W.C. Fields | The Art of Offense | A Docu-Mini

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 19. 07. 2020
  • A profile of one of my favorite film comedians - the great W.C. Fields.
    W.C. Fields' feature films are owned by Universal Pictures. Purchase here:
    shop.tcm.com/w-c-fields-comed...
    Support our channel:
    / hatsoffentertainment
    Written, Edited and Compiled by Joe Ramoni
    / joeramoni
    Music Provided by:
    Incompetech.com
    For all inquiries please visit:
    hatsoffent.com
  • Zábava

Komentáře • 1,7K

  • @cdldriver2348
    @cdldriver2348 Před 3 lety +607

    I wondered if W. C. Fields ever thought people would still enjoy watching and learning about him 140 years after he was born?

    • @guts_4534
      @guts_4534 Před 3 lety +17

      Great comment.

    • @indigogoigorgo7992
      @indigogoigorgo7992 Před 3 lety +15

      I sure hope so.

    • @susancarr9955
      @susancarr9955 Před 3 lety +9

      Yes

    • @rickrick5041
      @rickrick5041 Před 3 lety +2

      Charles Hall Yes. He often talked about it

    • @kenlieck7756
      @kenlieck7756 Před 3 lety +22

      @@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...

  • @stenoch
    @stenoch Před 3 lety +378

    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!

    • @TheloniousCube
      @TheloniousCube Před 3 lety +21

      He was, quite legitimately, a top-notch juggler in his day - a vaudeville headliner all over the world

    • @stephenpemberton9943
      @stephenpemberton9943 Před 3 lety +10

      🤣😆🤣😆🤣😆👍🎩

    • @pookah53
      @pookah53 Před rokem +13

      He was also a talented cartoonist and graphic artist who created his own vaudeville posters.

    • @patriciawright8786
      @patriciawright8786 Před rokem +10

      @@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.

    • @williamcassidy3824
      @williamcassidy3824 Před rokem +1

      @David Henderson for those who haven't seen WC juggling, you tube it.. he was terrific

  • @garylancaster2031
    @garylancaster2031 Před rokem +35

    Even today at age 74 I still cackle like a hyenna when I watch him. He was the comic genius of his time!

  • @1notgilty
    @1notgilty Před 3 lety +248

    W.C. Fields was a comic genius and one of the pioneers of film. He is highly underrated.

  • @anne7441
    @anne7441 Před 3 lety +284

    "It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to." - WC Fields

    • @jaelge
      @jaelge Před 2 lety +6

      That´s a very wise saying. Wish I had the memory to be able to recall wise sayings on demand, but I don´t.

    • @peterthurman9384
      @peterthurman9384 Před 2 lety +2

      Point: No whining.

    • @peterthurman9384
      @peterthurman9384 Před 2 lety +4

      @@jaelge don't sell yourself short: If you have the fortitude to acknowledge and address your faults, you are ahead of most people.

    • @rccc5806
      @rccc5806 Před rokem

      So, so fitting for our day.

    • @mawi1172
      @mawi1172 Před rokem +1

      Ain't that the truth!?!?!??!!

  • @andrewSPgaynor
    @andrewSPgaynor Před 8 měsíci +6

    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

  • @davehutchins2820
    @davehutchins2820 Před rokem +42

    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.

  • @skyden24195
    @skyden24195 Před rokem +97

    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.

    • @eddiemunster4094
      @eddiemunster4094 Před rokem +10

      Political correctness ended that seems so different now I remember cigarette vending machines 🤣

    • @jessewolf7649
      @jessewolf7649 Před rokem +20

      I believe he actually said re water: “I never touch the stuff, fish f..k in it”.

    • @skyden24195
      @skyden24195 Před rokem +9

      @@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.

    • @skyden24195
      @skyden24195 Před rokem +4

      @@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.

    • @lydiasimoneau3640
      @lydiasimoneau3640 Před rokem +3

      😂🤣😆😀😅😁😃😀

  • @CZ350tuner
    @CZ350tuner Před 3 lety +138

    "Marriage, my boy, is like a big banquet with desert at the beginning".

  • @SolitaryWolf
    @SolitaryWolf Před 3 lety +102

    He has the wittiest tongue I have ever heard . I love his dark sarcasm.

  • @themanwithnoname5325
    @themanwithnoname5325 Před rokem +96

    “She ran right in front of the car” will never, ever get old to me, it makes me giggle every time.

    • @johnlozauskas778
      @johnlozauskas778 Před rokem +4

      You beat me to it. What husband/father hasn't said something similar?!?!

    • @dancalmpeaceful3903
      @dancalmpeaceful3903 Před rokem +8

      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...."

    • @robertbelle2663
      @robertbelle2663 Před rokem +3

      I fall back on lines like that when having difficulties at work. Short and sweet.

    • @trevormiles5852
      @trevormiles5852 Před 11 měsíci +1

      @@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.

  • @bsmy84
    @bsmy84 Před 7 měsíci +17

    I was delighted with Fields as a child and even more so at 75. Brilliant comedian!

    • @jisungrocks5871
      @jisungrocks5871 Před 5 měsíci +6

      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.

  • @kcbasketballstars
    @kcbasketballstars Před 3 lety +245

    He would have been a great Wizard of Oz, "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, my dear, you bother me."

    • @sinisterthoughts2896
      @sinisterthoughts2896 Před 3 lety +6

      My thoughts as well, the part seems written for him.

    • @skelelator
      @skelelator Před 3 lety +10

      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.

    • @stanochocki8984
      @stanochocki8984 Před 3 lety +3

      @@skelelator Ah, but he would have been the greatest Wizard of them all. A truly benign, lovable, affable Humbug.

    • @TheloniousCube
      @TheloniousCube Před 3 lety +4

      @@sinisterthoughts2896 It was - much of the language was designed for Fields - particularly the Professor Marvel bits

    • @TheloniousCube
      @TheloniousCube Před 3 lety +5

      On the other hand, Frank Morgan did an excellent job with the part

  • @buskahegian
    @buskahegian Před 3 lety +223

    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"

  • @Sam-gu6im
    @Sam-gu6im Před 3 lety +61

    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.

    • @bluenetmarketing
      @bluenetmarketing Před rokem +5

      So sorry to hear about your father. He sounds like a great guy.

    • @CEWIII9873
      @CEWIII9873 Před 5 měsíci

      Are you sure your father's injury wasn't something genetic he passed on to you?

  • @BlueBaron3339
    @BlueBaron3339 Před rokem +30

    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 😂

  • @nicklarocco4178
    @nicklarocco4178 Před 3 lety +144

    "Is this a game of chance?"
    "Not the way I play it."

  • @JonMichaelDeShazer
    @JonMichaelDeShazer Před 3 lety +182

    Can't confirm this, but you gotta believe he was one of Rodney Dangerfield's biggest influences.

    • @afterthought3341
      @afterthought3341 Před 3 lety +19

      I could believe that .

    • @TheloniousCube
      @TheloniousCube Před 3 lety +26

      John Cleese as well - Cleese has said as much

    • @greasycock455
      @greasycock455 Před 3 lety +5

      Robin loved Jonathan Winters. fact.

    • @a2pha
      @a2pha Před 3 lety +8

      That actually sounds about right.

    • @Stewart1953
      @Stewart1953 Před 3 lety +3

      it might not be a fact but i also know this is true Well said JMD. stay safe and stay healthy

  • @toxsun
    @toxsun Před 3 lety +6

    Love how Shemp Howard is playing the bartender in the beginning.

  • @Brian-uy2tj
    @Brian-uy2tj Před rokem +99

    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.

    • @wil7228
      @wil7228 Před rokem +9

      Good point I could picture him saying don't pay any attention to the man behind the curtain .

    • @DeirdreCatherineDoyle
      @DeirdreCatherineDoyle Před rokem +4

      BRILLIANT REPLY ... THERE IS AN 'ART' IN GRUMPY.

    • @NuisanceMan
      @NuisanceMan Před 11 měsíci +2

      The guy they got even looked a bit like Fields.

    • @kevinbutler1955NYC
      @kevinbutler1955NYC Před 7 měsíci

      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.

    • @Brian-uy2tj
      @Brian-uy2tj Před 7 měsíci

      @@kevinbutler1955NYC

  • @StefanTravis
    @StefanTravis Před 3 lety +425

    "It was a woman who drove me to drink, and I never even thanked her."

    • @rufust.firefly2474
      @rufust.firefly2474 Před 3 lety +2

      Apocryphal. just just a joke and sounded as though field would have said it and so was attributed to him.

    • @Zephyrmec
      @Zephyrmec Před 3 lety +2

      profnasty The accurate quote is “fish function in it”

    • @George-ph6qo
      @George-ph6qo Před 3 lety +1

      Damn I forgot that great line. Thanks for reminding me.

    • @marygee3209
      @marygee3209 Před 3 lety +4

      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!

    • @rufust.firefly2474
      @rufust.firefly2474 Před 3 lety +9

      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.

  • @amberlopez7477
    @amberlopez7477 Před 3 lety +440

    I spend half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted.
    - W.C. Fields -

    • @msw0011
      @msw0011 Před 3 lety +10

      Hello there. Now that’s funny.

    • @markkoons7488
      @markkoons7488 Před 3 lety +2

      Amber Lopez who as a child lived in Wheatland, WY?

    • @TheGothicHangman
      @TheGothicHangman Před 3 lety +4

      Have to remind myself of this constantly.

    • @frankmachin5438
      @frankmachin5438 Před 3 lety +3

      Thought that was George Best...

    • @daveybass655
      @daveybass655 Před 3 lety +2

      Huba de huba de huba de .
      How dooo you do ?
      Pretty lady.

  • @rickwade6440
    @rickwade6440 Před 9 měsíci +4

    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

  • @jamesjohnson2900
    @jamesjohnson2900 Před 9 měsíci +3

    The funniest human being I've encountered in 70 years on this planet. Pure genius.

  • @Vindicator7777
    @Vindicator7777 Před 3 lety +209

    W.C. Fields... I can't honestly agree enough. This guy is a legend and is underrated.

    • @jamesm.3967
      @jamesm.3967 Před 3 lety +2

      Foxiest Boxes not underrated, but forgotten.

    • @rufust.firefly2474
      @rufust.firefly2474 Před 3 lety +7

      WC Fields forgotten?? Not as long as I'm around!

    • @abelincoln3287
      @abelincoln3287 Před 3 lety +12

      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.

    • @rufust.firefly2474
      @rufust.firefly2474 Před 3 lety +4

      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.

    • @abelincoln3287
      @abelincoln3287 Před 3 lety +6

      @@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.

  • @ErokusMaximus
    @ErokusMaximus Před 3 lety +119

    I sometimes yell "Kumquats! Kumquats" At the grocery store. My wife no longer goes with me

  • @larrymahlstedt5254
    @larrymahlstedt5254 Před rokem +55

    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.

    • @8Prufrock
      @8Prufrock Před rokem +6

      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.

  • @thedukeofswellington1827

    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.

  • @deadpan80
    @deadpan80 Před 3 lety +63

    the scene in the diner with the rotund waitress in Never Give a s Sucker an Even Break is a classic

    • @rufust.firefly2474
      @rufust.firefly2474 Před 3 lety +6

      Fields, watching the waitress walk away: there's something very big about you too...

    • @tenhirankei
      @tenhirankei Před 3 lety +1

      She reminds me of Mimi from the Drew Carey show. Or maybe it's Mimi who reminds us of the waitress.

    • @tomtugboat
      @tomtugboat Před 3 lety +1

      Lights a match off the guys rear end !

    • @spiff8862
      @spiff8862 Před 3 lety

      The actress who played the waitress was Jody Gilbert.

    • @billmartin973
      @billmartin973 Před 3 lety

      “The flies get the best of everything ........go away, go away.”

  • @tiggeromega
    @tiggeromega Před 3 lety +126

    “Go away kid, you bother me.”

    • @rufust.firefly2474
      @rufust.firefly2474 Před 3 lety +1

      I don't believe fields ever said this and I've been watching his films ever since I was a kid.

    • @juliaannegrider5734
      @juliaannegrider5734 Před 3 lety +4

      I used to say this in a Fields voice when one of my five children got too clingy lol.

    • @rufust.firefly2474
      @rufust.firefly2474 Před 3 lety

      That's a line that was always attributed to a Carnival Barker. Fields never said it although he played Carnival barkers.

    • @caleb234
      @caleb234 Před 3 lety +1

      @@rufust.firefly2474 It was in a radio show, never saw a film version. I had a cassette recording about 20yrs ago.

    • @bazzatheblue
      @bazzatheblue Před 2 lety +1

      That was reprised by Jim Carrey in The Mask.

  • @johnstevenson9956
    @johnstevenson9956 Před 3 lety +51

    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.

    • @macswanton9622
      @macswanton9622 Před rokem +2

      Daffy Duck could too~

    • @johnstevenson9956
      @johnstevenson9956 Před rokem +2

      @@macswanton9622 LOL Good point, although Daffy was better known for "You're despicable".

    • @theoztreecrasher2647
      @theoztreecrasher2647 Před rokem +1

      @@johnstevenson9956 The "Wabbit Season - Duck Season - Wabbit Season...." BOOM! "You're despicable!!!" cartoon is 1 of the very best! 🤣🤣🤣

    • @seeharvester
      @seeharvester Před měsícem

      "It's A Gift" is my personal favorite.

  • @butchvito
    @butchvito Před rokem +6

    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.

  • @tchrisou812
    @tchrisou812 Před 3 lety +169

    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!

    • @HatsOffEntertainment
      @HatsOffEntertainment  Před 3 lety +6

      Thanks for watching!

    • @Louie_The_Dago
      @Louie_The_Dago Před 3 lety +18

      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
      @mrnobodyz Před 3 lety +3

      Yeah! I’m 58 and I’ve been practicing some of his easier moves for 40 years and still haven’t mastered them.

    • @sneakpeekreviews4510
      @sneakpeekreviews4510 Před 3 lety +4

      You really hit the nail on the head.

    • @hagerty1952
      @hagerty1952 Před 3 lety +4

      @@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.

  • @stephenmatura1086
    @stephenmatura1086 Před 3 lety +53

    "Start every day off with a smile and get it over with".

    • @greasycock455
      @greasycock455 Před 3 lety +1

      this is my ,,life. fukit.

    • @greasycock455
      @greasycock455 Před 3 lety

      @Richard Wagner your tooth-less mother,,said a different tale,,,badda boom.

    • @greasycock455
      @greasycock455 Před 3 lety +2

      @Richard Wagner My wife is so lonely,an sad. She hired 3 pool guy's. We have no swimming pool.

    • @greasycock455
      @greasycock455 Před 3 lety

      @Richard Wagner my dog ,,gave Himself to a shelter. My kids followed the dog.

    • @greasycock455
      @greasycock455 Před 3 lety +2

      @Richard Wagner asked my wife for a. christmas gift. She said,,"how about i don't Shoot you?."

  • @michaelschubert4453
    @michaelschubert4453 Před rokem +8

    I have seen films of W.C. Fields juggling. He was absolutely amazing. He did things that I have never seen anyone else duplicate.

  • @danalaniz7314
    @danalaniz7314 Před 2 lety +12

    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.

  • @premanadi
    @premanadi Před 3 lety +56

    The Great Man. Nobody like him, before or since. Genius on every level.

    • @tedthomas9809
      @tedthomas9809 Před rokem +4

      I wholeheartedly agree. What a talent. ❤

  • @dj33036
    @dj33036 Před 3 lety +82

    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.

    • @dj33036
      @dj33036 Před 3 lety

      @Agent J you don't know WC Fields very well do you?

    • @dj33036
      @dj33036 Před 3 lety +1

      @Agent J I can tell you're a trump voter

    • @bigbird2170
      @bigbird2170 Před 3 lety +1

      @@dj33036 so u admit u voted for creepy Joe?

    • @dj33036
      @dj33036 Před 3 lety +2

      @@bigbird2170 I'm proud that I voted for Joe Biden me and 82 million other people

    • @dj33036
      @dj33036 Před 3 lety +1

      @Stacy Gorham Trump is on his way to jail! Lock him up!

  • @faerieSAALE
    @faerieSAALE Před rokem +8

    There were outstanding comedic talents from the Golden Era of Hollywood - and W.C. Fields is the KING of legends among them.

  • @caffeinated24x7
    @caffeinated24x7 Před rokem +21

    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

    • @georgestreng
      @georgestreng Před rokem +1

      That was Oscar Wilde.

    • @caffeinated24x7
      @caffeinated24x7 Před rokem +3

      @@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

    • @fineasfrog
      @fineasfrog Před rokem

      When asked what he wanted on his tombstone he replied " On the whole, I rather be here than in Philadelphia."

  • @locnar1
    @locnar1 Před 3 lety +59

    once you start doing an imitation of his voice it's very hard to stop.

  • @CLM1987
    @CLM1987 Před 3 lety +48

    Love me some W. C. Fields, great to see him get his just respect

  • @violetflame23
    @violetflame23 Před 2 lety +15

    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!

    • @trevormiles5852
      @trevormiles5852 Před 11 měsíci

      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.

    • @caraqueno
      @caraqueno Před 5 měsíci

      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.

  • @trs4437
    @trs4437 Před 3 lety +7

    The Mr. Muckle scene is unsurpassed comic genius.

  • @jamiespinks3657
    @jamiespinks3657 Před 3 lety +34

    'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.'

    • @RinpochesRose
      @RinpochesRose Před 3 lety +1

      Jamie Spinks 🙂😂🤣

    • @David-tw2vx
      @David-tw2vx Před 3 lety

      If at first you don't succeed, suck, suck again!

  • @GrymsArchive
    @GrymsArchive Před 3 lety +211

    I, Have lived my life on the basis of one of his quotes:
    *“I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally. ”*

    • @edgarcisneros7874
      @edgarcisneros7874 Před 3 lety +7

      a person dislikes kids or animals cant be that bad of a person

    • @blackkakari
      @blackkakari Před 3 lety +2

      ...you can't tear that out of me! No segregation, separation just me and my world of enemies!

    • @theunknowngamer5477
      @theunknowngamer5477 Před 3 lety +2

      Decades have gone by...until now, I never knew who this quote was from...thanks!

    • @estherwiserich3321
      @estherwiserich3321 Před 3 lety

      The Unknown Gamer .

    • @bennieknape4857
      @bennieknape4857 Před 3 lety +1

      My favorite is I could never be a member of a club that would have me as a member!

  • @frankiecrocker
    @frankiecrocker Před rokem +5

    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.

  • @dscarty
    @dscarty Před rokem +2

    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.”

  • @clutchkman
    @clutchkman Před 3 lety +38

    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!

    • @WytZox1
      @WytZox1 Před 3 lety +3

      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. ☺

    • @WhosYerHayseed
      @WhosYerHayseed Před rokem +1

      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'??!!" 🍍🍸🌠

  • @lextalonis839
    @lextalonis839 Před 3 lety +16

    It’s A Gift is one of the greatest Comedy Movies ever produced. Just about perfect....

  • @SoylentThulhu
    @SoylentThulhu Před 3 lety +24

    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.

    • @trevormiles5852
      @trevormiles5852 Před 11 měsíci

      you do know "W . C is also meant for bathroom. lol

    • @SoylentThulhu
      @SoylentThulhu Před 11 měsíci

      @@trevormiles5852 you do know every abbreviation has the potential to mean hundreds of different things. lol

    • @trevormiles5852
      @trevormiles5852 Před 11 měsíci

      @@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.

    • @SoylentThulhu
      @SoylentThulhu Před 11 měsíci

      @@trevormiles5852 in this case it's for his actual name, but sure I'm a toilet if that makes you feel better

    • @kansasross
      @kansasross Před 9 měsíci

      ​@@trevormiles5852 It's Water Closet.

  • @MartinKillips
    @MartinKillips Před 9 měsíci +1

    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!"

  • @scottishgirl0918
    @scottishgirl0918 Před 3 lety +19

    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 😂

  • @erikramaekers63
    @erikramaekers63 Před 3 lety +25

    "I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol, and wild women.The other half I wasted"

  • @allanplant8756
    @allanplant8756 Před rokem +7

    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.

  • @byazura9824
    @byazura9824 Před rokem +2

    Thank you, thank you for introducing me to this hilarious man.

  • @DESTRUCTIONKATCHUP
    @DESTRUCTIONKATCHUP Před 3 lety +22

    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.

    • @dwightpowell6673
      @dwightpowell6673 Před 3 lety

      I glad you had a good relationship with your dad...my dad hated me

  • @sugreev2001
    @sugreev2001 Před 3 lety +47

    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.

    • @dennisanderson3895
      @dennisanderson3895 Před 3 lety

      Youngsters need to understand who the imitated voice they hear in cartoons, etc is from! Cultural history...and of a "rebellious" character, to boot!

  • @garysandburg8199
    @garysandburg8199 Před 9 měsíci +1

    There was no one better than W. C. not even a close second to him.

  • @eclecticx
    @eclecticx Před rokem +3

    He had extraordinary wit and was a comedic genius with incredible delivery.

  • @anaheimdennis
    @anaheimdennis Před 3 lety +44

    God I love that guy. He was the one and only. They don't make the likes of him anymore.

  • @TraitorFelon.14.3
    @TraitorFelon.14.3 Před 3 lety +34

    One thing missing.
    His radio deal with the cigarette brand “Lucky Strike”.
    In the radioshow he invented a son named Chester Fields.

    • @TheloniousCube
      @TheloniousCube Před 3 lety +4

      The radio work is fairly obscure these days, but much of it is hilarious - worth seeking out

    • @Bigbadwhitecracker
      @Bigbadwhitecracker Před 3 lety +1

      Didn't even know he did that much radio. I'll have to check it out.

    • @TheloniousCube
      @TheloniousCube Před 3 lety

      @@pashadyne Yes, it most certainly is!
      For real surrealism, I especially like his comments on The Jabberwock - it's such a crazy multi-level gag where his character thinks he's covering for another character who is too drunk to read the poem....a masterpiece of comedy

    • @hunkydorian
      @hunkydorian Před 3 lety

      More proof that he was funnier than Groucho.

  • @timc2346
    @timc2346 Před 2 lety +7

    His comedy timeless, one of the greats.

  • @lenhummel5614
    @lenhummel5614 Před 2 lety +37

    A true comedic genius. Very few in the same class.
    Chaplin and Groucho.

  • @dyacktman
    @dyacktman Před 3 lety +9

    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.

  • @kaprentice
    @kaprentice Před 3 lety +5

    I have almost every full length and short film of him. Have been watching his stuff for over fifty years

  • @cathejones3412
    @cathejones3412 Před rokem +1

    I WATCHED W.C. WHEN I WAS A KID. HE ALWAYS MADE ME LAUGH. I LOVE HIM.

  • @johnmc67
    @johnmc67 Před 9 měsíci +1

    W.C….undoubtedly one of the GOATS.

  • @superfly2449
    @superfly2449 Před 3 lety +9

    “There are burglars singing in the basement.” always cracks me up.

  • @Pynaegan
    @Pynaegan Před 3 lety +8

    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."

  • @stevejones9905
    @stevejones9905 Před rokem +17

    W.C. Fields, Laurel and Hardy, The Marx Brothers, Charlie Chaplin, Abbott and Costello, Buster Keaton.(Thanks PC) Harold Lloyd (Thanks mungous1000) Douglas Fairbanks, Lillian Gish, Mary Pickford, Rudolph Valentino should not be forgotten honorable mention : Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Shirley Temple Black, Peter Lorre and many many more.

    • @PC-kd7dj
      @PC-kd7dj Před rokem +1

      And I would add Buster Keaton

    • @lawrence8374
      @lawrence8374 Před rokem +1

      I'm 73 years young and am so glad they showed his films on the tv in the 50's. I was so lucky to grow up with not only him but the likes of the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, and the Three Stooges.

    • @stevejones9905
      @stevejones9905 Před rokem

      @@PC-kd7dj Thanks I forgot.

    • @stevejones9905
      @stevejones9905 Před rokem +1

      @@lawrence8374 My favorite were the Marx Brothers. Everyone knows there's no sanity clause. Funny every time. Plus the music.

    • @mungous1000
      @mungous1000 Před rokem +1

      I would add Harold Lloyd to that exclusive list.

  • @1LSWilliam
    @1LSWilliam Před rokem +3

    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.

    • @caraqueno
      @caraqueno Před 5 měsíci

      You forgot Gracie Allen.

  • @adrianrosenlund-hudson8789
    @adrianrosenlund-hudson8789 Před 3 lety +20

    One of the best. Even your short documentary had me howling with laughter. Always been a fan of WC Fields 😂

  • @dogsbark5750
    @dogsbark5750 Před 3 lety +16

    I grew up blocks from where he lived. My neighbor lived next to his son growing up and we have great conversations about Fields, Marx Bros, Stooges, early Disney, Jimmy Stewart, ect... we both agreed the Bank Dick is far and away his best comedy where he really pushed it(he named the bar the Black Pussy Cafe in dialogue but wrote as the Black Pussy Cat Cafe on the windows) and its a gift is probably his best movie.the international house has a few great fields lines and the always great Cab Callaway.

    • @spiff8862
      @spiff8862 Před 3 lety

      In 1993 his Toluca Lake (North Hollywood, Ca) home was cut up and moved to Sylmar, Ca (14 miles North of Toluca Lake) to be used as a Child Care Center named "My Little Chickadee".

  • @tomgardner8825
    @tomgardner8825 Před 17 dny +1

    I am 72. nobody has ever made me laugh harder and as often . legend in his time

  • @albertinirock4926
    @albertinirock4926 Před rokem +1

    Thanks for uploading this video, I have always been a huge fan of W.C. Fields!

  • @bdavis24fan
    @bdavis24fan Před 3 lety +19

    0:09 it's Shemp!!!

    • @TheloniousCube
      @TheloniousCube Před 3 lety +2

      Shemp Howard, brother of Moe and Curley, had quite a comedic career outside of the Stooges, but it's largely forgotten now

  • @MCham52
    @MCham52 Před 3 lety +7

    An absolute and total comedy genius!! His movies are just terrific!!

  • @brianharbut4054
    @brianharbut4054 Před 3 lety +3

    Incredibly talented man. Much misunderstood I think. Made me cry with laughter. An absolute genius at slapstick. RIP 🙏🏼

  • @jsrecords2023
    @jsrecords2023 Před 3 lety +5

    Thanks for recognizing this iconic entertainer!

  • @KendrickHarrisKenfinity
    @KendrickHarrisKenfinity Před 3 lety +23

    Well let's see what we have here my little "chick-a-dee"! It's awesome to find out so much about our unique and clever performer. Stay safe and keep doing what you're doing!

  • @Truthist1776
    @Truthist1776 Před 3 lety +39

    "Anyone who hates kids and dogs can't be all bad."

  • @jimbrunsman1011
    @jimbrunsman1011 Před rokem +3

    Thanks for this. Always love seeing more about this comedy genius.

    • @trevormiles5852
      @trevormiles5852 Před 11 měsíci

      so agree with you. Made my night more pleasant.

  • @joshuabrande2417
    @joshuabrande2417 Před 3 lety +19

    He still makes me laugh, "are you short or are you standing in a hole?"

  • @ODCDragon88
    @ODCDragon88 Před 3 lety +16

    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......

  • @ronaldstrange8981
    @ronaldstrange8981 Před rokem

    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.

  • @johnspruit7296
    @johnspruit7296 Před rokem +2

    Thank you for showcasing this cutting edge ( at the time ) actor. Still so much fun to watch. Thanks for the entertainment W.C.

  • @SirSmoldham
    @SirSmoldham Před 3 lety +16

    W.C. Fields is the bomb. I've seen all of his films (including the shorts) and still play an L.P. of his only audio recording that he made just before he passed away of his "Temperance Lecture" and "The Day He Drank a Glass of Water" with Mae West singing as a bonus. Excellent video.

    • @briggsquantum
      @briggsquantum Před rokem +3

      I've got "The Temperance Lecture" on an LP released in the late 1960's. It was funny then to a 15 year old, and even funnier now that I drink.

    • @OKFrax-ys2op
      @OKFrax-ys2op Před rokem

      Aren’t you still watching them🤔

  • @thegingergyrl455
    @thegingergyrl455 Před 3 lety +5

    He always reminds me of a couple of my great uncles. I used to laugh at their antics when I was a young girl.

  • @catsoandahalf
    @catsoandahalf Před měsícem +1

    The Greatest American Comedian of All Time!

  • @rickpchris
    @rickpchris Před rokem +1

    Loved the way he repeatedly annunciated "Beelzebub"
    And the line when meeting his daughter's suiter, Og Oggilby (Grady Sutton. "Og Oggilby", “Sounds like a bubble in a bathtub”

  • @chazthurgood121
    @chazthurgood121 Před 3 lety +13

    I was just listening to Rob Lowe's podcast and he was talking with Conan O'Brien about W.C. Feilds. I was going to look into him but here you went on ahead and did it for me.

  • @Watcherrye
    @Watcherrye Před 3 lety +51

    "I rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy."

    • @toddklempan105
      @toddklempan105 Před 3 lety +2

      Funny, I always knew it as, “I’d rather have a free bottle in front of me than a pre-frontal lobotomy”.

    • @keithperdue4993
      @keithperdue4993 Před 3 lety +1

      @@toddklempan105 Me too!

    • @TheloniousCube
      @TheloniousCube Před 3 lety +1

      Not a Fields quote, though

    • @antilogism
      @antilogism Před 3 lety

      @@TheloniousCube Groucho---I think.

    • @TheloniousCube
      @TheloniousCube Před 3 lety

      @@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

  • @jonathanchartrand3351
    @jonathanchartrand3351 Před 9 měsíci +1

    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.

  • @sexygogetter
    @sexygogetter Před rokem +1

    I used to love watching WC Fields as a youngster in the 70’s & as a kid I laughed out loud

  • @singaporesammy
    @singaporesammy Před 3 lety +27

    Fields also had a legendary comic feud with Charlie McCarthy. I'm not sure why a ventriloquist had a radio show, but it was always great when Fields was a guest.

    • @jackdeath
      @jackdeath Před 3 lety +1

      Clowns, jugglers, ventriloquists, and magicians compete for work at birthday parties. They're all natural enemies.

    • @dennisanderson3895
      @dennisanderson3895 Před 3 lety +1

      The radio show hd a live audience; enjoying the witty, sharp comedic banter would also inspire folks to want to get to a performance!

    • @rogerbarton497
      @rogerbarton497 Před 3 lety +1

      We had a radio show featuring a ventriloquist in the UK called "Educating Archie" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educating_Archie

    • @jamesbailey5350
      @jamesbailey5350 Před 3 lety

      Edgar Bergen, Candice's father, was a truly artless ventriloquist. The characters were popular, but his technique was lousy. You can catch him moving his lips in "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man."

  • @kurtb8474
    @kurtb8474 Před 3 lety +3

    Excellent tribute! Fields is one of my all-time favorites. One of my favorite quotes from him is, when he's asked if he likes children, ''Yes. As long as they're properly boiled.''

  • @MDLOP8
    @MDLOP8 Před 3 lety +30

    You need to read Carlotta Monti's book, "W.C. Fields and Me." She lived with him for years and was his caregiver and close companion. It's a priceless view into his life and story.

    • @wesglowner2635
      @wesglowner2635 Před rokem +1

      good read

    • @Peggy-nt7eo
      @Peggy-nt7eo Před rokem +1

      Yes I’ll look it up. Thanks

    • @wcstrawberryfields8011
      @wcstrawberryfields8011 Před rokem +1

      I'm on it. Thanks.

    • @paulshubsachs4977
      @paulshubsachs4977 Před 9 měsíci

      You're so right. A book that makes one laugh, and cry.

    • @joem5643
      @joem5643 Před 8 měsíci

      My great grandmother who was also a Broadway actress supposedly gave W.C. Fields his big break by recommending him in the part in the Movie Poppy. Also they had a an affair and he got her pregnant.

  • @ketami2
    @ketami2 Před 3 lety +1

    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!