W. C. Fields W. C. Fields William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer. Fields' comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist, who remained a sympathetic character despite his snarling contempt for dogs and children. His career in show business began in vaudeville, where he attained international success as a silent juggler. He gradually incorporated comedy into his act, and was a featured comedian in the Ziegfeld Follies for several years. He became a star in the Broadway musical comedy "Poppy" (1923), in which he played
Christmas Day in the Workhouse Christmas Day in the Workhouse In the Workhouse : Christmas Day, better known as Christmas Day in the Workhouse, is a dramatic monologue written as a ballad by campaigning journalist George Robert Sims and first published in "The Referee" for the Christmas of 1877. It appeared in Sims' regular "Mustard and Cress" column under the pseudonym Dagonet and was collected in book form in 1881 as one of "The Dagonet Ballads", which sold over 100,000 copies within a year. It is a criticism of the harsh conditions in English and Welsh workhouses under the 1834 Poor Law. As a popular