Rochester/WC Fields

[Melanie]

I just watched WC Fields' "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man." Hadn't remembered that Rochester is in it. It has a publication date of
l939 but I was still surprised to hear Rochester referred to as a
"picaninny" and a "Ubangi".

Edgar Bergan and Charlie McCarthy have major roles--Charlie
even appears in blackface!

[Michael]

I just watched WC Fields' "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man." Hadn't remembered that Rochester is in it. It has a publication date of
l939 but I was still surprised to hear Rochester referred to as a
"picaninny" and a "Ubangi".

Edgar Bergan and Charlie McCarthy have major roles--Charlie
even appears in blackface!

I have that movie on tape, and feel that Eddie Anderson's Talents were SADLY wasted. His talents are put to spectacular use in "Buck Benny Rides Again" If you haven't seen this movie but would like to, then be sure to contact me and we can work something out

[LLeff]

His talents are put to spectacular use in "Buck Benny Rides Again"

And even more so in "Cabin in the Sky"!

[Michael]

His talents are put to spectacular use in "Buck Benny Rides Again"

And even more so in "Cabin in the Sky"!

Never seen that one.... would like to though sometime in the future

[Gerry O.]

While many prints of "You Can't Cheat An Honest Man" have the following scene deleted (especially some 16mm TV prints), there's a fascinating scene between W. C. Fields and Eddie Anderson.....

Eddie and several of the African-American circus workers are sitting around behind one of the circus tents. Fields enters and yells, "Which one of you is the head Ubangi?" and a couple of other insulting remarks. Eddie gives Fields this innocent look and asks, "You wouldn't be talkin' about one of us little 'colored boys' would you?". This scene is amazing, especially for a 1939 mainstream film.....When Eddie says that line, it's done in a sarcastic, mock "Uncle Tom"-sort of way, and it reminds me of the way that Lionel Jefferson used to do that to Archie Bunker on "All In The Family".

Eddie's response was years ahead of its time, and he's hilarious showing how ridiculous and insulting Fields' character's bigotry is.

[shimp scrampi]

...When Eddie says that line, it's done in a sarcastic, mock "Uncle Tom"-sort of way, and it reminds me of the way that Lionel Jefferson used to do that to Archie Bunker on "All In The Family".

Sorry for some stream of consciousness here - I haven't seen the movie but your description reminds me exactly of the opening scene of Blazing Saddles with Cleavon Little singing some Cole Porter as an "old negro spiritual"...I can just picture Eddie Anderson in that scene - "I get no kick from CHAMPAAAAAGNE!"

More stream of consciousness...did Mel Brooks and Jack ever appear together on any program? I think they'd be a great contrast in comedic styles. Jack would be funny as the Carl Reiner side of the 2000 year old man skits, more aggravated than bemused. "Now cut that out!"

Of course Mel tipped his hat to Benny in his remake of To Be Or Not to Be. But any known joint appearances?

[David47Jens]

While many prints of "You Can't Cheat An Honest Man" have the following scene deleted (especially some 16mm TV prints), there's a fascinating scene between W. C. Fields and Eddie Anderson.....

Eddie and several of the African-American circus workers are sitting around behind one of the circus tents. Fields enters and yells, "Which one of you is the head Ubangi?" and a couple of other insulting remarks. Eddie gives Fields this innocent look and asks, "You wouldn't be talkin' about one of us little 'colored boys' would you?". This scene is amazing, especially for a 1939 mainstream film.....When Eddie says that line, it's done in a sarcastic, mock "Uncle Tom"-sort of way, and it reminds me of the way that Lionel Jefferson used to do that to Archie Bunker on "All In The Family".

Eddie's response was years ahead of its time, and he's hilarious showing how ridiculous and insulting Fields' character's bigotry is.

Fields was notorious for ad-libbing and generally "messing around" with the scripts he was originally handed (The most notable -- if not the only -- exception would have to be his role as Micawber in "David Copperfield," due to his deep respect for the source material.). I suspect -- but have no way of proving -- that Eddie's remark may have been somehow instigated by Fields himself as a slight but meaningful come-uppance for the character Fields portrayed. I recall reading in one bio of Fields about a time when a guest in his home used the "N" word, within earshot of Fields "colored" maid no less, whereupon Fields asked the offending party to leave the premises.

[LLeff]

Sorry for some stream of consciousness here - I haven't seen the movie but your description reminds me exactly of the opening scene of Blazing Saddles with Cleavon Little singing some Cole Porter as an "old negro spiritual"...I can just picture Eddie Anderson in that scene - "I get no kick from CHAMPAAAAAGNE!"

More stream of consciousness...did Mel Brooks and Jack ever appear together on any program?

There is some connection to the stream of consciousness, as I happen to remember that Jack thought that "Blazing Saddles" was uproariously funny. I haven't yet seen it myself either. But I have seen "Green Pastures" and "Live and Let Die". (There's my own stream of consciousness...)

[shimp scrampi]

I haven't yet seen it myself either. But I have seen "Green Pastures" and "Live and Let Die". (There's my own stream of consciousness...)

Now you're making me think of how awesome Roch would be in the Yaphet Kotto role in Live and Let Die....

[Maxwell]

The story for "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man" was credited to Fields (as "Charles Bogle," so one has to wonder how much of a hand he had in the writing of the actual screenplay. Had one of the writers been listed as Mahatma Kane Jeeves, I'd know the answer, but as it is, I don't.

Changing to another sub-topic here: One of my favorite pastimes used to be trying to figure out which scenes in "Blazing Saddles" were written primarily by Richard Prior. I'd say the most obvious one is where Cleavon Little, threatened by the townsfolk, points his six-shooter at his head and says something like, "Don't anybody move or I shoot the ******." Could anybody else have written that?

[LLeff]

Now you're making me think of how awesome Roch would be in the Yaphet Kotto role in Live and Let Die....

Four words: Eddie Anderson......as.......SHAFT.

[shimp scrampi]

I've been brewing on this for a couple of days now, I just can't make up my mind if Butterfly McQueen would be better as "Coffy" or "Foxy Brown"....