W.C. FIELDS

by David Denby, The New Yorker

The country of Klopstokia, which is run by W. C. Fields, and which settles all governmental issues with wrestling (arm and Indian), sends a team to the Olympics in order to raise money. “Million Dollar Legs” (1932), screening at 92Y Tribeca on June 2, is about as close as Hollywood (in this case, Paramount) ever came to the spirit of Dada. Read more at The New Yorker...

While in New York also see the W.C. Fields Exhibit and films at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

W.C. Fields in Million Dollar Legs
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

Lots going on in New York now for our grandfather, W.C. Fields.  How exciting, deserved, and timely.  This film is absurd, hilarious, and insightful into our foibles and slight pretensions.  Glad John Oliver is a fan too.

Location:
92YTribeca
200 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10013
212.601.1000

by Imogen Smith, Brooklyn Indie Movie Examiner

Mark Twain declared, “The secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow. There is no humor in heaven.” No one illustrated this better than W.C. Fields, who drew from the bottomless wells of humor to be found in aggravation, pessimism and acrimony. Fields recognized that his own success as a performer depended on the less generous aspects of human nature. He remarked: “I like, in an audience, the fellow who roars continuously at the troubles of the character I am portraying on the stage. But he probably has a mean streak in him, and if I needed ten dollars, he’d be the last person I’d call upon. I’d go first to the old lady and old gentleman back in row S who keep wondering what there is to laugh at.” Read more at examiner.com...