September Slapstick: The Movie Dick | Pool Sharks (1915)

W.C. Fields (born William Claude Dukenfield) was a comedian, actor, juggler and writer. Despite creating a comic persona as a hard-drinking misanthrope -- while publicly expressing his contempt for dogs, women, and children -- Fields remained a sympathetic and beloved entertainer.

Here is his first film appearance: 1915's Pool Sharks, directed by Edwin Middleton for the Gaumont Film Company.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0005910/