W. C. Fields : his follies and fortunes (1949)

view ended with the comment, probably suggested by Fields, since it turned up with remarkable similarity elsewhere during the period, "An attempt to extol W. G. Fields' merit would require the ability to juggle words as adroitly as he does articles." The Ziegfeld Follies of 1915, at the New Amsterdam Theatre, was graced by many names already famous and others about to become famous. As nearly as may be determined, they were regarded as being pretty much of the same common fabric by the new man, who "took the line," one of them says, "that all the rest of us more or less had feet of clay." Fields appeared as "Himself," a simple tribute he had insisted upon when the show was being put together, in Scene Two. He did his billiard act, and the audience stopped the show with an uproar of merriment. "W. G. Fields contributed a screamingly funny exhibition of pool playing," said the New York Mirror. Gene Buck's insight in hiring him was borne out handily within half an hour after curtain time on opening night. In Scene Six he appeared as "Adam Fargo" in a skit, "Hallway of the Bunkem Court Apartments," with such lesser luminaries as Ann Pennington as "Sammy, a messenger boy" ; Bert Williams, as "Thomas, the hall boy" ; and Leon Errol as "Constant Bunn." The show, nude and rich in the Ziegfeld manner, had many rewarding features for revue lovers. Ed Wynn, also as "Himself," and Fields' principal rival for comedy pre-eminence, held the stage alone in Scene Seven, and other worth-while offerings included a song, "Marie Odile," by Ina Claire; and a dance, "Flirtation Medley," by Ann Pennington and George White, who was soon to organize a competitive entertainment with his Scandals. Wynn's grapple with Fields for laughs was destined to come to a violent climax and give rise to the most celebrated anecdote of the Fields legend. The danger signals were apparent on Novem 149