Everyone seems to know the story of W. C. Fields, the curmudgeon of classic film comedy -- his Dickensian childhood in Philadelphia, the numerous bank accounts opened around the world under outlandish names, and so on. All entertaining -- and all completely untrue. Simon Louvish's meticulously researched and wonderfully entertaining biography is the first one to disentangle the facts from the pack of lies and myths mischievously nurtured by Fields himself. Louvish lovingly traces the origin of Fields's comedy in his self-authored vaudeville sketches and follows his progress from the stage (where he was renowned as the world greatest juggler) to silent screen to the talkies -- including such howlingly funny films as The Bank Dick, My Little Chickadee, and You Can't Cheat an Honest Man. He highlights his tragic struggles against studio heads, censorship, alcoholism, and illness -- in the course of which he created some of the greatest gems of film humor.

Man on the Flying Trapeze is the story of an artist whose finest creation was himself -- a fully achieved, imaginary person who finally subsumed his creator, to the immense benefit of us all.