Some movie actors are larger than life and have an iconic status that is greater than the films in which they appeared. One such star is WC Fields, a Keyword and Link 3: Replaces the tokens comic actor, Comic Actor, comic actor who entertained on stage, radio and in Hollywood. Even people who have never seen one of his films are familiar with his well known quotes. He was an intelligent and talented man and wrote screenplays for many of his movies. He was synonymous with his screen persona however, playing characters that were often clumsy drunks or con men. The audience warmed to his portrayals, even as he professed to dislike children and animals.
He was born in 1880 in Philadelphia in humble circumstances. The vaudeville halls beckoned him and he left home to pursue his dream. When he was twenty one, he had established himself as a gifted comedy juggler. He would later be inducted into the Juggling Hall of Fame. After touring America, the UK and Europe, WC Fields made his Broadway debut in 1906 in a musical comedy. During his vaudeville days, he was to rub shoulders with future luminaries such as Charlie Chaplin, Sarah Bernhardt and Maurice Chevalier. He performed in every Ziegfield Follies from 1915-1921.
Hollywood was the next stage in his career, acting in one reel and silent movies before progressing to the talkies. There were many memorable roles and Fields made the most of them. He played a fine Humpty-Dumpty in a 1933 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. When director George Cukor chose him to play Mr. Micawber in David Copperfield in 1935, it was an inspired choice and he gave one of his best performances. One of his most famous partnerships was with Mae West when he appeared opposite her in the 1940 comic western, My Little Chickadee.
In contrast to his film alter ego that disliked women, WC fields had a full romantic life. He married a chorus girl named Harriet in 1900 but they separated seven years later, having had a son together. He would later have another son by a girlfriend. His companion for fourteen years until the end of his life was Carlotta Monti, a minor actress. WC Fields died of a stomach hemorrhage in 1946. His witty one liners live on after him and his portly frame and red, bulbous nose are amongst the most recognizable trademarks of any entertainer. Perhaps his appeal has endured because his humor is very cynical and abrasive, a style in keeping with today’s comedians.
