Is it true, Mr. Fields, that when you stood on the corner of Hollywood and Vine, 43 cars waited for your nose to turn green? ~ Radio show interaction between Charlie McCarthy and WC Fields
WC Fields to this day has one of the most recognizable celebrity profiles because of his bulbous, red nose. While I knew he was a cantankerous drunk and that it became a problem especially later in his career, it came a surprise to me that his drinking also was at least partly responsible for his signature honker. He suffered from condition called rhinophyma, an abnormal growth of the nose which is aggravated by excessive drinking.
I had never really thought about the relationship between the stereotypical Rudolph nose of the town drunk and alcohol until TDA researcher Norm sent me this picture of a brandy tester in China suffering from a severe case of rhinophyma.
Hard to believe this man would keep drinking doesn’t it? Unless you are like me.
