The Funny Parts
A History of Film Comedy Routines and Gags
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About the Book
Classic comedy routines and individual gags have been around for many hundreds of years, probably thousands; the best of these ribticklers make their merry way through theater, circus, film and television. The challenge to comedians has always been to adapt familiar material in a way that emphasizes their personal style and outlook. The many routines and gags cited in this illustrated history are lovingly deconstructed to show how they have been shaped to suit different eras and performers.
These tried and true laugh-provokers are indestructible. Through all the remakes, revivals, recycles and revamps, they have survived robustly to the present day. As these timeless comedy gems are traced to their beginnings and followed through the years, readers are taken on a mirthful journey from Keystone to Zombieland.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
Anthony Balducci
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 314
Bibliographic Info: 106 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6513-2
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8893-3
Imprint: McFarland
Table of Contents
Preface 1
Introduction 3
1 And Then There Were Pies 7
2 Mannequins and Other Dummies 16
3 Animals 34
4 Adventures in Eating 77
5 Attack of the Vamps 99
6 Indecent Exposure 107
7 Spooky Apparitions 118
8 Bombs and Burglars 130
9 How to Disguise Yourself as Furniture and Fool Your Friends 135
10 The Amazing Trapdoor Chase 145
11 Science and Magic 151
12 Tooth Extraction and Laughing Gas 158
13 Into the Looking Glass 162
14 Sleepless Nights 168
15 Fathers to Sons of the Desert 178
16 The Big Jangly Box, the Sliding Ladder and Other Comic Props 183
17 The Buster Keaton Variations 192
18 The Harold Lloyd Variations 222
19 Hysterical History 229
20 Bugs 241
21 Scared Black Servants, Dice-Playing African Cannibals, and the Most Racist Comedy in Silent Cinema History 245
22 Other Variations 259
Chapter Notes 299
Bibliography 303
Index 305
