's. They didn't just ask him to be the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz, they actually wrote the part for HIM and it you watch Oz you can see how it would have fit his style of humor well.
Good point I could picture him saying don't pay any attention to the man behind the curtain .
BRILLIANT REPLY ... THERE IS AN 'ART' IN GRUMPY.
The guy they got even looked a bit like Fields.
Bill Fields was not the first choice to play "The Wizard Of Oz"..Clown Ed Wynn was the first choice for the role..but..he turned it down..other performers..who were slated to try for the part were:Victor Moore,Charles Winnenger,Robert Benchley,and Wallace Beery. Wally Beery..could have played the part? but? he was doing other movies at MGM..at the time..and the studio execs wouldn't allow him to take time out to play"The Wizard". Bill Fields wanted to play the role..but? He haggled over his salary..and then? he was signed to write and play the role of circus con man"Larson E.Whipsnade" in"You Can't Cheat An Honest Man"at Universal. So the roles of "The Wizard","Prof.Marvel","The Doorman","The Cabbie" and "The Guard"in "The Emerald City"went to Frank Morgan.
@@kevinbutler1955NYC
"Marriage, my boy, is like a big banquet with desert at the beginning".
Desert or dessert?
@@vashon100 dessert! :)
Source? Never heard that one before
I'm with you on that
Wcfields
I have seen films of W.C. Fields juggling. He was absolutely amazing. He did things that I have never seen anyone else duplicate.
Can't confirm this, but you gotta believe he was one of Rodney Dangerfield's biggest influences.
I could believe that .
John Cleese as well - Cleese has said as much
Robin loved Jonathan Winters. fact.
That actually sounds about right.
it might not be a fact but i also know this is true Well said JMD. stay safe and stay healthy
Love how Shemp Howard is playing the bartender in the beginning.
I spend half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted.
- W.C. Fields -
Hello there. Now that’s funny.
Amber Lopez who as a child lived in Wheatland, WY?
Have to remind myself of this constantly.
Thought that was George Best...
Huba de huba de huba de .
How dooo you do ?
Pretty lady.
The funniest human being I've encountered in 70 years on this planet. Pure genius.
I sometimes yell "Kumquats! Kumquats" At the grocery store. My wife no longer goes with me
😂
"QUATS! QUATS!!!"
ME TOO!!! hahahaha
Uhh, 2 quats?
"What about my Kumquats!"
If ever I have to race off to attend to something I'll shout "Kumquats".
Love me some W. C. Fields, great to see him get his just respect
Thank you so much for this! I have asked my executor to play the last few minutes of "Its a Gift" at my memorial. I'll never forget the lines when the farmer says "You're lucky and you didn't know it." and Fields says "I wasn't exactly sure"! The most classic and iconic line that I have every seen in cinema in my 70 years. Thanks again.
the scene in the diner with the rotund waitress in Never Give a s Sucker an Even Break is a classic
Fields, watching the waitress walk away: there's something very big about you too...
She reminds me of Mimi from the Drew Carey show. Or maybe it's Mimi who reminds us of the waitress.
Lights a match off the guys rear end !
The actress who played the waitress was Jody Gilbert.
“The flies get the best of everything ........go away, go away.”
There was no one better than W. C. not even a close second to him.
The Great Man. Nobody like him, before or since. Genius on every level.
I wholeheartedly agree. What a talent. ❤
There were outstanding comedic talents from the Golden Era of Hollywood - and W.C. Fields is the KING of legends among them.
"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with".
this is my ,,life. fukit.
@Richard Wagner your tooth-less mother,,said a different tale,,,badda boom.
@Richard Wagner My wife is so lonely,an sad. She hired 3 pool guy's. We have no swimming pool.
@Richard Wagner my dog ,,gave Himself to a shelter. My kids followed the dog.
@Richard Wagner asked my wife for a. christmas gift. She said,,"how about i don't Shoot you?."
Truly brilliant, "It's A Gift" is still one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Only Fields could say, "I hate you" and make it sound hilarious.
Daffy Duck could too~
@@macswanton9622 LOL Good point, although Daffy was better known for "You're despicable".
@@johnstevenson9956 The "Wabbit Season - Duck Season - Wabbit Season...." BOOM! "You're despicable!!!" cartoon is 1 of the very best! 🤣🤣🤣
"It's A Gift" is my personal favorite.
Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water.
@Agent J you don't know WC Fields very well do you?
@Agent J I can tell you're a trump voter
@@dj33036 so u admit u voted for creepy Joe?
@@bigbird2170 I'm proud that I voted for Joe Biden me and 82 million other people
@Stacy Gorham Trump is on his way to jail! Lock him up!
I was raised by my grandparents and my gfather was a big WC Fields fan. Retired Phila firefighter who grew up on these same streets in the 40s and 50s. Love ya dad.
It’s A Gift is one of the greatest Comedy Movies ever produced. Just about perfect....
The billiard scene in “Six of a Kind” where he explains how he got the name “Honest John” is brilliant and always makes me laugh.
I regard that scene as the funniest scene of physical comedy in movie history. After seeing it many times over 50 years, I still laugh till tears come. It’s a difficult film to find. Burns & Allen have top billing, but he steals the show.
“Go away kid, you bother me.”
I don't believe fields ever said this and I've been watching his films ever since I was a kid.
I used to say this in a Fields voice when one of my five children got too clingy lol.
That's a line that was always attributed to a Carnival Barker. Fields never said it although he played Carnival barkers.
@@rufust.firefly2474 It was in a radio show, never saw a film version. I had a cassette recording about 20yrs ago.
That was reprised by Jim Carrey in The Mask.
I am someone who came across in later in life. His comedy routines, his timing, and by all means, his commentary and one liners are the best. To know his last phrase on earth was the wallpaper goes or I do and then he died is a fitting tribute to the man
That was Oscar Wilde.
@@georgestreng OMG you are right! I always confuse Oscar Wilde with WC fields statement “I'm looking for a loophole.” As he flipped through the Bible
When asked what he wanted on his tombstone he replied " On the whole, I rather be here than in Philadelphia."
My father and I always quote him when we want to make eachother laugh! I've seen almost every film he was in and they are all so funny and amazing 😂
As a kid, I grew up watching WC Fields' movies on local television, I would stop whatever I was doing just to fall-down laugh for a few hours. As a much older adult now, I still laugh at his films, but I make sure to remain on the couch when I laugh.
I, Have lived my life on the basis of one of his quotes:
*“I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally. ”*
a person dislikes kids or animals cant be that bad of a person
...you can't tear that out of me! No segregation, separation just me and my world of enemies!
Decades have gone by...until now, I never knew who this quote was from...thanks!
The Unknown Gamer .
My favorite is I could never be a member of a club that would have me as a member!
I've adored WC Field's movies for years but never knew he was acclaimed as the worlds best juggler!
I fell for him after hearing his line, "Anyone that hates children and dogs can't be all that bad!"
I was excited to see this video pop up. My dad introduced me to W.C. Fields movies when I was young and they are very nostalgic to me for that reason. Not only did I appreciate the humor but I also learned allot from them. I learned about comedic film history and history itself. I'll always have those memories of laughing with dad as he treated and cultured me with these old films. Grateful to Dad, W.C. Fields, and this channel for this video. Thanks.
I glad you had a good relationship with your dad...my dad hated me
Great reportage! We thank you. Chaplin, Keaton, and Fields forever solidified the Ancient Greek Cynic Performist Tradition as the hallmark of the genius of American Humor, to which the Marx Brothers, George Burns, Oliver and Hardy, Will Rogers, and just a few others, would provide depth and subtlety while playing the same old tune. Nothing conparable exists today. Thank God much of this celluloid was preserved.
You forgot Gracie Allen.
God I love that guy. He was the one and only. They don't make the likes of him anymore.
It's A Gift is his gift to us. "Whattaya mean I don't love ya!"
Not for about 140 years now
👌
Thank you for this. My mother and her father were huge Fields fans at the time he was making films. Grandpa would spirit Mom away to the theater to catch a film and they'd spend the rest of the day repeating favorite lines....all to the tut-tutting of my grandmother. My mother transferred this Fieldsian enchantment to me and my siblings when I was a young teen -- back in the early 1960s. I can't begin to tell you how many hours we spent watching Fields films on the afternoon matinee channel or late at night. Most of my high school years were spent emulating Fields, mastering his voice, his jokes, his moves. To this day, all it takes is a tip of the hand and a curl of the lip and my brothers and sisters start to laugh, remembering those days when in carefree spirit we roared with laughter at Fields and his antics.
once you start doing an imitation of his voice it's very hard to stop.
Ah yessss
Even though I had heard of him, I was in my 60's before I ever saw an actual clip of W.C. Fields. It was one of those where he was fighting with a small child. I laughed my head off. It was a surprise to me that I had never previously realised just how funny and how much before his time his comedy was. I don't regret waiting till my sixties to discover him, because the discovery has been an unexpected gift.
Indeed.
_Better late, than never._
'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.'
Jamie Spinks 🙂😂🤣
If at first you don't succeed, suck, suck again!
Thank you for showcasing this cutting edge ( at the time ) actor. Still so much fun to watch. Thanks for the entertainment W.C.
A comedy genius! I wish I could go back in time and have a drink with him, but I’m sure that I’d bother him. Unless I was buying!
Contrary to his image of hating children Jackie Cooper told how he entertained youngsters on the studio lot with his juggling an sleight of hand magic. Yet he did hate being upstaged by supporting actors including cute children. ☺
Do you know what he said about martinis? "One's not enough and two is too many!"
On stage sets, Fields' code words for his ever-present martini flask was "pineapple juice"; late in his career, stage hands on the set swapped out his martini mixture with real pineapple juice -- it was reported that Fields was later heard bellowing "WHO PUT PINEAPPLE JUICE IN MY 'PINEAPPLE JUICE'??!!" 🍍🍸🌠
Most interesting and informative. As a lifetime fan, now 87, I am always delighted to recommend this to younger viewers. Most grateful to you. May, 2023.
An absolute and total comedy genius!! His movies are just terrific!!
When I was in college, a friend and I used to watch W.C. Fields movies every night on KTLA Channel 5 in L.A. After awhile we both started talking like him, even in public. That lasted for 3 or 4 months but finally we snapped out of it. Those were the days!
Not the same but... i was jogging behind some Pacer girls ( local strip classy joint ) who were exercising . "Somehow I ended up swaying my hip back and forth just like them as I followed them. Not so terrible price to pay to admire human nature.
I would also watch W. C. Fields on KTLA-5, often on it's "Movies Til Dawn" showing Fields, Burns &Allen, Bob Hope, Preston Sturges films, Mae West, and the Marx Bros.
I have almost every full length and short film of him. Have been watching his stuff for over fifty years
Incredibly talented man. Much misunderstood I think. Made me cry with laughter. An absolute genius at slapstick. RIP 🙏🏼
Thank you for your channel, I have watched this 3 year old video a lot, you’re the reason for my love of WC Fields now. My parents would always show me old films, everything really. But comedies were always the three stooges, Laurel and hardy and Abbott and Costello, with other films that didn’t have a pigeon-holed comedy star(s), like a Cary Grant comedy. With your channel I have dug deep into WC fields and roscoe arbuckle. I will forever be in your debt for that, much appreciation.
He was important enough to my parents that they made sure my first initials are w.c. I definitely appreciate his work and the Bank Dick is one of my favorite movies.
you do know "W . C is also meant for bathroom. lol
@@trevormiles5852 you do know every abbreviation has the potential to mean hundreds of different things. lol
@@SoylentThulhu In this particular case , I am pretty sure it was not random. Especially with his art of turning a phrase and his particular type of humor. WC ws way more common used for water closet back then.
@@trevormiles5852 in this case it's for his actual name, but sure I'm a toilet if that makes you feel better
@@trevormiles5852 It's Water Closet.
Great stuff people should wake up to this gem of a man
I've always loved W.C. Fields. My perfect Saturday is home alone, lights out, cold beer in hand and W.C. Fields on the TV. That's the 2 hour recharge a man can get......
His comedy timeless, one of the greats.
The Mr. Muckle scene is unsurpassed comic genius.
Fields was indeed a comic genus. I'm sitting here rewatching clips from movies I've seen a number of times, laughing my ears off. He was outrageous, Avant guard for his time...his stick is funnier than what's being produced today. Field's delivery and timing were prefect, his physical gags flawless. My favorite line is when he looks at an old lady, an aspiring actress and says as an aside "All made up like a well kept grave". Two greatest people out of Philadelphia: Ben Franklin and WC Fields! (My family was was Philly, too)
“There are burglars singing in the basement.” always cracks me up.
My favorite quote of his. “I Love Children... baked, boiled , or fried
Love WC Fields. His influence is immense in the World of comedy. I’d say he’s still pretty well known among movie buffs, but certainly not at the level as he should be.
Youngsters need to understand who the imitated voice they hear in cartoons, etc is from! Cultural history...and of a "rebellious" character, to boot!
The narrator says that Fields' movies were some of the greatest in that era. His films are some of the best in that era, this era, and future ones to come.
I am a little bit surprised that you didn't mention that he was part of the inspiration behind the Mr. Magoo cartoon character! His influence on other creative people definitely left a legacy that goes beyond just his films.
I been a fan of the man for over five decades now. He is a comic genius. And this video in his honor got you an instant sub. W.C. Fields the original Gonzo.
Thank you, thank you for introducing me to this hilarious man.
im 69 and started watching w.c fields movies in the early 60s, they are all great
What a wonderful icon. So far ahead of his time, teaching something we could all benefit from. Dont settle for status-quo. Well behaved women rarely make history. Challenge authority, within reason and do it with a laugh. Certainly my new hero, thank you for keeping this amazing man's legacy alive for future generations to learn a thing or two from.
The Greatest American Comedian of All Time!
One of the best. Even your short documentary had me howling with laughter. Always been a fan of WC Fields 😂
Thanks for uploading this video, I have always been a huge fan of W.C. Fields!
Wow! All this time, and no one has said he "was the most underrated"?
Even at 74, he was "before my time" and I've never known much about him though I've always known of him. Thank you!
He always reminds me of a couple of my great uncles. I used to laugh at their antics when I was a young girl.
Great to see this wonderfully made tribute to the phenominally unique and brilliant tallant of WC. Field.
Another good 'un, Joe - thanks! I agree with you about It's a Gift. It's my favorite Fields movie. That epic sequence where he's trying to take a nap on the balcony of his apartment, and is interrupted by a parade of obnoxious and annoying people, is one of my favorite film sequences of all time. Annoying Man: Well the fella I'm talking about is a railroad man, he leaves home very early in the morning." Fields: "Then he's a fool."
Thanks for watching!
I happened to see that movie on TCM about 6 months ago, channel hopping and came across it,absolutely fantastic and it has a magical power to hold one's attention. I really enjoyed it. God bless the man. Classic. 🙂😄
Oh, Mr. Vegetable Gentleman!
I worked 30 years as a Vegetable Gentleman....ie produce clerk.....and whenever we got kumquats in ( about 4 weeks per year) I would relive that scene in my mind .....2 times I actually heard customers repeating "What About My Kumquats!!!"... Outloud to themselves...both times I waited a minute or two....and then came up to the customer and inquired...." Do you know a Mr. Carl La Fong?"....
@@galessi1226 Capital L small A Capital F small O small N small G Carl LaFong?
One of the first comedy genius on stage and film!!!!!!!!!
He had extraordinary wit and was a comedic genius with incredible delivery.
LOVED him and especially when he played with Mae West!!! ❤❤
"I rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy."
Funny, I always knew it as, “I’d rather have a free bottle in front of me than a pre-frontal lobotomy”.
@@toddklempan105 Me too!
Not a Fields quote, though
@@TheloniousCube Groucho---I think.
@@antilogism No, I don't think so - Groucho wasn't much of a drinker. Some have attributed it to Dorothy Parker, but there doesn't seem to be good evidence for any particular story at this point
A very underrated comedic genius, I enjoyed watching his movies with my father as a youngster and I still enjoy his movies now with my children and grand children and am 75 years old now. Never get tired of watching the Diner sketch!!!
You did an EXCELLENT job capturing the essence of this most gifted of comedians... Bravo, sir!
I found DVDs of his work for my grandfather years ago and we watched them together! He was awesome! I also found dvds of our gang!
My music teacher (back in elementary school) had a caricature of W.C. Fields displayed on his office wall. The caption stated: "Anyone who hates music *and* children, can't be *all* bad."
Such a touching gesture to call attention to past greatness ... it seems that no one cares to peer into those times through film these days. Thank You for taking the time and expending the effort. The cartoons of Ub Iwerks are another example of true treasures that are slipping into obscurity ... watching 'Humpty Dumpty Jr.' is an EXCELLENT way to spend 6 or 7 minutes (or how ever many it is) 🙂.
A not talked about enough comedy legend. His movies are great examples of his comedy, but also worthy of note are his short features.
One of me and my brothers favorite moments from them is one where he's out golfing with some friends, and you can imagine what he gets up to in the scene, but all the frustration culminates in him throwing his clubs into the drink (while the ambient sounds make it seem like ducks are laughing at his misses) and one of his mates comes up and says "now you can't do that!" And Fields says "whattya mean I can't do that? Why i can do anything I wanna do" (while shoving the caddy into the water as well!)
I WATCHED W.C. WHEN I WAS A KID. HE ALWAYS MADE ME LAUGH. I LOVE HIM.
He still makes me laugh, "are you short or are you standing in a hole?"
thats good!!!!