W.C. Fields Collection
Comedian W.C. Fields was born Claude William Dukenfield on January 29, 1880 in Philadelphia, Pa. Following abuse and forced labor at the hands of his father, Fields became a ranaway at the age of 11. From a natural talent to juggle balls, fruit, and stones Fields worked his way up various amusement parks to Vaudeville where his pantomines and juggling made him an instant hit. In 1923, W.C. Fields tried his hand as an actor starring in many of Hollywoods earlier comedy classics such as "My Little Chickade", "The Bank Dick", and "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break". Here is a collection of early sketch comedy routines performed for television: The Golf Specialist, The Dentis, The Fatal Glass of Beer, The Pharmacist, The Barber Shop, and Pool Shark.