Lew Fields
Lillian Russell is the sanitized musical biopic of the legendary (and much-married) 19th century musical comedy star. Discovered in 1880 by bandleader Tony Pastor (Leo Carrillo), Lillian Russell (Alice Faye) wastes no time rising to fame and fortune on the Broadway stage. Along the way, she curries the favor of such eligible bachelors as newspaperman Alexander Moore (Henry Fonda), composer Edward Solomon (Don Ameche), and railroad tycoon Diamond Jim Brady (Edward Arnold). She marries the first two, and has a high old time (albeit chastely) with the third. The story ends with Russell's retirement in 1912, and her reunion with the one true love of her life. The film's hands-down highlight is a timeworn but classic routine involving those two Broadway comedy giants Joe Weber and Lew Fields, both of whom had appeared on-stage with the real Lillian Russell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alice Faye, Don Ameche, (more)
- 1939
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The last of RKO's Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers vehicles, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is also the least typical. At their best playing carefree characters in gossamer-thin musical comedy plotlines, Fred and Ginger seem slightly ill at ease cast as the real-life dancing team of Vernon and Irene Castle. The stripped-to-essentials storyline boils down to novice dancer Irene (Rogers) convincing vaudeville comic Vernon (Astaire) to give up slapstick in favor of "classy" ballroom dancing. With the help of agent Edna May Oliver, the Castles hit their peak of fame and fortune in the immediate pre-World War I years. When Vernon is called to arms, Irene stays behind in the US, making patriotic movie serials to aid the war effort. Vernon is killed in a training accident, leaving a tearful Irene to carry on alone. To soften the shock of Astaire's on-screen death (it still packs a jolt when seen today), RKO inserted a closing "dream" dancing sequence, with a spectral Vernon and Irene waltzing off into the heavens. The film's production was hampered by the on-set presence of the real Irene Castle, whose insistence upon accuracy at all costs drove everyone to distraction--especially Ginger Rogers, who felt as though she was being treated like a marionette rather than an actress. In one respect, Mrs. Castle had good reason to be so autocratic. Walter, the "severest critic servant" character played by Walter Brennan, was in reality a black man. RKO was nervous about depicting a strong, equal-footing friendship between the white Castles and their black retainer, so a Caucasian actor was hired for the role. Mrs. Castle was understandably incensed by this alteration, and for the rest of her days chastised RKO for its cowardice. As it turned out, it probably wouldn't have mattered if Walter had been black, white, Chicano or Siamese; The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle was a financial bust, losing $50,000 at the box office. Perhaps as a result, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers would not team up again for another ten years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, (more)
- 1925
The comedy duo of Lew Fields and Joe Weber had parted ways for several years when they teamed up once again for this picture, based on the 1917 play by Samuel Shipman and Aaron Hoffman. As youths, Carl Pfeiffer (Fields) and Henry Block (Weber) came to America from Germany. Pfeiffer became a wholesale shoe dealer, while Block became a banker. In spite of their lines of work, they apparently save most oftheir energy for their unending arguments with each other. The latest dispute involves the Great War (the film takes place in the days just before America became involved). Block is completely patriotic towards his new country, while Pfeiffer wavers between Germany and the U.S. When his son, William (Jack Mulhall), decides to enlist, Pfeiffer is upset. He wants to keep the soldiers from going overseas, so he gives money to a fund run by Miller (Stuart Holmes) for that purpose. What he doesn't realize is that Miller is a spy, and he uses the money to sink the transport that is taking the soldiers to Europe. Pfeiffer is grief-stricken when he realizes he helped kill his own son -- but then William reappears, unharmed. As a result, Pfeiffer teams up with Block, who has joined the secret service, and Hilda Schwartz, another secret service agent (Lucille Lee Stewart), to capture Miller. William marries Block's daughter, June (Virginia Brown Faire), and their fathers go on to new quarrels. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lew Fields, Joe Weber, (more)
- 1917
This film, based on the stage play of the same name by Adolph Philipps, gave comedian Lew Fields a role that had both humor and pathos. Charles Wendel (Fields) is a wealthy grocer who, along with his wife (Justine Cutting), adopts a little orphan, Mary (Madge Evans). He also has a son, Ralph (William Sherwood), who he hopes will become his business partner when he returns from college. Ralph, however, comes home with a snooty attitude and refuses. Wendel gets him a job at the bank, but the young man botches it up by falling prey to a pair of swindlers (Pinna Nesbit and George Cowl, who also directed). He embezzles bank money to fund a crooked company and is forced to flee when one of the swindlers is murdered. Wendel coughs up the money to pay for his son's theft, but it bankrupts him and he is forced to return to his pushcart days, while Mary (played as a young woman by Lillian Cook) goes to work. Eventually the son is cleared of the murder, and when he makes good, he comes home to his father and marries Mary. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- 1916
The Broadway comedy team of Joe Weber and Lew Fields were never happy with their contract at Mack Sennett's Keystone studios, but they did whatever they were told, even at great risk of life and limb. In the 2-reel comedy The Worst of Friends, Weber plays the sponging brother-in-law of hard-working janitor Fields. After making a thorough pest of himself, Weber manages to entangle Fields in a compromising situation with the beautiful blonde living next door. Somehow this all ends up with a brouhaha at a swimming pool, with the famous Keystone bathing beauties all in attendance. The best scene in this otherwise unexceptional film was Lew Fields' famous "barber's revenge" routine, which he repeated years later with Fred Astaire in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1916
Just about every comedian wants to play tragedy, and after the team of Joe Weber and Lew Fields failed to translate their brand of humor from stage to screen, Fields got his chance to be serious here. He rises to the occasion as Herman Krauss, the old-fashioned owner of a jewelry store. Krauss wants his daughter Marie (Doris Kenyon) to marry Fred (Harry Fraser), the daughter of his old pal Otto Spiegel (George S. Trimble). But Marie has a mind of her own and she runs off with Frank MacPherson (Edward O'Connor). She believes they are married, but only after MacPherson deserts her does she discover that they only went through a mock ceremony. She and her baby go live with the Spiegals, but when they discover that the child is illegitimate, Otto turns her out of the house. Marie finally reconciles with her father, and when Fred comes to her, offering his undying love, she accepts. This picture was based on a stage play by Louis Mann. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
