Al Hirschfeld’s poster promotes the book A Flask of Fields: Verbal and Visual Gems from the Films of W. C. Fields, edited by Richard J. Anobile and published in 1972. This 1973 poster is a variant of the one he had designed the previous year; the earlier version is more colorful and does not incorporate the lengthy quote (from the film My Little Chickadee of 1940). Hirschfeld also provided the cover art for this book, featuring a caricature of the legendary comic actor of the 1930s and ‘40s. Fields was known for his irreverent and cantankerous personality, his fondness for alcohol, and for his red nose. This book, like the other film books by Anobile, combined film stills and dialogue.
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