Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America
by Michael Kantor, Laurence Maslon
Product Details
ISBN-13: 9780446505314
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication date: 12/2/2008
Edition description: New Edition
Pages: 384
Product dimensions: 8.80 (w) x 11.10 (h) x 1.60 (d)
Overview
From the most popular routines and the most ingenious physical shtick to the snappiest wisecracks and the most biting satire of the last century, MAKE 'EM LAUGH illuminates who we are as a nation by exploring what makes us laugh, and why. Authors Laurence Maslon and Michael Kantor draw on countless sources to chronicle the past century of American comedy and the geniuses who created and performed it-melding biography, American history, and a lotta laughs into an exuberant, important book.
Editorial Reviews
Kantor, who produced and directed the Emmy-winning Broadway: The American Musical for PBS in 2004, returns with a six-part PBS series on comedy. For this companion book, he teamed with NYU professor Maslon, editor of Library of America's George S. Kaufman collection. Their guide to guffaws and giggles ranges from silent film actors (Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton) to sitcoms (Seinfeld), satire (Mad, SNL) and stand-up comics (George Carlin, Lenny Bruce). Taking a scattershot approach with 60-plus performer profiles and sidebars, the resulting text is sometimes superficial with curious oversights; two decades of radio comedy get squeezed into three pages, so Amos 'n' Andy and Bob and Ray rate only a few paragraphs; Stan Freberg sold millions of records yet is dismissed in a single sentence." With hundreds of fascinating photographs, this book benefits from the TV series' extensive photo research, but what is certain to be a hilarious cascade of clips on PBS is a pratfall in print. (Dec. 2)
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Library Journal
This well-illustrated companion to the PBS television series features concise yet captivating insights on the art of comedy in America and the men and women who have made us laugh for over 100 years, including expanded information and biographical narratives beyond the series. Maslon and Kantor (coauthors, Broadway: The American Musical) cover stage, radio, television, and film personalities, dividing the group into six categories: "Knockabouts," "Satire & Parody," "Smart-Alecks & Wise Guys," "Nerds, Jerks, Oddballs & Slackers," "Breadwinners & Homemakers," and "Groundbreakers." Contemporary colleagues add to the text with behind-the-scenes comments to honor those comedians who influenced their professional careers. The book reveals how Charlie Chaplin created his famous tramp character, how Harpo Marx finally spoke at his last performance to announce his retirement, and how Redd Foxx gained popularity through the "party records" phenomena. The authors include to-the-point analysis of such comedy greats as stone-faced Buster Keaton, scandalous Mae West, lovable Jack Benny, controversial Lenny Bruce, trailblazing Phyllis Diller, off-the-wall Mel Brooks, radical George Carlin, and adorable Gilda Radner. Recommended for all public, academic, and special libraries with film study collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ8/08.]
—Richard Dickey
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