Honest John

[Mackingcole]

Absolutely brilliant clip!! Superb timing; and how the other guy keeps a straight face I'll never know. Every time i watch this it has me in stitches - fantastic!!!

[FomalhautBeer]

2:08: completely arbitrary hand twist to put the ball at the exact same place. Utter Genius!!!

[MudcatUK]

Excellent

[IAintOverYet]

The aversion to water at about 1:10 is a recurring gag in a lot of his movies, not only by him but also others in the cast. I read somewhere that WC once quipped as to why he didn't like to drink water..."Fish F--k in it"

[IAintOverYet]

WC Fields movies were usually played late at night on some obscure TV channel, probably UHF (I bet most don't even know what that is), before that days of cable TV. I watched while in bed, and had to contain my laughter so as not to wake up the wife and kids. That was impossible. The whole bed shook and so did the rest of the house, and I woke up everyone anyway. I've been watching a lot of his movie scenes on YouTube this weekend and my gut hurts from all the laughing. What a genius!

[mickeydougal]

Reading the argument between crazyhorse and echocannon, now THAT'S comedy! LMAO!

[saholben]

priceless.....just priceless  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bakooi]

The greatness of this scene - which was perfected during his years in Vaudeville - lies not necessarily in its originality. It's the timing that is absolutely perfect. It's great that we are able to see such classic Vaudeville-acts. WC Field, Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Roscoe Arbuckle all honed their skills in Vaudeville, and through them this form of entertainment has not been completely forgotten.

[rjt154]

Pure genius!!!

[peppersax]

This has got to be one of the funniest skits ever, by a genius comedian. I love how he plays with all the props. No CGI , no special gymnastics....Just PURE COMIC GENIUS!

[colette10ful]

The first 30 seconds sum up 90% of married men's lives LOL

[rlevitta]

In case anyone thinks that the cue ball trick was special effects - this bit is just a part of a vaudeville act that he used to do. The table was a special trick table that he designed, on which he did all sorts of tricks. He became more famous for his humorous asides during his juggling act (which this really is) and ended up being an actor who had these amazing physical attributes. He incorporated juggling in everything he did. He was the best.

[Ease54]

Can NOT watch this without tears running down my face.....

[JoshieDoozie]

I love it when he just starts humming at the most random moments. . .

[jamespdelia]

These short skits proves that he was so far ahead of his time. They are perfect for sites such as you tube because the attention span is so short nowadays.

[MrMercmog]

well ahead of its time

[2328MrDavid]

Must agree with last comment Since findig this have watched at least once a day for a good laugh!!!

[2328MrDavid]

Must agree with last statement. I watch at least once a day, most uplifting.

[BeadStallcup]

The man was a genius at improvision with props. Red Skelton took his ques from WC Fields. WC Fields, the greatest comedian who ever lived. Died in 1946.

[BartjeOstend]

Thumbs up for Honest John ;)

[EchoCannon89]

It's amazing that 70 years ago comedy in Hollywood was so much better than it is today. WC Fields probably the best American comedian ever

[spactick]

@EchoCannon89 Your absolutely 100% right. And he could do this shit when he was drinking 2 quarts of Vodka a day. TWO QUARTS LOL He's a genius. 

[kustomride]

Incredible. There will never be a W.C. Fields again. From a bygone era.

[BR5499a]

I have watched this at least 10 times and it still makes me laugh.

[jvolstad]

Fields doesn't like water because fish f.ck in it.

[keaton1895]

@jvolstad The correct quote is, "I don't drink water because fish do disgusting things in it." You couldn't say the f word on the radio and even today you can't.

[superdavid002]

I sing about Fields and others in The Celebrity Song.

[frankiecrocker]

Late one night, about forty years ago, I woke up just in time to catch this very seen on TV. I haven't seen a funnier person since. W.C. Fields was a true master of comedy. This current generation haven't a clue of what comedy really is.

[neilerone]

Sheer genius......yeah W.C.!

[chknmnkey]

That is awesome! Now I know where a few guys got their moves from!

[leafyutube]

Great scene of the great man.

[logancody07]

I lose it eveytime I see the part when he gets confused and puts the chalk in his mouth and tries to chalk the cue with his cigar

[BobEnslow]

Fanfreakingtastic stuff here.

[Ease54]

This has to be the funniest 5 minutes ever filmed.

[peppersax]

I haven't seen this clip is years. My wife had to come into the room to see what I was laughing so hard at. PURE GENIUS!

[kinklesstetrode]

So brilliant. Timing at its' best.

[APatronOfTheArts]

How can anyone be in a scene with Fields, and keep a straight face....let alone not die laughing?

[logancody07]

The one.....The only ... Never to be duplicated ... W.C. Fields. FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY

[chris09jazz]

This IS Classic! I told my son about when we use to play pool when he was a teenager. I use to do that with the pool cue but he never understood it til now. I still can't sit still from laughing so hard. He was wonderful!!! Thanks for the video.

[heidif1950]

This is my absolute favorite WC Fields bit. I laugh every time I see it.

[twinoak170]

hands

[twinoak170]

The cue changing handa at 2:05 is brilliant.

[twinoak170]

This is the funniest thing I have ever seen.

[billydenero]

My stomach is aching with laughter!

[billydenero]

Not seen this for over twenty years.

Its even funnier than I remember.

[gishikin]

Absolutely ridiculous......LOVE IT!!!

[jackslicl100]

watch the jerry lewis movie, the family jewels. he does the same routine. w.c. was truely a master. thanks for posting.

[zerothedivine]

this was a physical example of a "shaggy dog story" brilliantly done.

[1457px]

I am naff at pool, but using parts of this routine sure pisses people off, when i get started. There's nowt up wi chasing the end of the cue about!

[oddfellaboo]

Timeless! absolutly classic..the catching the tip of the pool cue is still tear enducing! love it!

[showreelemile]

I LOVE IT!!

The pool cue hitting the table..HAHAHAHA

[NoodlesBubblesBeans]

W.C Fields is the best!!!

[77doriella]

This is just great. Laughed till I cried. Thanks WC

[imallearsru]

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

[LeedsnLeeds]

Anyone who doesn't think this is funny, is wrong - simple.

[crazyhorse66]

What the heck?! Am I missing something here?

I didn't see anything remotely funny. I'm 24 and generally like older comedies but just didn't get this at all.

[RodCow]

OK so we don't get the 'you can't say that!' elements of the first two minutes these days.Times have changed too much.But if you can't find anything to laugh at in the remaing three then there's no help for you at all

[samdon815]

W.C. was a comic genious. If you don't see this as hilarious , too bad.

[GolumTR]

There is only one thing dry about W.C. Fields - his humor!

He coined the "illegal, immoral or fattening." phrase. It's been quoted so many times it seems like a stock phrase, but at the time there was howls of laughter. Howls!

[smal1fox]

i'm 19 and my dad just showed me this today and i was cracking up.. how can't you appreciate this?

[crazyhorse66]

Hey, live and let live. The world would be a pretty boring place if we laughed at the same things!

This type of humour just bores me to be honest. Then again, I'm British and you probably don't get British humour ;-)

[triphantaC]

no one could.

[EchoCannon89]

@crazyhorse66 you are just stupid. If you don't find this funny you should see a doctor; I love British comedians (Ricky Gervais, Little Britain, Yes Minister Ali G all among my favorites) but there are no comics British or otherwise funnier than this!

[crazyhorse66]

@EchoCannon89

I'm stupid because I don't find the same things funny as you do? An odd comment. Oh and the British comedians/comedy acts you have named there are some of the least talented that our country has ever produced.

[EchoCannon89]

@crazyhorse66 if you don't find this funny you are stupid, yes, at the very least you have no understanding of comedy, WC Fields is acknowledged as a master of comedy by virtually everyone

[crazyhorse66]

@EchoCannon89 What an idiotic response. Everyone has a different sense of humour you muppet. Believe me, you ask people here who this guy is and 99% won't ever have heard of him; let alone acknowledge him as a "master of comedy". Without wanting to get into the old UK v USA thing; it is well documented that Americans in general have no grasp of irony and prefer simple, 'slapstick' type humour - this could explain our difference of opinion.

[EchoCannon89]

@crazyhorse66 Arguing with you is like arguing with a child; if you think that this is simple humor you are either unintelligent or have no understanding of comedy. In your case, I think that both apply!

As for US vs. UK; John Cleese and other English comedians have spoken about how influential WC Fields, the Marx Brothers and Laurel & Hardy (Hardy was American) were in their comedic development. Stop viewing everything through your stupid bigoted prism; there are many great US comedians!

[gordonbennet]

i too dont find this very funny. i have read some of field's quotes tho and they are very good.

[sclogse1]

Well, we all know about the effect a crowd has on humor. Any decent comedy should be seen in the first week while there is still a crowd going. It's infectious. Hard to imagine the difference seeing this film in the theatres back around...what...1938 or so? Really different than browsing alone on ones computer. Even Eastwood's Gran Torino with all it's racial comments drew a lot of laughs in a full house, with a mixed race audience...but imagine seeing it by yourself. A different experience.

[sclogse1]

when that ball came back and hit him on the head, that's no special effect. Something about him reminds me of Hunter Thompson...(Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.)

[crazyhorse66]

I've read virtually every single book written by HST and he's in a different league to this guy in my opinion. The only thing that I can find similar between the two is that they both seem to have their own sense of time i.e. they can take as long as they want to say something and no-one dares to interrupt!

[sclogse1]

see my comments to gordonbennet about two boxes up from here...or maybe now at the top...

[Peter9761]

@crazyhorse66 Best not to judge only on one clip.If you don't find it funny then fair enough.See 'Its A Gift',if you don't enjoy that you don't enjoy comedy.

W C Fields was superb,my nationality (English) makes no difference to that.

[alexm237owns]

i showed it to my uncle and he was in histerics  11:05

[rossmcl177]

How did the other actor manage to keep a straight face??!!

[RodCow]

If you watch him closely he nearly cracks

[imallearsru]

I haven't seen this in about 25 - 30 years. I laughed so hard I cried. So good to see his genius again. Thanks for posting.

[shanghaibenny2]

"According to you everything I do is either immoral, illegal or fattening." Nothing has changed between husband and wife.

[tataheeya]

Brilliant

[TilemanSD]

My brother and I knew every word of this scene and could recite it when we were 10 years old. I can still remember it to this day and I'm 52. Funniest man ever.

[jackherbon]

This is without doubt one of the funniest clips in movie history. Fields was a master!

[thebassetthound]

According to yuo everything I like to do is either Illegal, Immoral or Fattening!

[shj2000]

The funniest man of the 20th century. I laugh so hard I squirt tears watching this master. My role model for adulthood. Terrific.

Steve

[HUTINAK]

" I used to tend bar in MEDICINE HAT ??"

....Alberta?

[mka800]

This is back when comedy was actually funny.  W.C. was such a genius.

[Shaker72]

When you compare Fields here with his great films like My Little Chickadee and The Bank Dick, I casn't believe how slim he is!

[blackmountainboar]

"I feel as though the Russian Army has been walking over my tongue in their stocking feet."

The sharpest wit and retorts, next to Groucho.

[NecklupA10]

Wow. It's been two weeks, and no one has commented? Amazing!

Anyway, really funny!

[RnRanimal]

just watched this with my daughter and partner,

almost laughed ourselves to death

[aaaayes]

I mean @ 03:37

[aaaayes]

@ 00:37 LMAO...Brings tears to my eyes every time...

[bwlboy123]

Best ever W C Fields scene.

[utubemio]

This is WC classic humor.

[IWasAbductedByAliens]

How could anyone do a scene with FIELDS and not die LAUGHING?

[snuik]

funniest guy ever lived LMAOOOOOO hilarious hahhaa

[Ease54]

This is one of the funniest clips I've ever seen.I can make myself laugh out loud just by thinking of it!

[Sooother]

Classic Fields..

The King of subtle comedy.

If not for Youtube, these moments in history may be lost.

Thanks for posting..

I encourage everyone out there to keep old film footage alive...Post away..

For the first time in history.. anyone can leave images of the past..Who knows..who will be viewing your copy of a clip ,years from now....Spooooky..ok..kinda wierd..

[lolztehbuttsexxorz]

Lol, hardcore OCD

[aaaayes]

03:37 LMAO

[DJLorenzen]

1:02 - ohh

[cdiaz55]

my 13 year old son love this and other W.C. clips! he says it's some of the funniest stuff he's ever seen1

[ravensbud]

Brilliant!

[aaaayes]

LOL...gr8 clip...still makes me laugh, brings tears to my eyes...I admired him so, my poker screen name is dedicated to him...AAAAYES

[il0v3numb3r5]

THIS IS MY GREAT GRANDFATHR! my name is alex fields and my dad, ron fields wrote 3 books about him and an emmy winnin documentry. I AM RELATED TO THE FUNNIEST MAN ALIVE. WC FIELDS WAS A GENIUS

[skankinhappy]

funny man

[Beachfootprint]

Lucky boy Alex. This and the likes of Laural and Hardy ect should be shown as a part of school education on `how GOOD does it feel to laugh` lessons.

[il0v3numb3r5]

haha thank you and i htink it should be in schools. VERY funny man

[caitlynwillow]

w.c.fields when asked do you read the bible cracks back...' only for loop-holes ' he was a total comedian...stage=craft second to none a clown who im sure could have gobbled up a samuel beckett role just like what keaton done...

[ARoundOfApplause]

caitlynwillow...Fields was in the hospital for Liver problems....a nurse saw him reading the Bible....when she asked him why HE would be reading the Bible he responded, "im looking for loop-holes!"

[Broto69]

That was funny!

[Memecy]

Why didn't I understand that? I'm from the 90's generation... so .. I'm missing something here! :P

It looks to be a classic..

[Morahman7vnNo2]

If your from the 90s generation, then your last generation that can think strait,, don't worry your not supposed to everything. But supposed to get his movies like the "The Bank Dick" or "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break," besides I only laughed at when he stabbed the pool table.

[richardawelch]

wonderful, tears streaming down my face

[tulipmitchell]

The greatest physical comedian of all time.

[Stev50]

I love this it kills me it must be good it made my wife smile thats not easy.

[DrumlineFraternity]

This cracks me up! : )

[SkyHeye]

Megabeing.

No argument.

"Don't mind if I do"

My scarred brain will alway recall Bill D.

[George7963]

'wait I break these balls" so funny he is, wow 1930's even

[creamofcardstv]

I love the early movies. I've given you five stars, please check out my silent movie memorabilia vids (includes WC Fields)

when you have time.

[George7963]

Watch the way he back hands the ball and chases the cue stick. I laugh each time like it was the first.

[George7963]

So very funny

[Yardbird68]

One of the funniest comedian of all-times and my fav!!! Fields had been doin this pool routine since his vauldville days.

[Peaks33]

Classic. I've seen Norton on the Honeymooners mess with the ball on the table and screw around the the cue. Now I know where he got it from.

[frankothemountain]

The skull sound effect is funny as hell. Pure comic genius.

[mrobertb]

How did he make the cue ball do that? It didn't look like a trick camera shot to me!

[1633ruthlor]

Remember,he was an awesome juggler,a trick like that would be easy for him.

[cfcues]

LOLz...that's the first time I've seen that...

[aaaayes]

I do not know how that man in the black can keep a straight face throughout this scene...this just makes my day...oh where, did the films like this go?

[tcartya]

WC Fields is the funniest man ever lived! Any man who hates little kids and small dogs can't be all bad!

[gamers151]

lol

i cant watch anymore my sides are spliting lol

[Stev50]

My chest also hurts this just kills me its pure comic genius.

[DAVIDINTEL]

Bill and his trusty sidekick of sorts Tammany Young. Great stuff!!

[skeester63]

I haven't seen this in so long...I laughed till my chest hurt even though I knew what was comming.

[1633ruthlor]

Rates right up there with the best ever.

[minislot]

fantastic

[doc503]

The man was a genius before his time.

[gnxnational]

this is only eclised by the porch scene

[Beachfootprint]

A true magician. ...... Thanks for puttingn it up.

[catbird007]

W.C. Feilds had that remarkable talent of making any person watching him comply with his time,and space. Fields may seem like a bafoon, but he is always in control from start to finish...... One of the best

[philocamillus]

does anyone know if this film is available on DVD? I'm dying to get it!

[1more4theroad]

Yes, it is. It is part of a 3-movie DVD, covered by Burns and Allen. Six of a Kind is on it.  I got mine fairly cheap from Amazon. They are 12.99 now. My dvd I bought was the first time that I saw this pool routine in probably 25 years! My son was laughing so hard at me laughing so hard at this scene!

[Noonday100]

My stomach aches from laughing so much! Total genius!

[philocamillus]

to the ubiquitous Tammany Young: "Don't stand so near the table, will you!"

A fabulous bit. Fields is relatively healthy, has his juggling acumen in high gear, delivers his lines uproariously. This sketch shows why he was the highest paid film comedian of the time, and a true genius for all time!

[asstezz]

one of the funniest sketches ever

[Docmananoff]

It never stops being funny especially when the cue ball cracks him on the head.

LMAO!!!!

[gazeff]

He makes Jim Carrey look like JIm Carrey

[fmbighair]

HA HA...thats brilliant.  nice :P

[g2no2000]

One of the best "physical" actors of all time!

Pure Genius

[creamofcardstv]

I like your vid clip and I've rated it as awesome. I've done another video clip on some old cigarette cards of 1930's movie stars, including: W.C. Fields , Bing Crosby, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Clark Gable, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo,Johnny Weismuller, Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard.

[gill55p]

Brilliant especially the first part where he says those 3 things that his wife doesnt like just great dont make them like this any more and the way he looks at water thanks for the clip

[ScIz0]

This single clip PROVES what a genius W.C. really was.

[barrystock]

None better.

[consultgp]

The funniest piece of film ever shot....

[NoelVento]

The Best

[RetroBabeBlog]

Pure Class !! Been after this clip for ages !"! Thanks !!