Fields began as a juggler, and this clip is pretty good at showing what he could do. I read a biography of Fields a few years ago. After his movies began tapering off, he went back to live performances. In one stage production, he's been waiting for his wife to get ready for them to go somewhere. After an interminable delay, Fields finally sat down with his cigar, cane and straw boater when his wife comes in, ready to go at last. Fields had the three items balanced on his lap so that he popped them up in the air, and as he stood up, the hat settled on his head, the cigar went into his mouth, and the cane was at the perfect height to begin walking.

Fields practiced the trick for months on end, and when the show finally premiered, he did it perfectly. Too perfectly. Nobody in the crowd quite caught what he'd just done, and there was no reaction. The next night, he set the trick up better, drawing attention to what he was about to do. But again, it was so well done that the audience failed to react. So after all that practice and preparation, Fields junked the trick.

If this is from the "The Old Fashioned Way" then Laurel isn't listed in the cast.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025590

"I don't drink anymore. But then I don't drink any less."

From It's a Gift:
Fields buys a dust bowl orange ranch which has petroleum reserve underneath it. Real estate guy is trying to swindle Fields, makes a low offer.

Fields: You're crazy.
Real estate guy: Well you're drunk.
Fields: I'll be sober in the morning, but you're going to be crazy for the rest of your life.

Another instance happened on the film set. Fields apparently always had a thermos on the set, which he claimed contained grapefruit juice. While Fields was busy doing a take, one of the set workers poured out the thermos (gin? Vodka? Who knows?) and filled it with grapefruit juice. When Fields finished, he returned to take a swig. His response was classic Fields: Zounds! Who put grapefruit juice in my grapefruit juice?

So many more classic Fields quotes.

Last edited Tue Sep 12, 2017, 04:45 PM - Edit history (1)

Another clip. How they choose the president of Klopstokia:

who hates dogs, babies and 45 can't be all bad.

Last edited Tue Sep 12, 2017, 01:25 PM - Edit history (1)

thanks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_LeRoy