W. C. Fields
Who W. C. Fields is
W. C. Fields (born William Claude Dukenfield in Darby, Pennsylvania) began as a silent tramp juggler in vaudeville, became a featured comedian in the Ziegfeld Follies from 1916 to 1922, and starred on Broadway in Poppy (1923) as a small-time con man, a persona he carried into films. His comedies include It's a Gift (1934), The Bank Dick and My Little Chickadee (both 1940) and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941), and he was a popular radio foil for Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. He died on Christmas Day 1946.
At a glance
- Born
- 1880
- Died
- 1946
- Style
- Vaudeville verbal comedy
- Podcasts
- Fields for President
- On screen
- Ziegfeld Follies, Poppy, The Chase and Sanborn Hour and 10 more
- Official site
- wcfields.com ↗
Specials, shows and podcasts
On screen
- Ziegfeld Follies Broadway revue, featured comedian, 1916–1922
- Poppy Broadway musical, star, 1923
- The Chase and Sanborn Hour radio, with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy
- The Bank Dick Egbert Sousé, 1940
- It's a Gift Harold Bissonette, 1934
- My Little Chickadee Cuthbert J. Twillie, 1940
- David Copperfield Wilkins Micawber, 1935
- You Can't Cheat an Honest Man Larson E. Whipsnade, 1939
- Never Give a Sucker an Even Break Bill Fields, the Great Man, 1941
- International House Professor Quail, 1933
- Man on the Flying Trapeze Ambrose Wolfinger, 1935
- The Fatal Glass of Beer Mr. Snavely, 1933
- Alice in Wonderland Humpty Dumpty, 1933
Podcasts
- Fields for President book, 1940
Comedians like W. C. Fields
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- George Burns also in International House
- Will Rogers also in Ziegfeld Follies
Career timeline
- 1880Born
- 1916Ziegfeld Follies (Broadway revue, featured comedian, 1916–1922) On screen
- 1923Poppy (Broadway musical, star, 1923) On screen
- 1933International House (Professor Quail, 1933) On screen
- 1933The Fatal Glass of Beer (Mr. Snavely, 1933) On screen
- 1933Alice in Wonderland (Humpty Dumpty, 1933) On screen
- 1934It's a Gift (Harold Bissonette, 1934) On screen
- 1935David Copperfield (Wilkins Micawber, 1935) On screen
- 1935Man on the Flying Trapeze (Ambrose Wolfinger, 1935) On screen
- 1939You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (Larson E. Whipsnade, 1939) On screen
- 1940The Bank Dick (Egbert Sousé, 1940) On screen
- 1940My Little Chickadee (Cuthbert J. Twillie, 1940) On screen
- 1940Fields for President (book, 1940) Book
- 1941Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (Bill Fields, the Great Man, 1941) On screen
- 1946Died
Questions about W. C. Fields
What podcast does W. C. Fields host?
Fields for President.
What TV shows and films are they in?
Ziegfeld Follies, Poppy, The Chase and Sanborn Hour, The Bank Dick, It's a Gift and My Little Chickadee, among 13 credits.
Who are some comedians like them?
George Burns (also in International House) and Will Rogers (also in Ziegfeld Follies).
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with their place on the Legends ballots.
Sources
- Wikipedia — W. C. Fields ↗ Birth and death years, Darby PA, vaudeville juggling, Ziegfeld Follies 1916–1922, Poppy, films, radio with Bergen and McCarthy, Fields for President, death…
- W. C. Fields — family site ↗ Official family site (filmography, biography, publications)
Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 27 September 2026