Chapter 1
From juggling to Broadway
Chapter 2
The silver screen and iconic persona
Chapter 3
The man behind the pool cue
YOUR GOAL
Master of The comedy of W.C. Fields
Ch 1 · From juggling to Broadway
schopenhauer W.C. Fields
Lead: A silent tramp juggler became a Broadway star! / Response: (A Broadway star!) / Lead: With a crooked pool cue in the Follies! / Response: (Oh-oh, in the Follies!)
schopenhauer W.C. Fields transitioned from silent juggling to speaking roles, becoming a headliner in the legendary Ziegfeld Follies.
schopenhauer Before he ever spoke a word on stage, W.C. Fields became a global comedy sensation without uttering a single line.
BETA
schopenhauer Match his iconic quotes to discover the comedic genius of W.C. Fields.
Fun Fact
Silent success: W.C. Fields performed before European royalty, including King Edward VII, entirely in silence because he feared his raspy speaking voice would ruin his elegant juggling act.
Glossary
vaudeville (noun)
A light theatrical entertainment popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, consisting of a succession of short, unrelated acts. W.C. Fields toured globally as a tramp juggler in this medium before his 1905 Broadway debut.
A light theatrical entertainment popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, consisting of a succession of short, unrelated acts. W.C. Fields toured globally as a tramp juggler in this medium before his 1905 Broadway debut.
Quiz
In which U.S. state was W.C. Fields born and raised before running away to join the theater?
Quiz
Why did W.C. Fields originally perform his international juggling acts in complete silence?
Quiz
Which prop did W.C. Fields famously manipulate in his early "tramp juggler" stage acts?
Quiz
In which famous Broadway revue series did W.C. Fields star for seven years starting in 1915?
Quiz
Which physical skill did W.C. Fields master first, launching his entire entertainment career?
Quiz
How did W.C. Fields's father earn a living, which clashed with Fields's theatrical ambitions?
Quiz
What was W.C. Fields's real birth name before he adopted his famous stage moniker?