The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-26

The world is sure going to lose
 lot of laughs. He was one oi the worlds greatest comedians"
 Became Foremost JuVgler
 Fields, who finally struck it rich when he played MT. Micawber n the movie David Copperfield," lived the boyhood life of c Charles Dick. ems waif. He slept in caves, barns and parks and filched apples from corner groceries, and begged and borrowed nickels he spent for ginger lunch. eS' '''e
 Thrilled by 6 juggling act he saw ne sneaked into a vaudeville house. ne practiced l6 hours Q day with stolen applies, rocks and tennis balls that bounced over walls. After d years practice he got Q fob which paid so little he owed his boss Id cents week for advances to meet living expenses.
 Twenty shows @ oav made him one of the worlds foremost jugglers, Ae toured the world, picking up an education along the way. He once took truck to Q bookstore and or. oered the manager to i'll 1t. Among the books was Q set of Dickens' works which Fields learnel almost py heart. During Q serious illness lO years ego Fields delirously quoted nneS or Mtcawber for hours at d time. V"
 Picking up his career from the pieces left by the 1929 crash, which wiped out his savings, the buIbous. nosed Juggler pyramided his taSte TOT drink into Q world-famous ca. reer as funnyman and Q million dol- Iar fortune. He made enough wise- cracks about his thirst to furnish d luxurious Hollywood home.
 Had Odd Setup at Home
 I've been on Q 46-year die tof onves and alcohol" he often said. 'Ihe latter I consume. The forrner save and use over again in more alcohol. Tn my lifetime imaQine. l nave consumed at least 5000. .O0O worth of whiskey."
 The only piece of furniture in his vast living room was 0 magnificent pool table, surrounded by hiRh chairs with chromium legs and leather up holstery. Instead of cluttering up his mahogany-paneled ilnrary with books, Fields installed a huge .ping-pong table.
 He kept quart jars of double mar. tinis mixed and on hand. Said he was man who didn't like to wait when his tongue got dry. He bought g custom-built black and gold re. frigerator-on wheels.
 Fields, who turned My Little Chickadee" into a household word. nad been in semi-retirement for the past several years. Tn his final radio appearance few months ago with Edgar Bergen, he was so i'll a screen was placed between him and the studio audience. But two genera tons still remember him as one of the great comedians of his time on stage and screen.
 Early Years Were Tough
 He was born in Philadelphia Feb. lV, 1SI9, and christened Claude Will nam Dunkenheld. This he later shortened to W. 0. Fields to fit | Marquee lights.
 HIS early years were tough, ones. | Leaving home at the age of III after hitting his father over the head with a box-he did odd jobs | Tor three years. Then he saw a Juggling team and decided to be- come a juggler himself.
 The next step was vaudeville and 'urlesque, where he added pam ,omine to, his act and toured Europe. By the time he's reached ms sos he was starring in the 1iegfeld Follies and, later. George Scandals"
 Hollywood got introduced to Yields in 1925, where he wasn't much 't sensation until Paramount agreed to let him write his own tories and act the way he wanted Q. He started wisecracking about ne demon rum-and the rest is enc history.
 Body to Be Cremated
 Fields denied that all the money ma the years he spent gulpine ever got him drunk. Tt vas waste of time and money" he aid.
 During his last years in Holly. Vood he was separated from his vie. Harriet. whom he married in 9Ol. She raised their only son. w. !. Jr.. and Fields maintained his achelor-mansion-where he could rop ashes on the oriental rugs any Ime he pleased.
 It was Fields wish that his body c cremated, and 1t was removed 3 Forest Lawn Crematory to await he arrival of his brother, Walter. nd sister, Adele Smith, both of, leu Tarcnx,