Comedy Is A Man In Trouble: Slapstick In American Movies (Paperback)

~ Alan Dale (Author)
Key Phrases: girl heroes, slapstick hero, slapstick stars, Jerry Lewis, Preston Sturges, The Marx Brothers (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Slapstick has always been a film staple, and Dale (writing and American studies, Princeton) presents a history of cinematic slapstick, which he defines as an elemental aspect of existence...a fundamental, universal, and eternal response to the fact that life is physical. This is a selective, appreciative survey of the diverse masters of physical comedy, from Charlie Chaplin (with emphasis on his later Great Dictator), stone-faced Buster Keaton, all-American nice guy Harold Lloyd, the Marx Brothers, writer-director Preston Sturges, and French cult-favorite Jerry Lewis. Rejecting the notion that slapstick necessarily involves pathos, the author deftly combines criticism and biography, offering keen insight and lively prose. He notes that studio bosses believed that men rejected female clowns because they didn!t laugh at attractive women, yet Dale makes a compelling case for Katharine Hepburn as a breakthrough slapstick artist. This book is a fine addition to public and academic libraries, deserving a place next to Walter Kerr!s The Silent Clowns (Da Capo Pr., 1990. reprint) and other classics on film comedy."Stephen Rees, Levittown Regional Lib., PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

Legendary screen comedian Jerry Lewis once said, "The premise of all comedy is a man in trouble." The films that endeared Lewis and others to us hinged on the physical assault of their hero, the pie in the face or slip on the banana peel that reduced the movie star to the level of the audience. Alan Dale presents a lively and accessible look at slapstick, a form of comedy with roots in the circus and vaudeville that has been refashioned by actors ranging from Buster Keaton to the Marx Brothers, from Katharine Hepburn to Jim Carrey.

Alan Dale worked at a Los Angeles talent agency before earning a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Princeton University. He is currently working toward a J.D. at Yale Law School.

Winner of the Theater Library Association's Special Jury Prize for Distinguished Achievement

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press (February 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816636583
• ISBN-13: 978-0816636587
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #781,603 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bringing slapstick into the 21st Century, November 7, 2000

By	Ben J Model (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Comedy Is a Man in Trouble: Slapstick in American Movies (Hardcover)

Dale's book is an entertaining and academic look not only at the medium of slapstick itself but also at our need to be entertained by it. The book's examination of silent slapstick includes not only the major players (Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd) but also covers women in silent comedy. What's also respectable is that Dale discusses Jerry Lewis's important contribution to slapstick in film without putting him on the pedestal other critics (and often Lewis himself) put him on, as well as Lewis's influence on contemporary visual humorists like Jim Carrey and the Farrelly Bros.

5.0 out of 5 stars A surprisingly great find!, October 11, 2009

By	Jeannie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Comedy Is a Man in Trouble: Slapstick in American Movies (Hardcover)

While researching different types of humor for my research in (human-centric) computer information systems, I stumbled upon this book. Though I usually read technical article after technical article, I found this book to be a nice break from the usual. It provided me with the information I needed for my research, but with an added surprise. I found myself reading this book for pure enjoyment and entertainment. The subject is fascinating and the Dale does a great job of explaining it in the most interesting of ways. I think this is my next "coffee table book" once I put it down myself!