Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #711571 in Books
• Published on: 1997-09-01
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

Synopsis
Providing a detailed account of W.C. Fields's artistic path to the cinema, this biography aims to disentangle the facts from the lies and myths nurtured by Fields himself. It traces the origins of his comedy in the vaudeville sketches which he wrote himself, and then follows his career from stage to silent screen, revealing the sources of his familiar "talkie" routines. The book also highlights Fields's later struggle - against studio heads, censorship, alcohol addiction and illness - to create some of the most celebrated scenes in the history of cinema humour.

Customer Reviews

Frank and fascinating
Although this book is extensively researched and packed with factual information, it's never less than entertaining. The authors obvious affection and admiration for the Great Man and his work hasn't resulted in a hagiography; unpalatable facts are presented and the reader is generally left to come to their own conclusion.

Fragments of script, personal correspondence and descriptions of "business" are interleaved with the main body of the text to near flawless effect.

A gem.