W.C. Fields at the movies, on the radio

A comic powerhouse

W.C. Fields was one of the top comedic stars of vaudeville, Broadway and film, starring in such classics as 1934’s “It’s a Gift” and 1940’s “The Bank Dick.” Fields also found success on radio. Back in 1936, Fields was in the hospital after a bike accident and his battle with the bottle. When he was still too shaky to return to films, he went to work on radio in 1937 on “The Chase and Sanborn Hour” hosted by ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his puppet alter-ego, Charlie McCarthy. Movie star Don Ameche was the emcee and cast member. During the summer of 1937, Fields brought his acerbic humor to the show with a weekly segment. Ameche would ask Fields how things were going and Fields would go on a comedic rant that would often cause Ameche to lose his composure. Fields also bantered with Bergen and Charlie with the latter often out-quipping him. In 1939, Bergen and Charlie joined Fields in “You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man.”

— Susan King