W.C. Fields; A Biography
James Curtis / 2004
Backstage Books, Inc. / LC#2004108936
The author did an amazingly complete job on the life of W.C. Fields. I don't think there's a shady side left unexposed.
It was a difficult read for me, because I'd always been of the opinion that so much of his bad reputation was a pose -
a rebellion against the Goody Two-Shoes leanings of the times. To find out the real man could be so talented, and
yet so mean and course (with few exceptions) was as depressing as learning his death certificate read "Acute Alcoholic",
which I'd also always thought to be merely part of his character.
( 6 x 9 " / 393 pages )