conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What could be a title for a book about solid, Plan, Crunch with the genre: Humor & Entertainment, Movies?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: A title for this book could be 'The W.C. Fields Films'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is the first five paragraphs for this book?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The W.C. Fields Films
  Fields did not want to go "backwards" and perform onstage again. He was even looking toward the possibility of a career in television: the prospect of bringing visuals to his radio success intrigued him. But it would be more than a decade before TVs started to become a staple in American households.
  Needing a studio to produce and distribute his myriad ideas, W. C. signed a contract with Universal studios. Once again proving the doctors wrong, The Great Man was about to appear in some of his best and most famous films.
  Universal was looking for more stars. The studio had scored during the early 1930s by launching a spate of classic horror films, featuring Dracula, the Frankenstein monster, the Mummy, and the Invisible Man. By 1939, the studio's biggest moneymaker was young musical actress Deanna Durbin, whom they realized would eventually grow out of her roles as an effervescent teenager, and it could never be predicted if a younger star could effectively transition to adult roles.
  When Fields signed his contract with Universal in August of 1938 he became the biggest star on the lot. He already had a story ready, and arrangements were made to use Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy as co-stars in his first film for the studio. Production was set to start in October of 1938.
  Fields plays Larson E. Whipsnade, head of a traveling circus that always manages to stay one jump ahead of the sheriff. Whipsnade is presented as comically unscrupulous from the outset, whether he's throwing a lit match at a union rep who requests a light for his cigar, or shortchanging ticket buyers. The dialogue is delightfully sarcastic. When a patron complains "I'm short," Whipsnade retorts, "No need to feel bad about it, I'm only five-feet-eight myself!" When a woman passes the ticket window and complains to her date, "I won't walk another step," Whipsnade yells from the window, "Make him drag you lady, he got you drunk."
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Add another sentence about However, B-movie, relegated.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: The W. C. Fields Films
  Fields did not want to go "backwards" and perform onstage again. He was even looking toward the possibility of a career in television: the prospect of bringing visuals to his radio success intrigued him. But it would be more than a decade before TVs started to become a staple in American households. 
  Needing a studio to produce and distribute his myriad ideas, W. C. signed a contract with Universal studios. Once again proving the doctors wrong, The Great Man was about to appear in some of his best and most famous films. 
  Universal was looking for more stars. The studio had scored during the early 1930s by launching a spate of classic horror films, featuring Dracula, the Frankenstein monster, the Mummy, and the Invisible Man. However, as the 1930s concluded, these series, though still popular, had been relegated to the B-movie level. By 1939, the studio's biggest moneymaker was young musical actress Deanna Durbin, whom they realized would eventually grow out of her roles as an effervescent teenager, and it could never be predicted if a younger star could effectively transition to adult roles. 
  When Fields signed his contract with Universal in August of 1938 he became the biggest star on the lot. He already had a story ready, and arrangements were made to use Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy as co-stars in his first film for the studio. Production was set to start in October of 1938. 
  Fields plays Larson E. Whipsnade, head of a traveling circus that always manages to stay one jump ahead of the sheriff. Whipsnade is presented as comically unscrupulous from the outset, whether he's throwing a lit match at a union rep who requests a light for his cigar, or shortchanging ticket buyers. The dialogue is delightfully sarcastic. When a patron complains "I'm short," Whipsnade retorts, "No need to feel bad about it, I'm only five-feet-eight myself!" When a woman passes the ticket window and complains to her date, "I won't walk another step," Whipsnade yells from the window, "Make him drag you lady, he got you drunk. "
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is five more paragraphs?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: When the child comments on Sousé's big nose, his mother replies, "I bet you'd like to have a nose like that full of nickels!"
  As the mother and son take their leave, Egbert mutters under his breath, "I'll put him in the waste basket the next time he comes in here."
  Sousé is now as a rich man, living in luxurious surroundings, with servants at his beck and call. The family members act as though they are aristocrats: they are sharply dressed, well-coiffed, and speak with affected accents. When the "Pater" leaves for work in the morning, they all kiss him goodbye. But just as Sousé gets out the door, he heads straight for the Black Pussy.
  As with most of his productions, Fields didn't always stick to the script, even though the screenplay was his own. He continued to add things as he filmed, and members of the supporting cast commented that they had trouble with their cues. Many of the actors, though—old pros like Franklin Pangborn and Shemp Howard—had comedy backgrounds and knew how to improvise. Some of Sousé's dry asides are quite funny. When Snoopington indicates he has an eighteen-year-old daughter, for instance, Sousé says amiably, "I'd like to meet her. I am very fond of children—girl children around eighteen to twenty."
  Fields, now sixty, moved more slowly and worked shorter days, yet remained adept at physical comedy. When he believes a sickly Snoopington is safely tucked in bed at the hotel, he shows up at the bank, standing behind Sousé. When the bank president greets the bank examiner, Sousé screams, turns around, and bumps into Snoopington. Later, when a grateful Og discovers the beefsteak mines will net big money, he goes to hug Sousé, who jerks away comically, muttering, "Cut it out."
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is the last five paragraphs?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: In 1946, Universal studios president Nate Blumberg created a new division of the company called United World Films, which dealt with producing and distributing entertainment, educational, and religious subjects for the nontheatrical market on 8mm and 16mm film. They bought a controlling interest in the home-movie distributor Castle Films and began releasing some of their Walter Lantz cartoons. The cartoons would be offered in complete nine-minute versions, black and white or color, in sound or silent, depending on what type of projector the buyer owned. Abridged four-minute 8mm silent versions were also available.
  By 1980, a rise in the cost of silver (used for black-and-white film processing) made home movie releases too expensive to produce. Also, by the end of the 1970s, VHS and Beta tapes containing entire full-length features started were being marketed. At the end of the 1980s, videotape had only grown in popularity, driving the prices down, and soon a full-length feature could be had for less than a Super 8mm digest print once cost.
  In June of 2015, W. C. Fields' grandchildren Harriet and Ronald hosted a centennial event at the New Amsterdam in Los Angeles to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Fields' film career. In September of that year, Harriet co-hosted a marathon of W. C. Fields films on the Turner Classic Movies channel. Although these films no longer enjoy the trendy popularity they once had among college students, and younger people may not be aware of who he is, Fields remains a cinematic icon to his fans.
  In the 21st century, the Fields films are more accessible than ever before. Many of these films are as fresh and hilarious as they were when they were first released. After a century in the public eye, W. C. Fields remains among the most creative, challenging, and talented comedians of all time.
  Drew, William. At the Center of the Frame: Leding Ladies of the Twenties and Thirties. New York: Vestal Press, 2000.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Delete the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: In 1946, Universal studios president Nate Blumberg created a new division of the company called United World Films, which dealt with producing and distributing entertainment, educational, and religious subjects for the nontheatrical market on 8mm and 16mm film. They bought a controlling interest in the home-movie distributor Castle Films and began releasing some of their Walter Lantz cartoons. The cartoons would be offered in complete nine-minute versions, black and white or color, in sound or silent, depending on what type of projector the buyer owned. Abridged four-minute 8mm silent versions were also available.
  By 1980, a rise in the cost of silver (used for black-and-white film processing) made home movie releases too expensive to produce. Also, by the end of the 1970s, VHS and Beta tapes containing entire full-length features started were being marketed. At the end of the 1980s, videotape had only grown in popularity, driving the prices down, and soon a full-length feature could be had for less than a Super 8mm digest print once cost.
  In June of 2015, W. C. Fields' grandchildren Harriet and Ronald hosted a centennial event at the New Amsterdam in Los Angeles to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Fields' film career. In September of that year, Harriet co-hosted a marathon of W. C. Fields films on the Turner Classic Movies channel. Although these films no longer enjoy the trendy popularity they once had among college students, and younger people may not be aware of who he is, Fields remains a cinematic icon to his fans.
  In the 21st century, the Fields films are more accessible than ever before. Many of these films are as fresh and hilarious as they were when they were first released. After a century in the public eye, W. C. Fields remains among the most creative, challenging, and talented comedians of all time.
  Drew, William. At the Center of the Frame: Leding Ladies of the Twenties and Thirties.