W C Fields

[a nameless entity]

I remember watching "My Little Chickadee" in the movie theatre at my college in 1973. I guess that's when I first was impressed by Mr. Fields' great comedic talent.

I should also say that watching the movie in a projection theatre, rather than on TV was an eye opening experience also. Even though the film was shot in black and white, by seeing it in its proper medium I got a new appreciation for the work that went into the making of a film in those days. There was a scene where Mae West stood on a stage in a sequined costume, where careful attention to the lighting and the shades of grey on the background behind her had been spent. Some poor stand in must have stood there for hours and hours while the lighting crew worked out how to get all the shades of grey just right to look so great, and to get all of the sequins to shine so brilliantly as they flashed on and off as Mae West slowly turned her body left and right just a little while she stood there. The effect was all done "only" in black and white, but oh my, did it ever work. One wonders if that kind of talent still exists in movie making today. Mostly it does not it seems. But I digress.........

W C Fields was a comedian of such stature that to look back on the record of his work is to get the feeling that you've seen it all before. Well of course you have; he has been imitated, emulated, and just plain ripped of for decades. But he was the original. Here are two You Tube clips of a couple of my all time favourite routines of his. Take note that you have to listen to get full appreciation of his jokes.

The Sheriff tends bar. (Wanted in every state in the Union)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE_2uqCc ... re=related

This next one is rather long. Watch for Shemp Howard as the bar tender. One of W C Fields' best one liners comes right at the end, so listen carefully. Also note that the actor playing the quiet barfly was in both movies.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpDD0eOq-0o

[EvilGrins]

When I was but a little me, I used to quote WC Fields all the time. Not sure where I even heard the quotes really, I didn't have a clue who he was.

[Hook]

I have always been a big fan of WCF!

[Hermskii]

Sadly, I know nothing of this person. How is that? Am I actually too young? LOL.

[a nameless entity]

Sadly, I know nothing of this person. How is that? Am I actually too young? LOL.

Well then I guess you need to go buy a few DVD's. Try and get "The Bank D.i.c.k.", "My Little Chickadee", and "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man", for starters.

Do you at least know who Shemp Howard is???

[Scify]

I given you hit Herm who is Shemp Howard .One of three stooges

I know Mae West and WC Feilds is

[a nameless entity]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBpD_28tZJ4&NR=1

And now you know where that one came from.

Here is why I said you had to listen carefully. You only see his one liner in this short clip, but you can imagine that he slipped it into the play quietly, and you could miss it and not even realize you had, because the movie was already moving on to the next scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNodf6Hd ... re=related

For a better idea of what I'm saying, watch this clip again, and listen for the joke right after his eldest daughter introduces him to her boyfriend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpDD0eOq-0o



It would not be a surprise to learn that Mr Fields had a hand in picking that name for the character. He often contributed to the scripts, and had a penchant for odd names. In fact he would often have names of fictitious characters that were not even the movie listed in the titles at the end. Mahatma Kane was one of his favourites. (Since a hat and cane were favoured props of his.)