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

W. C. Fields visit. The actor and the director were generally locked in a jangling row. "It was almost impossible to drive a new idea down Bill's throat," La Cava says today. So's Your Old Man was supposed to be a wistful, tender, rather touching story about a princess who visited Fields' home town. Fields cared little or nothing for the mood of the piece. The fourth morning of work, La Cava got on the scene, found Fields there early, the cameras set up and grinding, and dirt and other debris rising from one corner of the lot. "What in the hell's going on here?" he cried, running up, terribly agitated. "Mr. Fields said this would be an excellent time to work in his golf act," said one of the cameramen, pointing to the disturbance in the corner. "Why, you can't see anything but dirt flying," said La Cava. He told them to knock off grinding. By now Fields had stopped swinging and was looking on with contemptuous suspicion. "You know that golf act won't fit into this thing, Bill," said La Cava, approaching warily. "Why not?" demanded the comedian. "It's not that kind of a story. What about the princess?" "We can use her as a caddy," suggested Fields. After three or four very strenuous hours, La Cava talked Fields out of playing golf in the middle of the plot, and the shooting resumed. A few days later Fields came onto the set bristling with importance. He had a "wonderful gag" he'd worked out the previous night, when he had insomnia. He and La Cava sat down, and Fields explained. "Well, there's a big bunch of cattails," he began, but La Cava interrupted by saying, "We've shot all over the lot. Any audience 196