random item

Troperville

Tools

Find recent edits by troper:

back to: Main / WCFields

edit article | go to discussion page

26th Feb '13 9:29:35 PM DoctorSerenitySquid

Send DoctorSerenitySquid a PM notification explaining the badness of natter: natter-fy

Changed line(s) 1,24 (click to see context) from:

William Claude Dukenfield, aka W.C. Fields (1880–1946), was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer, most famous during the 1930s and 1940s. He made several classic comedy films, but was also well known for his radio performances with Edgar Bergen's dummy Charlie [=McCarthy=].

Fields is best known for his comic persona as a misanthropic alcoholic who generally disliked dogs, women and children, an image that was a bit TruthInTelevision. His films have been praised for their clever jokes and anti-sentimental comedy, which made him a cult actor even to this day. His magnum opus, ''Film/TheBankDick'' (1941), has been VindicatedByHistory as one of the best comedy films of all time.

Fields is also present on the album cover of ''Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand'' by Music/TheBeatles.

----
!!Tropes associated with W.C. Fields:

* TheAlcoholic (sadly TruthInTelevision)
-->Whilst traveling through Afghanistan, we lost our corkscrew. Had to live on food and water for several days. [''My Little Chickadee'', 1940]
* ButtMonkey: Mostly Fields, though everybody gets his or her comeuppance.
* ChildHater: Considering how ill behaved the kids in those movies were, who couldn't but be on his side?
* ComedicSociopathy
* DarkComedy: In ''It's a Gift'', Fields' character has a deaf and blind man visit his store. The customer smashes up everything while Fields desperately tries to tell him to sit down and don't move! 
* DuelingStarsMovie: W.C. Fields and MaeWest were co-stars in ''My Little Chickadee'' (1941).
* IronicDeath: The actor died on the day he hated the most: Christmas Day. 
* NeverWorkWithChildrenOrAnimals: Attributed to him.
* RemovableSteeringWheel: In ''The Bank Dick'', when asked by the thug in the back seat to give him the wheel, Egbert Souse (Fields) matter-of-factly pulled it off the steering column and gave it to him. This sequence paid homage to the Mack Sennett/Keystone Kops and Hal Roach/[[TheLittleRascals Our Gang]] comedies of the 1920s and 1930s. Model T Fords were generally used for these comic chases.
* SmokingIsCool: In ''The Bank Dick'', after being incorrectly identified as a hero in his small town, WCFields entertains some kids with some cigarette tricks. He sends them off, saying "I'll teach you when you're older! Didn't take it up myself 'til I was nine..."
* TheTrickster
* UnsympatheticComedyProtagonist
* WouldHurtAChild: He kicks an infant in the film ''It's a Gift''.
----

to:

26th Feb '13 8:55:51 PM RobinZimm

Send RobinZimm a PM notification explaining the badness of natter: natter-fy

Adding quote.

Added line(s) 10 (click to see context) :

25th Jan '13 5:10:49 PM JimCambias

Send JimCambias a PM notification explaining the badness of natter: natter-fy

Changed line(s) 10 (click to see context) from:

to:

25th Jan '13 5:00:03 PM Nohbody

Send Nohbody a PM notification explaining the badness of natter: natter-fy

misuse. HATRM requires another intelligent species to compare it to