| Description |
viii, 252 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm |
| Summary |
"American silent film comedies were dominated by sight gags, stunts and comic violence. With the advent of sound, comedies in the 1930s were a riot of runaway heiresses and fast-talking screwballs. It was more than a technological pivot -- the first feature-length sound film, The Jazz Singer (1927), changed Hollywood"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-248), filmography (pages 227-244), and index. |
| Contents |
Introduction: The history of the history of silent comedy -- Hey, down in front! -- Mack Daddy, Daddy Mack -- Irony and the fat man -- First things first, but not necessarily in that order -- Slapstick while black -- @RealCharlieChaplin -- Cruel and unusual -- Life, police and trouble -- Mutual appreciation society -- Serious business -- The other Chaplin -- Buster Keaton vs. the history of comedy -- Out the window backwards -- Eureka -- What, what no beer? -- Keaton international -- Fake news -- Why don't you say something to help me? -- Harold Lloyd 101 -- Mustache, glasses and suit -- The sin of Harold Lloyd -- When Harold met Lucy -- Lucy vs. Lucille Ball -- Artists and models -- Duck soup -- Eat your apple after now -- The back of Joan Crawford's head -- Downton Valley, or Ruggles conquers the west -- The $30,000 question -- F.W. Murnau's comedy masterpiece -- Jean, Clara, bombshell and it -- Miscasting for fun and profit -- Girls! girls! girls! -- I won't back down -- The unexpected comedy stylings of Alfred Hitchcock -- Mr. and Mrs. Smith -- Divorce American style -- Magic pixie dream grampa -- Ernst Lubitsch forgives himself -- Sturges before Sturges -- The trouble with Mitchell -- Ginger Rogers, sad Saks of Fifth Ave -- The careless Cinderella -- Katharine Hepburn vs. herself -- Me vs. Capra -- Preston Sturges origin story -- The love song of Captain McGloo -- Sturges after Sturges (or, the Keystone Pipeline) -- Meet Charley Chase -- Modern love -- Meet Cary Grant -- The worst people in the world -- Slut fabulous. |
| Subject |
Comedy films -- United States -- History and criticism.
|
|
Silent films -- United States -- History and criticism.
|
|
Screwball comedy films -- United States -- History and criticism.
|
|
Comedy films. (OCoLC)fst00869095
|
|
Screwball comedy films. (OCoLC)fst01109378
|
|
Silent films. (OCoLC)fst01118542
|
|
United States. (OCoLC)fst01204155
|
| Genre/Form |
Criticism, interpretation, etc. (OCoLC)fst01411635
|
| Added Title |
Contrarian history of American screen comedy from silent slapstick to screwball |
| ISBN |
9781476678566 paperback alkaline paper |
|
1476678561 paperback alkaline paper |
|
9781476636528 ebook |
|
1476636524 ebook |
|
