W.C. Fields - Collected Shorts (DVD)

This collection presents three of W C. Fields' wittiest shorts. In Fatal Glass of Beer, Fields is a father in a remote Yukon cabin anxiously awaiting the return of his ex-con son, imprisoned after drinking a "fatal" glass of beer and landing in hot water. The Dentist is a cautionary spoof of the trade and The Golf Specialist is a hilarious satire on golfers. William Claude Dukenfield, otherwise lauded as W. C. Fields, made his first movie at age thirty-six (Pool Sharks) and proceeded to make thirty-six more films. He sold vegetables from a horse cart as a teenager, lived in a hole in the ground after running away from home, survived on stolen food, spent time in jail, delivered ice, played pool, worked as a stand-up comedian and juggled for money. He made most of his movies for Paramount before moving to Universal in 1939. His acerbic humor, famous one-liners ("Who took the cork off my lunch?") and films have stood the test of time and remain priceless. This comic trio of shorts is among the finest.

• comedy