This is a restored version of W.C. Fields' first film, which had intertitles added to it in 1958 by Raymond Rohauer. The opening and closing titles were made by yours truly.
This was WC Feilds' very first film. He's 35 here. It was supposed to feature the poolroom routine Feilds was performing on the stage at the time but the director felt it wouldn't play on film..
W.C. was the greatest, but sound really made it for him, with his amazing voice. He was asked to play the Wizard in Wizard of Oz, he would have been great but Universal gave him a film package where he wrote and starred in some classics....smart choice!!
+Joseph Calderon The film, Wizard, was a failure when released. It took years to catch on. His son said he preferred writing, directing and starring in the 4 Universal films with total control instead of a small part in an iffy film so...we disagree on that one...
Wow, I just realized my Mother would of been one years old when this film was made. She lived to 63 being killed by a drunk driver at a crosswalk in Thousand Oaks in Oct, 1978.
Well you have to remember that in 1915, people were paying a nickle a piece to see these films flickered on a bed sheet hung up in a barn. They were cheap novel thrills. Film was young, and nobody ever anticipated to watch this film 100 years later. There was no critique for knockabout humor. They had no idea we'd still be watching them today. How could they have. Remember, films weren't important as they are today.
I like your vid clip and I've rated it as awesome. I've done another video clip on some old cigarette cards of 1930's movie stars, including: W.C. Fields , Bing Crosby, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo,Johnny Weismuller, Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard.
I liked the stooges' moment of nose grabbing and eye poking (Don't try that at home, children!) If it wasnt that he would have been eleven at he time I would have sworn that the handsome bloke in the boater hat was Cary Grant.
Bit of sloppy editing.When the rival falls into the rain barrel just before the scene cuts away you can see someone rushing up to get him out! didn't cut the film off quite soon anough.
