WC Fields said that.
William Claude Dukenfield, January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946, according to Wikipedia, was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer.
I always thought that WC Fields was a woman, not meaning to be impolite toward the memory of WC, or to WC himself, I hasten to add.
It’s an easy mistake to make. All I had to go on was a couple of initials and a surname, so there was a fifty per cent chance that I would be right. Which means there was also a fifty per cent chance I would be wrong. And I was.
I, occasionally, well, quite often, get people mixed up. On fewer occasions, I actually forget about the person completely (which can be slightly embarrassing at times, but I have already written a post about this, I seem to recall (That statement may or may not be right, when discussing the vagaries of my memory, however).)
The reason why I thought WC Fields was a woman is down to another person who was a woman. Gracie Fields. Gracie, who I also thought was Princess Grace of Monaco.
You see, I thought that Princess Grace of Monaco, was Gracie Fields before she was married, and her stage name was WC Fields. If I were to include these three people – I’m now well aware of the fact that they are, or were, separate people – in the six degrees of separation train of thought, I’d probably have to group them together, class them as one person, as one degree. I suppose I could, and should, class them as three degrees, but then that would bring in those of the “When Will I See You Again?” singing group (all female), and just add to the confusion.
Not that any of the Three Degrees have any connection to either of the Graces or WC, apart from sharing this post. I wonder, though, if being mentioned in an article with someone else classes as being part of the six degrees of separation? If so, the six degrees of separation then becomes really confusing, considering there have been actually fifteen or so singers in the Three Degrees – over time, obviously. But not one of them called Grace or Fields, I’m happy to say.
So, apart from the obvious link with the names, what other similarities are there between my random amalgamation?
Not that many, actually. Grace Kelly (born November 12, 1929) was an American actress, which links her to WC Fields in that line of work. Gracie Fields was also an actress, a singer and a comedienne, but British. She was born Grace Stansfield, in Rochdale, Lancashire, on January 9, 1898.
WC Fields was 18 when Gracie Fields was born, Gracie was at least thirty when Grace Kelly was born and Grace Kelly was 17 when WC Fields died, so they have all lead separate, and totally different lives, overlapping only for the brief seventeen years.
Until I came along and grouped them all together for all of eternity!
I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food, WC Fields said. Maybe if I started cooking more and reducing the wine content, I may not get as mixed up. I may not call my friend Barbara Barney and Barney, Barbara any more. But then, where’s the fun in that?
Princess Grace passed away in 1982, and Gracie Fields in 1979.
And I don’t drink that much wine, honestly.



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