Poppy was brought the screen
after a successful run as a three-part stage musical. W.C. Fields played the
role of a colorful carnival barker, con man, and father to “Poppy.” Poppy was a “revue,” containing
elements of songs, skits, and comedy routines. The production ran in New York
and then moved over to England. Perhaps it was there that Fields was inspired
by a cartoon character named Ally Sloper; a red-nosed, blustery, lazy schemer
constantly dodging creditors. Fields' attire certainly resembles Sloper’s: a
tall white top hat with a wide band, an upturned white collar, tailcoat, and
spats. Much of the ensemble would come to create what we now consider to be the
iconic image of W.C. Fields. Considered one of the world’s best jugglers at an
early age, his ability to manipulate the objects about him is as gracefully
choreographed as a ballet dancer, all the while looking like he’s bumbling in
the attempt. His role as Prof. Eustace P. McGargle in Poppy would take him from the stage to the movies, where he would
become one of the world’s best-known comedians. His trademark raspy drawl with
a flowery vocabulary would make him instantly recognizable. Fields’ characters
in films would often show him as a drunk, con-man, and henpecked. Field’s ability
to play the downtrodden everyday man seeking to find a moment of solace or a
sip of drink endeared him to audiences. His self-talking mutterings were imbued
with wit and guile. Several of these mutterings have been added to the long
lexicon of lines attributed to Fields. One of the most famous of his lines came
near the end of Poppy when he
advises his daughter, “Never give a sucker an even break.”
