America's Most Lovable Movie Misanthrope Stars in Five Unforgettable Comedies

America's Most Lovable Movie Misanthrope Stars in Five Unforgettable Comedies

'The W.C. Fields Comedy Collection Volume 2'

Five of 'The Great Man's' Best Films Available for the First Time on DVD March 20, 2007 From Universal Studios Home Entertainment

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary comedian W.C. Fields stars in five of the funniest comedies ever made when "The W.C. Fields Comedy Collection Volume 2" comes to DVD on March 20, 2007 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. An all new assortment of classic films, this very special, highly collectible anthology includes the unforgettable rib-ticklers "You're Telling Me!," "The Old Fashioned Way," "The Man on the Flying Trapeze," "Poppy" and "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break," all on DVD for the first time. "The W.C. Fields Comedy Collection Volume 2" also includes the rarely seen 1965 television retrospective "Wayne and Schuster Take an Affectionate Look at W.C. Fields," as well as the original theatrical trailers for all five films. Packed with hilarious routines from one of vaudeville's most popular entertainers, "The W.C. Fields Comedy Collection Volume 2" is a must-own collection for anyone who likes to laugh!

One of the most enduring and influential comedians in film history, W. C. Fields first made his name as an enormously popular Broadway entertainer, appearing in seven Ziegfeld Follies revues. He created one of the great comic personas of the big screen, a cantankerous Everyman with an affinity for the bottle and an unmatched gift for stinging repartee. Whether playing a henpecked husband, an eccentric inventor, a scheming theatrical manager, a small time grifter or himself (a.k.a. "The Great Man") Fields always managed to remain unexpectedly loveable, earning himself film immortality and millions of fans around the world. The five disc DVD set is priced at $ 59.98 SRP. Preorder close is February 13, 2007.

SYNOPSES
"You're Telling Me!"

In this hilarious comedy of errors W.C. Fields stars as Sam Bisbee, a tippling inventor attempting to market his own brand of bulletproof automobile tires. In short order, he ruins his daughter's marriage plans, shoots the tires out from under a police car, befriends a princess and lassoes an ostrich. Fields is in top comedic form in this madcap satire of country club snobs versus everyday slobs, ending up, as always, at the top of the heap.

"The Man on the Flying Trapeze"

When Ambrose Wolfinger (W.C. Fields) takes his first afternoon off from work in 25 years, he tells his boss that he'll be at his mother-in-law's funeral, and he goes to a wrestling match instead. He arrives home to an enraged wife, an indignant mother-in-law and a boss who fires him. When it becomes apparent that his boss can't get by without him, Wolfinger is brought back with a higher salary and the increased respect of his employer. He takes back his role of as head of his household and leaves his obnoxious in-laws behind.

"The Old Fashioned Way"

W.C. Fields, as the scheming theatrical manager, The Great McGonigle, squares off for the second time with his infant nemesis, Baby LeRoy. Wealthy widow Cleopatra Pepperday (Jan Duggan) is bankrolling his traveling troupe, so that she can star in their latest production. With Fields at the helm, it is no surprise that the lady does not get her money's worth, but McGonigle does manage to see his daughter happily married and still stay one step ahead of the law.

"Poppy"

"Poppy" is the film adaptation of the musical comedy that made W.C. Fields a Broadway star. Professor Eustace McGargle (Fields) is a small-time con man weary of fleecing backwoods locals for peanuts. He conspires with a crooked lawyer to pass off his adopted daughter Poppy (Rochelle Hudson) as the long-lost heir to the Putnam estate. Just as the irate townsfolk discover his deception, it's revealed that the lovely Poppy is the legitimate heir.

"Never Give a Sucker an Even Break"

In a whimsical satire of Hollywood, W.C. Fields plays himself as he pitches an outrageous script to a skeptical producer. The story unfolds in a film-within-a-film that takes Fields and his niece (Gloria Jean) on a trip to Mexico. When Fields falls off an airplane's outdoor observation deck, he lands in the amorous arms of the formidable Mrs. Hemoglobin (Margaret Dumont). He flees the grand lady's romantic attentions only to discover that Mrs. Hemoglobin is worth millions. Returning to her mountaintop mansion, he is about to wed his intended, when he is thrown out on his ear by the enraged producer. The whole thing ends with a slapstick car chase finale that is every bit as side-splittingly and off the wall as anything in the imaginary movie.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
DVD
Street Date: March 20, 2007
Pre-Order Close: February 13, 2007
Copyright: 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Price: $59.98 SRP
Selection Number: 61032306
Running Time: Disc 1: 1 Hour 6 Minutes; Disc 2:1 Hour 6 Minutes; Disc 3:
1 Hour 5 Minutes; Disc 4: 1 Hour 15 Minutes; Disc 5: 1 Hour 11 Minutes
Layers: Discs 1-4: DVD-5 (Single Sided); Disc 5: DVD 9 (Single Sided)
Aspect Ratio: Full Frame 1.33:1
Rating: Not Rated
Technical Info: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, English SDH, French and
Spanish Subtitles

For artwork please log on to our website at www.ushepublicity.com or fax your request to Universal Studios Home Entertainment Publicity at (818) 866-0226.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.

CONTACTS

Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Vivian Mayer
Senior Vice President, Publicity
(818) 777-3594

Lea Porteneuve
Vice President, Publicity
(818) 777-1391

Craig Radow
Senior Manager, Publicity
(818) 777-4572

Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

CONTACT: Vivian Mayer, Senior Vice President, Publicity,
+1-818-777-3594, or Lea Porteneuve, Vice President, Publicity,
+1-818-777-1391, or Craig Radow, Senior Manager, Publicity, +1-818-777-4572,
all of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Web site: http://www.universalstudios.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: For artwork, please log on to our website at www.ushepublicity.com or fax your request to Universal Studios Home Entertainment Publicity at (818) 866-0226.

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