Rating: 
Summary: Bravo! Outstanding biography and a very refreshing read
Review: Behind W. C. Fields's public mask there was a human face, and James Curtis reveals it completely in this sterling biography. Many show-business stories about Fields have become legendary (often perpetuated by the comedian himself), and author Curtis has taken great care to show how much truth there was to the legend. For the first time we can read WHY Fields encountered so much trouble when he tangled with (or was victimized by) producers, doctors, women, and others he turned into comic targets. Every facet of Fields's career, from boy juggler to international vaudevillian to movie star to radio comedian, is covered commendably. Curtis's research is extraordinary: there are innumerable quotes from Fields's personal and professional contemporaries, and far more detail than is customary about Fields's private life, including the full story of his medical setback of the 1930s. If you're looking for a solid, engrossing biography, look no further than "W. C. Fields: A Biography" by James Curtis.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss This One!
Review: Do you like W.C. Fields' movies? Then you will love this book! Have you collapsed from gut-busting exhaustion after watching the same hilarious scene over and over again? Do you revel in Fields the Magnificient Wordsmith? If so, get on your percheron and head for Amazon.com or the nearest bookstore and get this book! James Curtis has created a stunning work, to be savored for its detail not only about Fields but his supporting players as well. Here you will learn that in 1934 Mae West received an astounding $300,000 a picture. Be sure to look at the picture of West as a young woman on p. 397 -- she was a striking beauty, and this is the first picture I have ever seen of her at such an age. Fields found his work -- dialogue and plots -- carefully scrutinized by his producers and directors. His were rather simple films, really -- marvelously entertaining but certainly not epics. Yet they were given the third degree. Mercifully the humor of the man survived intact, I think. And we are all richer for the experience! If you know and love the man and his work, read this book. If you are unfamiliar with the Great Man, you may wish to get the book and a few of his films. Watch the films, then read the book. And its value will increase tenfold! Well? What are you waiting for! (wink)
Rating:
Summary: Interesting biography about a man of contradictions
Review: Enjoyed W.C. FIELDS, a biography by James Curtis about one
of the greatest comedians in the world . . . his career spanned the
whole of the twentieth century--in burlesque, vaudeville, the
legitimate stage, silent pictures, talkies, radios, books, and
recordings . . . only his death prevented him from also working
in television. Fields was a man of contradictions . . . he could write brilliant
dialogue, yet manage to ad lib something hilarious . . . he was
generous with friends, though incredibly stingy with his own
family . . . he could be a pleasure to work with at times, but quite
often, he was a real pain in the (bottom). I hadn't know all that much about him . . . now I do and found out
that his drinking was actually even worse than I had heard about. A series of accompanying photos from different aspects
of Fields' life contributed to my enjoyment of this book. There were several memorable passages; among them:
Comedy, Bill Fields would say, is truth--a bit of artful reality,
expressed in action or words, carefully exaggerated and brought to
a surprise finish. Fields didn't think the mechanics of a gag counted
for half as much as the sound behind it. You might coax a laugh
from a willing audience over most anything, but a gag wouldn't be
memorable without the delight of human recognition. Booze had not yet become and integral part of the act, but Fields
made such bald-faced exaggerations in print that he was widely
thought to have an unlimited capacity. "I'm and advocate of
moderation," he told Jack Grant in Movie Classic magazine.
"For example, I never drink before breakfast. During the morning,
I have 15 or 20 highballs. Then comes lunch. But I don't eat
lunch. Bad for the waistline. I drink it instead-oh say, a gallon
of cocktails. In the afternoon, which is longer that the morning, I
have possibly 30 or 40 highballs. With dinner, I have ten or twelve
bottles of wine or something to drink. In the evening, like a case
of sherry or maybe 50 to 60 highballs." A more reliable account
of Fields' drinking came in 1951 from Norman McLeod. "After
breakfast he downed a solid glass of bourbon with one-half inch
of water in it," he told columnist Ezra Goodman. "He said he didn't
want to discolor the bourbon. He had four or five of these until
noon, He drank on the set. He was on of the few actors I knew of
who was allowed to drink on the set. Then he had lunch. After
lunch-he always ate big meals-he began imbibing again at 2:30.
He would have four or five more bourbons until 5 p.m. At 5 p.m.
he started on martinis. He'd have five or six martinis-he made a
very good martini-before dinner. He was never drunk unless
he consumed liquor after dinner. If he did, he went back to bourbon." [Spec McClure, Hedda Hopper's leg man]
Fields was the only man or woman I ever saw who stopped the whole
set when he went into a scene. I remember one scene-a rather long shot-at 20th in which the idiot board could not be used, nor could
Fields remember his lines. So on each take he simply improvised,
making each one vastly different. The usually bored crew, technicians,
and everybody else on the stage crowded close to observe the maestro
as he went into action. I have also seen him so drunk that two men
were required to get him into position on the set, but when "action"
was called he marvelously came to life and went through the
scene without a hitch. An assistant stood on the sidelines with
a quart malted-milk glass filled with martini in case Fields got
thirsty. This was no gag, as everyone had great respect for the
old trouper and nobody thought his leaning on gin funny. Of
course, never wrote up such things as I could feel the life
weariness in the man-and I'd never been let back on the stage
if I had.
Rating:
Summary: THE ART AND LIFE OF AN AMERICAN GENIUS
Review: Finally, THE definative biography of one of the most revered figures ever to appear on an American stage or before a movie camera. While there've been almost two dozen books about Fields published already, ( mostly filmographies, quote books, picture books or screenplays, ) this collection is essential for several important reasons. First of all, it's one of the best books about a film personality ever written. Head and shoulders above Simon Louvish's sluggish "Man On The Flying Trapeze", more ambitious than Ronald J. Fields' collection of letters and radio scripts: "W.C. Fields By Himself," on a literary par with Robert Lewis Taylor's brilliant "W.C. Fields: His Follies And Fortunes," ( but without that author's fictional flights of fancy, ) James Curtis turns out to be the ideal biographer of the iconoclastic comedian. Setting the record straight regarding volumes of Fieldsian apocrypha, the legend remains intact whilst the enigmatic man behind it emerges for perhaps the first time in print. Full of nostalgia, fascinating revelations about Fields' working methods and creative approach to filmmaking, scandalous professional behavior, revealing personal data, heretofore unsuspected alliances, ( it comes as no surprise that Fields was a fan and drinking pal of his tempermental soulmate, H.L. Mencken ) and many, many wonderful anecdotes. The ideal book to curl up with on a winter's eve, ( when it ain't a fit night out for man nor beast, ) with the necessary pitcher-full of your favorite "snake bite remedy," as Fields would say. ( He'd also recommend you always carry a small snake... ) A worthy tribute to a giant of American comedy. ***** 5 stars, easy.
Rating:
Summary: THE ART AND LIFE OF AN AMERICAN GENIUS
Review: Finally, THE definative biography of one of the most revered figures ever to appear on the world stage or step before a motion picture camera. While there've been almost two dozen books about Fields published already, (mostly filmographies, quote books, picture books or screenplays,) this collection is essential for several important reasons.
First of all, it's one of the best biographies of a film personality ever written. Head and shoulders above Simon Louvish's sluggish "MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE", more ambitious than Ronald J. Fields' collection of letters and radio scripts: "W.C. FIELDS BY HIMSELF," on a literary par with Robert Lewis Taylor's brilliant "W.C. FIELDS: HIS FOLLIES AND FORTUNES," (but without that author's fictional flights of fancy,) James Curtis turns out to be the ideal biographer of the iconoclastic comedian.
Setting the record straight regarding volumes of Fieldsian apocrypha, the legend remains intact whilst the enigmatic man behind it emerges for perhaps the first time in print.
Full of nostalgia, fascinating revelations about Fields' working methods and creative approach to filmmaking, scandalous professional behavior, revealing personal data, heretofore unsuspected alliances, (It comes as no surprise that Fields was a fan and drinking pal of his tempermental soulmate, H.L. Mencken.) and many, many wonderful anecdotes.
The ideal book to curl up with on a winter's eve, (when it ain't a fit night out for man nor beast,) with the necessary pitcher-full of your favorite "snake bite remedy," as Fields would say. (He'd also recommend you always carry a small snake...) A worthy tribute to a giant of American comedy. ***** 5 stars, easy.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Good Biography Of A Unique Person
Review: I've been a fan of W.C. Fields since my youth. There was always something about him, a certain style that he had on screen, that was unique.
This book does tell the truth behind the real W.C., and dispells many of the myths that still are current about him. He was a man that was in turn cantankerous, gentle, funny and poignant.
I for one never realized that he was such an avid reader. Books seemed to be his passion, and all during his world travels as a vaudeville juggler he carried trunks of books along the way. Anyone that reads so voraciously is bound to be an interesting personality. His vast reading no doubt contributed to his comedy that involved the word play for which he is famous. It is astounding to know that for many years in the early part of his career when he was a juggler, that he did his act in almost total silence!
A great biography that reveals the unique character that was W.C. Fields. Written in a very readable style, we can learn about this man, warts and all through this book.
Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Shades of Bacchus! Amazing.
Review: If you want to know what Bill Fields had for lunch on a particular day, chances are the information is in this incredibly detailed book. More to the point it turns out he was almost entirely different from what most people (including me) thought. He was (1) extremely hard working & disciplined, (2) very smart and well read, (3) surprisingly kind and considerate, expecially given the very hard life he had. While he ad libbed his lines, his best routines were rehearsed to perfection. And he didn't hate children...only babies. He DID despise politicians--in short, he was a great guy. Unfortunately, his greatest accomplishments, Its A Gift and The Bank Dick, came late in his career (and 300 pages into the book) so if you're not interested in Vaudeville you're in for a long read. All in all a fascinating story of a man who took what life gave him (nothing) and, realizing life is NOT a bowl of cherries, made us all laugh at the way people really behave and the way things often turn out. The funniest guy who ever lived? I think so. Do yourself a favor and hunt down You're Telling Me and Its A Gift. And of course The Bank Dick. And...please don't touch those lightbulbs, Mr. Muckle!
Rating:
Summary: GODFREY DANIELS!
Review: James Curtis offers a well-researched and engagingly written biography of one of the most enigmatic figures ever to appear in the entertainment business. W.C. Fields was one of the most talented, yet underused (by contemporary definition) performers in show business, whether in vaudeville, burlesque, Broadway, Hollywood or radio. Originally a physical performer (juggling) before evolving into a diverse comedian and actor, Fields spent his entire life developing a unique public persona that became, in all appearances, to be the private man as well. Mr. Curtis paints a textured portrait of a man by turns, remarkably generous, yet often parsimonious, stubbornly difficult, yet frequently courtly and gracious. The book focuses on Mr. Fields personal life to a level rarely reached in more traditional biographies. The chapters on Field's childhood and early days in show business provide tremendous insight on the man he would become and explain the contradictory nature of the man. There is a sense of tragedy of a great man who begins to fade, both in physical abilities and later, mental acuity, consumed by alcoholism, an unhappy marriage and a number of failed personal relationships. The book reads like a novel as Mr. Curtis blends description and dialogue seamlessly throughout the 600+ pages. I was struck by the revelations of W.C. Fields personal graciousness and generosity as most previous biographies of the man portray him as a rather one-dimensional caricature. Yet, like most great talents, Fields was an incredibly complex man. This biography does him, nearly 60 years after his death, justice.
Rating:
Summary: GODFREY DANIELS!
Review: James Curtis offers a well-researched and engagingly written biography of one of the most enigmatic figures ever to appear in the entertainment business. W.C. Fields was one of the most talented, yet underused (by contemporary definition) performers in show business, whether in vaudeville, burlesque, Broadway, Hollywood or radio. Originally a physical performer (juggling) before evolving into a diverse comedian and actor, Fields spent his entire life developing a unique public persona that became, in all appearances, to be the private man as well. Mr. Curtis paints a textured portrait of a man by turns, remarkably generous, yet often parsimonious, stubbornly difficult, yet frequently courtly and gracious. The book focuses on Mr. Fields personal life to a level rarely reached in more traditional biographies. The chapters on Field's childhood and early days in show business provide tremendous insight on the man he would become and explain the contradictory nature of the man. There is a sense of tragedy of a great man who begins to fade, both in physical abilities and later, mental acuity, consumed by alcoholism, an unhappy marriage and a number of failed personal relationships. The book reads like a novel as Mr. Curtis blends description and dialogue seamlessly throughout the 600+ pages. I was struck by the revelations of W.C. Fields personal graciousness and generosity as most previous biographies of the man portray him as a rather one-dimensional caricature. Yet, like most great talents, Fields was an incredibly complex man. This biography does him, nearly 60 years after his death, justice.
Rating:
Summary: At last! The Great Man has a great biographer!
Review: Pardon my redundancy, but this is a great book. Having shown his proficiency at film biography in the past (if you have not opened your purses to acquire his previous tomes on James Whale and Preston Sturges-get them NOW!! [you lugs]), Curtis supersedes all previous attempts with William Claude Dukinfield and gets to the palpitating heart of this truly sad and angry clown.
Cutting through all the myth and legend, which has overshadowed Fields prodigious talents ever since his death in 1946, Curtis talks about the Dickensian childhood, the ultimate triumph on the stage, the marriage that neither party seems to have really worked on, the drinking (which was quite widespread amongst so many in vaudeville, only Fields knew how to use the persona to his advantage), the wonderful films and just how the comic really felt about dogs and children. After digesting this extremely well-researched and pungently written book, one comes away with the feeling that the W. C. Fields that has become universally known mostly through the famous picture of him playing poker or via imitators who cannot even come close to his character is only an infinitesimal part of him. This book presents a human being that was full of flaws, most of which he created to protect himself from a world that he fought tooth and nail. The Fields that was on the screen (especially the masterpiece IT'S A GIFT, one of the greatest comedies ever made, if not one of the greatest films) is not just the cliche drunken ogre that people remember from the late show, but a person full of hurt who could also show a tender side-see the chapter on NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK for a deleted scene with Fields at the deathbed of a female character-without being false.
I love this book, and it makes a fine companion to grandson Ronald's book of the material Fields was gathering for his own autobiography (another book worth looking for). The two best books on film history so far this year have been about the great curmudgeons the screen has given us (Fields and Sam Fuller) who also had life and spirit which is constantly shown in the greatness of their work. Let this be the definitive work on the greatest comedian of the sound era.
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