Joe Franklin's Encyclopedia of Comedians [Paperback]
Joe Franklin (Author)
Product Details
Paperback: 347 pages
Publisher: Lyle Stuart (April 1983)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0806507748
ISBN-13: 978-0806507743
Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16 x 2.5 cm
This Encyclopedia Of Comedy should be thrown out of school! March 11 2003
By Kevin S.Butler - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Mr.Franklin's attemps to try and cover the history of comedy thru his Enccyclopedia Of Comedians is a real disapointment.The facts about truly unique talents like:Abbott & Costello,"The Three Stooges",Thelma Todd/Zasu Pitts/Patsy Kelly,Laurel & Hardy etc is inaccurate and at times patronizing(terms like"He created a character that you can stir Borscht with"or "He created a character so funny that you can cut swiss cheese thru"are neither funny or nessicary.).A&C Did not meet when Lou Costello's Streightman took ill and he need a replacement quickly.Moe Howard was not born in Brooklyn,NYC in 1900.(He was born in Bklyn,NYC in 1897),Thelma Tood's partnership with Patsy Kelly began when Zasu left for other ventures and Bud Abbott was Not a lion tamer or a car driver.The man was a epileptic.How could he drive a car,let alone work with a wild animal.The jokes in the book are unnessicary and there are alot of other comedy performers that Mr.Franklin left out.Performers like Soupy Sales have been omitted from the book,why..we'll never know? The only saving grace in the manuscipt are the collection of photos.Only a certin number of them are rare.The rest have been seen in other manuscripts related to comedy history.In short,"Joe Franklin's Encyclopedia Of Comedians!"is not the type of book that true students of comedy history should have.Kevin S.Butler
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