W.C. FIELDS AND ME

US, 1976, 112 minutes, Colour.
Rod Steiger, Valerie Perrine, John Marley, Jack Cassidy, Bernadette Peters.
Directed by Arthur Hiller.

You might enjoy Fields' comedies, but this film portrays him as far from funny. In fact, he is a pathetic figure, full of ambition, but dogged by selfish caprice and an innate ability to alienate people. Rod Steiger portrays him in the manner we are used to from his films (and a clever imitation it is), but the screenplay and performance offer a clearly delineated portrait and not a complex character study.

Thus, within these limitations, as well as those of Fields' legends, (carefully fostered by himself), the film shows a memoir of an actor immersed in the Hollywood style of his day. Not a comedy.

1. The focus of the title, the spotlight on Fields, the reference to Carlotta Monte? The film as biography? The narrative by Carlotta? Appearances and reality? The truth about W.C.Fields? As seen and presented by himself in stories and anecdotes? As perceived by Carlotta? The fact that critics pointed out the film differed from reality in considerable detail?

2. Did the film answer the question about W. C. Fields the man and his character? His motivation? His abilities? The legends about him? The significance of the opening and the advertisement of him as a juggler, his comedy style? His being spotlighted at the end?

3. The quality of Rod Steiger's performance, imitation of Fields and his style? An authentic atmosphere for understanding Fields as a person, as an actor?

4. The appeal of this kind of Hollywood biography? The nostalgia of the seventies concerning the past? The romanticising of the past? The presentation of New York in the twenties, the Ziegfeld Follies? Hollywood in the thirties? The studios, homes, the aura of the stars?

5. What kind of person was Fields according to the film: his skill in comedy, his drinking, his trusting people and his unwillingness to trust them.. attitude towards women. his ambitions and fear of Chaplin, the physical illness, his pushiness? His qualities as a man. his selfishness. cruelty? His forever trying to prove himself virile? His inability to sleep and his love for rain? How did this correspond to his image as a comedian and this being visualised in the burlesque show. his film clips?

6. The effectiveness of starting with the Ziegfeld Follies? How did it establish the issues in W. C. Field’s life and career? His status as a comedian. the type of act he performed. the fact that Ziegfeld found him very hard to control? His philosophy of entertaining? Crudity and innuendo? Audience response? The type of person and the conflict that accompanied him? His clashes with Ziegfeld and his manager? The support of his manager? The friendship with Ludwig and his role in the acts? The bonds between them? The importance of the liaison with Melody? The type of brainless girl that she was? The fact that he had her followed by a detective? Her reaction to this and his taking back the ear-rings etc.? The encounter with the agent in the hotel. his financial investments, the ironies of his losing it all? The way this was broken to him? What alternatives did he have? To stay in vaudeville. to go to California?

7. What motivated his going to California? His fear of films. his being overawed by Chaplin and getting physically sick? The presentation of the trip to California. the companionship of Ludwig. the various incidents on the way? Fields as an American man going throughout his own land? The impact of the arrival of California, going to the sea. the importance of the wax museum and his establishing himself? Ludwig and his continued support?

8. The atmosphere of the thirties and of Hollywood: work and the possibilities of work, the precarious nature of wealth and poverty? The initial encounter with Harry Bannerman? Bannerman and his role at Paramount Studios.. the shrewd producer, his understanding of human nature? The comedy and the importance of the sequence where Bannerman and Fields haggle about his scripts. about his price? The beginning of success and the collage of his successes in films? The reliance on audience knowledge and response to his films and type of comedy? What did success do to Fields as a person?

9. The setting of the party after the filming of "Mississippi"? Carlotta and her description of this, her pointing herself out in the chorus, Fields' speech and his slur on her? The nickname of Chinaman? His invitation to her and the ambiguity of her reaction? The treatment of her and the rudeness of himself and his friends? The day as providing some insight into the way in which Fields lived? The importance of Barrymore, La Cava and others and their drinking. gambling, attitude to life, irresponsibility. sexuality? The way they treated Carlotta? Barrymore and his vanity about his own sexuality? Carlotta taken for granted. made to do the work and ignored?

1O. What persuaded Carlotta to stay with Fields? To work for him. to be devoted to him? The reasons behind her falling in love with him? The type of work. the number of clashes they had? Her presence at the studios. controlling his drink? His humiliating her and repenting? The bonds between them? The irony of their going to the premiere and Fields being physically sick with the mention of Chaplin? How did this illustrate an important part of Fields' life?

11. How well drawn were the characters of Barrymore, La Cava, etc.? Audience knowledge of them from their screen work? The crude masculine behaviour, the preoccupation with virility (and Carlotta's comments on this?), the locker-room talk? Their later help for Fields? The importance of Barrymore's death and the effect that it had on them all, on Fields? The bizarre sequence of Barrymore awaiting death, sitting posed in his chair, the friends' presence and drinking?

12. How crucial was the episode of Carlotta's test? Her own self-image, her ambitions, career? The build-up to the test? Harry Bannerman and co-operation, Barrymore? The glimpse of Hollywood film making in the thirties and the interest in this? Carlotta's performance, the screening and the various reactions? Audience response to Fields' manipulating of the whole event and his cruelty to Carlotta and his selfishness? The irony of it coming back on him after the trip to Mexico? The way the behaviour was visualised in Mexico at the bull fight, with the prostitutes. the public speech? The vulgarity of their behaviour? The studio having to rescue them? The build-up to the restaurant sequence and the revelation of the truth? Bannerman's vindictiveness? The way Carlotta's hurt was portrayed and audience sympathy for this? Her leaving, the communication between New York and Hollywood: the letters, the spoken commentary of the letters? The bonds between them, the reason for Carlotta's return and the effect on Fields? The indication of the true feelings between them?

13. The importance of his son's arrival, the revelation of this aspect of his life, the reasons for his keeping it secret, the financial support he had given to his wife? Carlotta's reaction and anger? The bonds between them? The transition then to hospital, the support of his son, Carlotta, his longing for a drink? The agony of the alcoholism?

14. The symbolism of his wanting to hear rain and be able to sleep, Carlotta with the hose on the roof and his getting some kind of peace? The fact that people did actually give him so much in his life? The importance of the final commentary. the passing of the years. the information about his death? Adequate for response after the length of film preceding it?

15. The purpose of this biography, interest, entertainment, the revelation of a genius. the revelation of a pathetic human being. problems of relationship, self-image, alcoholism. What did the film say was the achievement of W. C. Fields?