(January 29, 1880 - December 25, 1946)
TW.C. Fields was a popular American comedian, actor, and juggler. Born William Claude Dukenfield in Darby, Pennsylvania, Fields was the descendant of English and Irish noblemen. At the age of eighteen, Fields left home for a career in vaudeville and just three years later was headlining tours in North America and Europe.
In 1906, Fields made his Broadway debut in The Ham Tree and later made several appearances in the Ziegfeld Follies as juggler and comedian. However, it was in film where Fields made his biggest impression on American audiences. After being featured in several short, silent comedies, Fields became a bonafide star with a string of hits in 1934 including Six of a King, You're Telling Me!, and The Old Fashioned Way. On screen Fields usually played hustlers, carnival barkers, and other "confidence men." Two of Fields's most popular characters were the hapless victim under the thumb of his wife, as in It's A Gift (1934) or the misanthropic egotist who hated children, dogs, and women such, as in My Little Chickadee (1940). After illness and alcoholism halted his film career in the late 1930s, Fields he made his radio debut with Edgar Bergen and his dummy, Charlie McCarthy, on "The Chase and Sanborn Hour."
Fields, despite his outrageous public personas, was a very private man. Until the publication of his personal letters and notes by his grandson in W.C. Fields By Himself, little was known about Fields-the-man. In 1900, Fields married a fellow vaudevillian named Harriet Hughes; they had a son, William Claude Fields, Jr., in 1904. In 1907, Fields and Hughes were divorced and he would never marry again.
During the final years of his life and career, Fields' appearances were relegated to guest starring on radio and some cut sequences in 1942's Tales of Manhattan. Fields's final performance was a spoken-word recording of his famous "Temperance Lecture" comedic monologue. Illness prohibited Fields from traveling to the studio, so it was recorded at his bedside with Fields reading from cue cards.
While on his deathbed, Fields was visited by his young protege Eddie Cantor. "Eddie," he said weakly, "I've often wondered how far I could have gone had I laid off the booze." 1 The next day Fields fell into a coma and passed away on Christmas Day, 1946. Fields was interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Fields, perhaps unknown to many younger Americans, has been immortalized in numerous popular caricatures featured in comic strips ("The Wizard of Id"), commercials (Frito-Lay, Cocoa Puffs), cartoons (Looney Toons), and television shows (Gigglesnort Hotel, The Tonight Show, and The Benny Hill Show). Fields may be gone, but his most beloved (or hated) characters live on.
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Resources
Curtis, James. W.C. Fields: A Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003.
Curtis' biography of Fields is the most useful of the sources that I found. The book is full of useful facts, chronologies, personal anecdotes, stories, and photos that provide the reader with an in-depth look at this entertainer's life.
Fields, W. C. W.C. Fields by Himself. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1973.
This book is a collection of letters, photos, notes, and scripts written and received by W. C. Fields throughout his lifetime. Gathered and edited by his grandson, this book provides a more personal look at the life and career of the actor.
Rocks, David T. W.C. Fields-An Annotated Guide. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1993.
This book provides numerous lists of resources available for research on W. C. Fields, including chronologies, bibliographies, discographies, and filmographies.
"W.C. Fields." Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W.C._Fields 28 Sep. 2007.
This online research database provides basic chronologies, anecdotes, and a useful place from which to begin research. However, at times, the "facts" are questionable.
"W.C. Fields." IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001211 28 September 2007.
This online database provides complete filmographies, mini-biographies, and trivia for all persons who have made motion pictures.
"W.C. Fields." IBDB. http://ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=67488 29 September 2007.
This online database provides complete stage credits, biographical facts, and awards for all persons who have appeared on Broadway.