William Claude Dukenfield, better known as W.C. Fields, started his career in vaudeville as a juggler. He gradually added comedy to his shows and was featured in the ‘Ziegfeld Follies’ on Broadway in 1915.Â
He made a breakthrough with his role as a small time con-man in the musical ‘Poppy’ (1932) on Broadway. Simultaneously, Fields made inroads into silent movies and appeared in the short comedies ‘Pool Sharks’ and ‘His Lordship’s Dilemma’ in 1915.Â
His first sound feature film was the comedy ‘Million Dollar Legs’ (1932). He went on to act in hit movies like ‘The Dentist’ (1932), ‘The Pharmacist’ (1933), ‘The Bank Dick’ (1940), and ‘Never Give a Sucker an Even Break’ (1941).Â
He took up screenwriting along with acting and is credited with several hits, including the classic comedy movie ‘It’s a Gift’ (1934), which received critical acclaim and won an Oscar for best music (original song).
The Great McGonigle and his underfunded traveling theatre group are always in trouble. His daughter, Betty, is being courted by the wealthy Wally Livingston, who wants to become an actor, but Betty wants him to go back to college. McGonigle has his eyes on wealthy widow Cleopatra. While Betty and Wally find happiness, McGonigle’s is not so lucky.
Sheepish memory expert, Ambrose Wolfinger, who has never taken a leave in 25 years, decides to go to a wrestling match lying to his boss that his mother-in-law has died. He overcomes several misfortunes to reach the wrestling arena, where he is injured by a wrestler and returns home to find his furious wife and mother-in-law.
Egbert Sousé is a drunkard who lives a boring life, since he has strained relations with his wife and his mother-in-law, due to his smoking and drinking. Things change when he is hired as a security guard for a bank. When he mistakenly stops a robbery by tripping the thieves, he receives a promotion.
Sam Bisbee is a hard-drinking, unsuccessful inventor, whose mostly impractical inventions have made him a subject of ridicule, and has jeopardized his daughter’s chances of marriage to town’s wealthiest person’s son. When the demonstrations of his latest, most practical invention bring him nothing but public humiliation, Sam decides to commit suicide. However, a chance meeting with a princess alters the entire picture.
Harold is the owner of a grocery store in a small town, who is a henpecked husband and father of two spoilt kids. When he gets the opportunity to buy an orange grove in California, he decides to take it and moves across the country, despite his wife’s protests. However, the orange grove is not what he had expected.
When Chinese inventor Dr. Wong invites bids for his latest creation, a television-like device, both potential buyers and stealers gather in the metropolitan hotel, International House, in Wuhu, China. One of them, Tommy Nash, the representative of an American electric company, also wants to marry his sweetheart Carol, but after he develops rashes, the whole hotel is quarantined.
Migg Tweeny falls in love with the daughter of the president of the mythical but bankrupt country Klopstokia. Following Tweeny’s plan, Klopstokia enters the 1932 Olympics to win all the money. Unfortunately, the president’s own cabinet sends ‘Mata Machree, the Woman No Man Can Resist’ to break up the team.
This comedy film tells the story of a husband and a wife who reunite to take part in a boat race, in order to save a couple’s inheritance.
It is a pre-Code comedy film, focusing on the story of an inept barber. Bad in his job, he also has a dysfunctional family, having a harridan for a wife, yet is able to maintain a good humored optimism n his small town barber shop.
Mr. Dilweg, owner of a pharmacy that is not exactly a profitable venture, has to deal with a dysfunctional family of a shrewish wife, self-absorbed elder daughter, and a younger daughter who likes eating family’s pet canary. If all that is not enough, he has to stealthily sell bootleg liquor and manage his overbearing, bullying customers who may even take to gunfight.
Six of a Kind is a comedy film that is about two couples on a road trip to Hollywood. However, none of them are aware of the fact that the car carries embezzled funds.
This is a silent comedy film, centering on a dancer called Sally, whose mother was disowned by her father, a judge, for marrying a circus man. After her mother dies, Sally is raised by her mother’s friend and is trained to become a dancer. The plot thickens when the duo joins a carnival based at Green Meadow, where Sally’s grandparents still reside.
This American musical comedy is based on a novel called Magnolia. It follows the story of a young singer who is labelled a coward and banished from his town when he refuses to fight for his fiance's honor. He joins a riverboat where his meek personality transforms thanks to the commodore.
It’s the Old Army’s Game is a silent comedy film which tells the story of a druggist who is trying to sleep, but is woken up by anxious customers, followed by garbage collectors. Next, he is woken up by firemen on a false alarm, followed by a real fire.
A short film made in the pre-Code era, The Golf Specialist tells the story of a married woman who likes to flirt with other men, much to the chagrin of her husband, a house detective who loves to play golf. The film is widely considered to be one of the top 100 greatest classic films of all time.
A Hollywood actor, who is a former vaudeville performer, tries to enlist in the army after the Second World War breaks out, but is refused due to his knee. He eventually finds himself organizing the Hollywood Victory Committee, an association of motion picture, theatrical and radio personalities, dedicated to help the efforts of the war.
In this short silent film, two men—W.C. Fields and Larry Westford—have an interest in beautiful Marian West. They engage in fighting, but when other people suggest that they settle their dispute by playing a friendly game of pool, they agree. However, the friendly match soon turns into yet another fight and the young lady gets annoyed.
The S.S. Gigantic is about to race the slightly smaller S.S. Colossal, across the Atlantic. Gigantic’s owner T.F. Bellows sends his brother S.B. Bellows to sabotage the Collossal, but S.B. accidentally ends up sabotaging the Gigantic. Meanwhile, radio emcee, Buzz Fielding, tries to announce the race from the Gigantic while juggling his three ex-wives and girlfriend.
