MovieChat Forums > W.C. Fields and Me Discussion > This film is unsubstantiated crap.

This film is unsubstantiated crap.

posted 16 years ago by wmkingsman
7 replies | jump to latest

I recommend reading the book by Ronald J. Fields, W. C. Fields by himself. Carlotta Monti was his paramour, from about 1933-1944. She painted a largely fictional account of The Great Man, that never could be reliably backed up by any real sources. When Fields began to realize that she was using him as her meal ticket, he angrily cut her off. The movie was roundly panned, at the time it came out, as Rod Steiger made a ridiculous caricature of who W.C. Fields really was.

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 15 years ago

Every bit as artificial and stupido as the Bible and that ain't no lie.

Nothing is more beautiful than nothing.

[–] filmbuff1974 13 years ago

I rather enjoyed the movie. I can't imagine all of it is fictional. I also recall that Rod Steiger's interpretation of W.C. Fields was given a lot of critical acclaim at how accurate his portrayal was to the source. Perhaps another bio picture should have been made that more closely followed the agreed upon record.

By the way,wasn't Ronald J. Fields the grandson of W.C. Fields who appeared on the "Joe Franklin Show" promoting the biography of the grandfather he never knew ? Not only that, I recall that he only found out as an adult that he was descended from W.C. Fields! I'm sure that biography couldn't be that much more accurate than Carlotta Monti's.

If you love and support Michael Jackson 100%, copy & paste this into your signature. We love MJ!

[–] wmkingsman 13 years ago

If one reads the book "W.C. Fields by himself", it is noted by Ronald J. Fields that the book is his grandfather's own personal notes that make up the book. Fields probably never intended any of it to be published.

[–] filmbuff1974 13 years ago

by wmkingsman 38 minutes ago (Sat Feb 19 2011 16:18:23) Ignore this User | Report Abuse
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If one reads the book "W.C. Fields by himself", it is noted by Ronald J. Fields that the book is his grandfather's own personal notes that make up the book. Fields probably never intended any of it to be published.

My response:

Strange that someone who wanted to create a legacy didn't write out his memoirs or perhaps he just assumed he had many more years to live than he actually did and put off the project until a later date.

This this might be off topic, but in the movie there is a scene where W.C.Fields is writing a pile of screenplays. So, assuming this is accurate, there are a pile of unproduced screenplays in some storage space that might prove to be fascinating reading and maybe might be used to create a series of movies.

If you love and support Michael Jackson 100%, copy & paste this into your signature. We love MJ!

[–] wmkingsman 13 years ago

My only reply to your post is that you seem to make an assumption about The Great Man that is only based on your own speculation.
Research W.C. Fields. There is a great biography on him that was done about ten years ago. One learns that there wasn't anything that he enjoyed more in life was throwing people off on things that people thought they knew, about him. Fields was a paradox- and was years ahead of his time.
If anyone knows anything about him, it is Ronald J. Fields.

[–] filmbuff1974 13 years ago

"If anyone knows anything about him, it is Ronald J. Fields. "--wmkingsman

Advice taken. I'll look up the book.

If you love and support Michael Jackson 100%, copy & paste this into your signature. We love MJ!

[–] lousvr 11 years ago

Agree... Furthermore Steiger most've been drunk himself to portray a real comic genius as he did...
Steiger was abit nutty himself.