Product Description

In this now-classic biography of America's great funnyman, first published in 1949, award-winning author Robert Lewis Taylor captures the cantankerous charm that has made Fields revered by generations of helplessly laughing viewers. 16 pages of photos.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1553263 in Books
• Published on: 1978-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover

From Library Journal
A reprint of the 1949 publication on the turbulent life of the comic actor. LJ 's reviewer said then, "Highly Recommended" (10/15/49). Fields's everlasting popularity makes that just as true today.-- MR
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
One of the oldest biographies of Fields remains one of the most inclusive, even in this era of kiss-and-tell writing. Taylor introduces Fields as a deprived, neglected child who became tough and bitingly witty as a result of his hard life. The book ends with his alcoholism and death. However, neither author nor narrator becomes sentimental in retelling this almost melodramatic story. Parker takes the brilliant writing and relates it much as Fields himself would probably tell his own story. He not only recreates Fields's one-of-a-kind voice, but presents background text and glimpses of other stars of the era in an awesome range. The listener can imagine Fields's grumpy face and hear the ice cubes clinking in his beloved martini. S.G.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

Not Bad, But Use With Caution
There have been numerous books on the "Great One" and R.L. Taylor's is among the earliest. If the reader is to embark on a serious study of Fields, this should be the first book you read, but use it with caution. Fields was a great rancatour and if a lie would serve better than the truth, he did it. It's hard to seperate fact from fiction when dealing with Fields. No doubt he detested having his privacy intruded on, and his childhood was probably painful. Fields propped up his erratic life with hard drinking, which eventually killed him. And, so many of his tales sound like boozy comedy skits. Still, Fields life tends to read like a Dickens novel. The influence that Dickens had on the comedian is umistakeable, with film characters like short tempered "Mr. Muckle" the portly "Adelai Brunch Souse" and "Professor Eustice McGargle"

screamingly funny, never ponderous
I never appreciated WCFields nearly enough until I read this fantastic bio. I followed it up by checking other bios & Fields references; I almost bought Curtis' 2003 bio because I craved more, not just of the constant & prolonged laughs this bio inspired but for more inspiration from Fields' torturous childhood that molded him into admirably unique & triumphant contrariness. In the end, the Taylor bio, though lacking mention of Fields' radio work and emphasizing anecdote over details, was so well written I didn't feel any need of elaboration. I sped through this book, stopping only for laughing jags, where a devoted bio was more likely to be a slog. Instead, I bought Fields' only book, Fields for President.

Not likely I'd read a biography this old on Fields,
But, this is one of the first & I do like the narration of Tom Parker.
I had preconceptions of Fields being a lovable, womanizing drunk. He didn't like public intoxication or drunks except maybe for good friend, John Barrymore, but he died of complications of the liver. I guess starting out the day with martinis for breakfast & continuing all day may have somthing to do with it. If he was a womanizer the author, Robert Lewis didn't know about it. Or maybe in the 1940's they didn't print such things. He was in fact married once, never sought a divorce although he & his wife had been separated long before his death.
He was a raging paronoid, contol freak & notoriously cheap.
Fields thought he was a great director though nobody else held that belief. He was also very shrewd getting top billing & top $$$ on his way to becoming "The Greatest Juggler in the World," & he may have been. The author covers Field's early life & struggles well. His movies by which we all know hime came rather late in his life. He was suspicious of everyone extremely hard to work with & generally a surly, nasty man. But he was never boring & always, always funny. People were drawn to him because he made them laugh, rather than being repelled by his personality.
We stiil laugh, thru his movies, today.