W. C. Fields

W. C. Fields – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Discover the life of W. C. Fields — American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer. Explore his biography, rise to fame, comic style, and enduring wit through his most memorable quotations.

Introduction

William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known by his stage name W. C. Fields, was one of early Hollywood’s most distinctive comic voices. With a raspy drawl, curmudgeonly persona, sharp wit, and physical skill, he carved a niche as the misanthropic everyman — exasperated, cynical, yet endlessly funny. Over decades in vaudeville, Broadway, radio, and film, Fields created a persona so strong that it often blurred with his real life. His humour, edge, and memorable one-liners still resonate with audiences today.

Early Life and Family

W. C. Fields was born on January 29, 1880 (though he sometimes claimed alternate dates) in Darby, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.

He was the eldest of several children. His father, James Dukenfield, came from an English family (emigrated from Sheffield, England) and worked various jobs including produce merchant and hotel keeper. Kate Spangler Felton, was a local of Philadelphia.

Fields’s formal schooling was limited. According to biographical accounts, he attended school for about four years before leaving to help with his father’s business of selling produce via a wagon.

From an early age, Fields was drawn to performance, particularly juggling. He taught himself and practiced extensively, eventually turning it into a stage act.

Youth, Education & Entry into Performance

Because his formal education ended early, Fields’s “education” was largely autodidactic and experiential. He consumed books, learned by doing, and adapted his performance to audience response. His wife, Hattie, later aided him by tutoring him in reading, writing, and working with him on his scripts.

He initially performed in vaudeville beginning around 1898 under the name W. C. Fields, specializing as a “tramp juggler” — a character in shabby costume, silent or nearly so, doing juggling routines.

As his stage persona matured, he embraced irony, misanthropy, and a “put-upon” character, often the butt of his own jokes. Over time his voice (the raspy, muttering drawl) became a crucial instrument of his comedy.

Career and Achievements

Vaudeville, Broadway & Early Stage Work

Fields toured extensively with his juggling and comedic routines, performing across the U.S. and abroad.

On Broadway, he performed in musicals and revues (e.g. Poppy, 1923, in which he played a con artist character). These stage roles helped solidify his comic persona — often scheming, sarcastic, exasperated, and delightfully grouchy.

He copyrighted some of his sketches to protect them — sometimes registering them multiple times — because he was protective of his material.

Transition to Film & Screen Fame

Fields appeared in short films as early as 1915 (Pool Sharks, His Lordship’s Dilemma) though his stage commitments limited his early film work.

He later signed with Paramount and starred in a number of feature comedies. Among his more famous films are:

• It’s a Gift (1934)

• Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935)

• The Bank Dick (1940)

• You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man (1939)

• My Little Chickadee (1940, with Mae West)

• Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941) — his last starring vehicle.

Fields was famously insistent on having creative control. He often clashed with studios, writers, and directors about scripts, staging, and casting.

During his later years, his health, alcoholism, and personal tragedies began to hamper his work.

Personal Life

Fields married Harriet “Hattie” Hughes on April 8, 1900. William Claude Fields Jr.

By 1907, they had separated, partly because Hattie wanted a more settled life and Fields remained devoted to touring and performing.

In 1933 he entered into a long term relationship with Carlotta Monti, an actress, which lasted until his death.

Fields had a lifelong disdain for conventional religion; though he reportedly studied theological books ironically, he considered himself an atheist.

Later Years & Death

In later years, Fields’s health deteriorated under the stresses of work, heavy drinking, and personal losses. Never Give a Sucker an Even Break, was released in 1941.

He made final radio appearances in 1945–1946. One of his last performances was on NBC’s Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy Show (March 24, 1946).

Fields died on December 25, 1946 (Christmas Day) in Pasadena, California, reportedly due to a hemorrhage of the stomach.

He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California.

Comic Persona, Style & Influence

Stage Persona and Screen Character

Fields’s comic persona was that of a curmudgeon — bitter, put-upon, often exasperated by the idiocy around him. He played characters who drank, complained, got into absurd predicaments, yet somehow persevered in his own stubborn way.

His signature traits included:

• The raspy, muttering “drawl” (often exaggerated)

• Frequent sarcastic asides

• A large nose and exaggerated physical features

• Use of alcoholic character traits (in jokes, persona)

• Repetition of certain comedic routines (back porch scenes, “escaping” domestic annoyances)

He sometimes used pseudonyms when contributing to scripts, such as Charles Bogle, Otis Criblecoblis, or the punny Mahatma Kane Jeeves.

Legacy & Influence

After his death, his persona continued to be celebrated and mythologized. His 1949 biography W. C. Fields: His Follies and Fortunes by Robert Lewis Taylor helped cement popular image of Fields as a hard-drinking misanthrope.

In 1973, his grandson Ronald J. Fields published W. C. Fields by Himself, using letters, notes, and unpublished material to complicate the myth and show a more nuanced man.

Fields influenced many later comedians. Woody Allen described him as one of six “genuine comic geniuses” in movie history.

A U.S. postage stamp commemorated him on his 100th birthday (1980).

Famous Quotes of W. C. Fields

Here are some classic lines and quips attributed to W. C. Fields — biting, whimsical, often with a sting:

“I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally.”

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damned fool about it.”

“I never drink water; fish fuck in it.”

“A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience.”

“It’s not being drunk that messes you up, it’s the sudden stop at the end.”

“Never give a sucker an even break.”

“My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.”

“I am opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position.”

“I cook with wine — sometimes I even add it to the food.”

“Any man who hates dogs and babies can’t be all bad.” (Often attributed; possibly originated from someone else and quoted about Fields)

These sayings reflect Fields’s curmudgeonly humor, his penchant for self-deprecation, misanthropy, and his love of twisting expectations.

Lessons from W. C. Fields

1. Craft a Strong Comic Persona
   Fields’s success shows how a distinctive, consistent “character” (with flaws and contradictions) can become deeply memorable and iconic.

2. Control Over Your Material Matters
   He fiercely defended his sketches and pushed for creative control, demonstrating that for a performer, ownership and voice are crucial.

3. Humour From Life’s Frustrations
   Much of his comedy arises from everyday annoyances: domestic tolerance, failed schemes, social absurdities. Humor can be mined from frustration.

4. Blurring Myth and Self-Mythologizing
   Fields actively cultivated a public persona (and allowed publicity to portray a drunken misanthrope). We learn that public figures often shape their own legends, for better or worse.

5. Balance the Edge with Endurance
   His biting wit could alienate; his personality brought conflicts. But his longevity in performing across stage, radio, film shows that persistence, adaptation, and reinvention matter.

Conclusion

W. C. Fields remains a singular figure in American comedy: part juggler, part curmudgeon, full-time iconoclast. His persona—cynical, tortured, witty—both entertained and unsettled. In his best work, he gave voice to the comic truths of everyday absurdity, the frustrations of human interaction, and the pretense behind polite society.

His legacy lives not only in the films and recordings but in the way comedians study contrast, persona, and timing. His wit still bites; his lines still echo.