Sidney Fields
Encyclopedia
Sidney Fields was a comedy actor and writer best known for his featured role on The Abbott and Costello Show
in the early 1950s. He was sometimes credited as "Sid Fields" and "Sidney Field."
Fields was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, and began his career by working in local theaters as a boy. As a teenager, he worked in carnivals and tent shows in the Midwest, and later became partner in a comedy team with vaudeville
and burlesque
performer Jack Greenman. The team was cast by Harold Minsky in his family's celebrated burlesque theater
. The team split up when Fields headed for Hollywood to work on a feature film.
In the ensuing years, Fields performed on stage, radio, and occasionally in movies. He worked with Eddie Cantor
as a writer and actor, and then with Ben Blue
, Rudy Vallee
, Fred Allen
and Milton Berle
.
Fields appeared in small roles in 1930s film comedies (the first being Cantor's Strike Me Pink in 1935) and sometimes received screen credits as a writer and assistant director. In 1945 he began working in Abbott and Costello
's radio shows and movies. From 1951 he supported Abbott and Costello in NBC-TV's The Colgate Comedy Hour
, and in 1952 he was cast in the team's filmed series, The Abbott and Costello Show
. The show ran for two seasons and played in syndication for decades.
Fields played a prominent supporting role as "Mr. Fields," the hot-tempered, bald-headed landlord of the rooming house where Abbott and Costello lived. He was a frequent target of gags and schemes foisted by the two main characters. Like other cast regulars, Fields played other roles as well, usually wearing a wig or other disguise. (These characters were often described as relatives of Mr. Fields.) He also wrote some of the episodes. Fields was part of an ensemble cast that included Hillary Brooke
as a neighbor and love interest of Lou Costello's, Gordon Jones as Mike the Cop, who was a dimwitted comedic foil for the boys, Joe Besser
as Stinky Fields, a 40-year-old man dressed in a Little Lord Fauntleroy suit, and Joe Kirk
as Mr. Bacciagalupe, an Italian immigrant caricature who ran a bakery store.
After the show ended, Sidney played occasional small roles in television shows, and worked as a staff writer and comedian in Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine
. He retired to Las Vegas
, and died there in 1975.
Many people do not realize that one time when Bud Abbott was unable to perform, Sidney Fields playing the role of Professor Melonhead, took Abbott's straight man role in the skit "Who's on First". The idea, with Abbott being sick, was that Professor Melonhead was managing the baseball team.
Sidney Fields was paid tribute by Jerry Seinfeld in a 1993 episode of Seinfeld
. In "The Old Man", Jerry signs up for volunteer work to care for an elderly man called Sid Fields.
The Abbott and Costello Show
The Abbott and Costello Show is an American television sitcom starring the popular comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello that premiered in syndication in the fall of 1952 and ran until May 1954....
in the early 1950s. He was sometimes credited as "Sid Fields" and "Sidney Field."
Fields was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and began his career by working in local theaters as a boy. As a teenager, he worked in carnivals and tent shows in the Midwest, and later became partner in a comedy team with vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
performer Jack Greenman. The team was cast by Harold Minsky in his family's celebrated burlesque theater
Minsky's Burlesque
Minsky's Burlesque refers to the brand of American burlesque presented by four sons of Louis and Ethel Minksy: Abraham 'Abe' Bennett Minsky , Michael William 'Billy' Minsky , Herbert Kay Minsky , and Morton Minsky . They started in 1912 and ended in 1937 in New York City...
. The team split up when Fields headed for Hollywood to work on a feature film.
In the ensuing years, Fields performed on stage, radio, and occasionally in movies. He worked with Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor
Eddie Cantor was an American "illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter...
as a writer and actor, and then with Ben Blue
Ben Blue
Ben Blue , born Benjamin Bernstein, was a Canadian-American actor and comedian.Born to a Jewish family in Montreal, Quebec, at the age of nine, Blue emigrated to Baltimore in the United States where he won a contest for the best impersonation of Charlie Chaplin...
, Rudy Vallee
Rudy Vallée
Rudy Vallée was an American singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer.-Early life:Born Hubert Prior Vallée in Island Pond, Vermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vallée...
, Fred Allen
Fred Allen
Fred Allen was an American comedian whose absurdist, topically pointed radio show made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the so-called classic era of American radio.His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and fellow comedian Jack Benny, but it...
and Milton Berle
Milton Berle
Milton Berlinger , better known as Milton Berle, was an American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , in 1948 he was the first major star of U.S. television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
.
Fields appeared in small roles in 1930s film comedies (the first being Cantor's Strike Me Pink in 1935) and sometimes received screen credits as a writer and assistant director. In 1945 he began working in Abbott and Costello
Abbott and Costello
William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
's radio shows and movies. From 1951 he supported Abbott and Costello in NBC-TV's The Colgate Comedy Hour
The Colgate Comedy Hour
The Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show stars many notable comedians and entertainers of the era, including Eddie Cantor, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Fred Allen, Donald O'Connor, Bud Abbott and Lou...
, and in 1952 he was cast in the team's filmed series, The Abbott and Costello Show
The Abbott and Costello Show
The Abbott and Costello Show is an American television sitcom starring the popular comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello that premiered in syndication in the fall of 1952 and ran until May 1954....
. The show ran for two seasons and played in syndication for decades.
Fields played a prominent supporting role as "Mr. Fields," the hot-tempered, bald-headed landlord of the rooming house where Abbott and Costello lived. He was a frequent target of gags and schemes foisted by the two main characters. Like other cast regulars, Fields played other roles as well, usually wearing a wig or other disguise. (These characters were often described as relatives of Mr. Fields.) He also wrote some of the episodes. Fields was part of an ensemble cast that included Hillary Brooke
Hillary Brooke
Hillary Brooke was an American film actress best known for her work in Abbott and Costello and Sherlock Holmes films...
as a neighbor and love interest of Lou Costello's, Gordon Jones as Mike the Cop, who was a dimwitted comedic foil for the boys, Joe Besser
Joe Besser
Joe Besser was an American comedian, known for his impish humor and wimpy characters, and is now best remembered for his brief stint as a member of the Three Stooges in movie short subjects of 1957-59...
as Stinky Fields, a 40-year-old man dressed in a Little Lord Fauntleroy suit, and Joe Kirk
Joe Kirk
Joe Kirk was a U.S. radio, film, and television actor who was best known for playing the role of Mr...
as Mr. Bacciagalupe, an Italian immigrant caricature who ran a bakery store.
After the show ended, Sidney played occasional small roles in television shows, and worked as a staff writer and comedian in Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine
The Jackie Gleason Show
The Jackie Gleason Show is the name of a series of popular American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970.-Cavalcade of Stars:...
. He retired to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, and died there in 1975.
Many people do not realize that one time when Bud Abbott was unable to perform, Sidney Fields playing the role of Professor Melonhead, took Abbott's straight man role in the skit "Who's on First". The idea, with Abbott being sick, was that Professor Melonhead was managing the baseball team.
Sidney Fields was paid tribute by Jerry Seinfeld in a 1993 episode of Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
. In "The Old Man", Jerry signs up for volunteer work to care for an elderly man called Sid Fields.