Comedy in Film Write the notes in Red

Comedy in Film Write the notes in Red Film History Unit 3

What is comedy? • “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot. ” –Charlie Chaplin

Types of Early Comedy: • Comedy has many types and styles. • Originally comedy in the movies was done through pantomime. – Since there was no sound, the actors had to portray the comedy. – Because of this most of the early movies weren’t very funny. – Click to Watch Edison’s “Cripple Creek Bar Room”

Charlie Chaplin – Charlie Chaplin was a Stage Actor. • He grew up in Vaudeville. • He performed “Slapstick” – A ferry owner asked him and his brother to entertain the people in line. • A Producer saw him and asked him to act in- – “Making a Living (1914) – He hated the movie and knew that he could do better.

Actor: • Charlie suggested to his director that they use slapstick like on the Vaudeville stage. • His director wasn’t sure- Chaplin created: “The Tramp” In “The Kid at the Auto Races in Venice.

The Tramp • The Beginning Tramp was a drunk and a womanizer. • He will change as Chaplin grows in the movies. – As an Actor- The tramp was selfish and drunk – As a Director- The tramp became the little guy who turns up at the right time for trouble or reward. – As a Producer- The tramp gained a soul and cared about others.

Example of Chaplin as an Actor: • Mable’s Strange Predicament (1 st Film shown in theaters)

Example of Chaplin as a Director: • “The Champ” Chaplin’s first film as a director.

Example of Chaplin as a Producer: • The Kid- New form for the Tramp- Selfish man takes in a baby and raises it. • Chaplin’s best movie as a producer. • Click here to watch the movie. • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=f. PZkgc. MMME 0

Chaplin inspired a new forms of movies: • Comedy was soon split between two types: – Slapstick – Physical Comedy – Lampoon- Movies that made fun of Government officials or politicians. • Chaplin did both.

The New Comedy • Comedians from Vaudeville were snatched up by movie studios. • Many of them were successful, but Chaplin was king. • One comedian: Buster Keaton went further with slapstick and made the whole set part of the act… • He was also very popular.

Buster Keaton’s: One Week

From Stage to Screen. . . • Charlie Chaplin was the first and best known comic film star. • The silent tradition lived on well into the 20 th century through mime artists like Marcel Marceau, and the physical comedy of artists like Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean.

Types of Comedy: • This section will cover the different types of comedy that exist today.

1 - Slapstick • Slapstick humor relies on exaggerated physical injury and body-humor, which is why it worked well for silent films. • The Three Stooges are famous for this. • Charlie Chaplin used Slapstick in his first film- It was a great success!

2 - Lampoon • It criticizes an act by using ridicule or sarcasm. • The comedies during Greek time would mock celebrities and/or any idea they hate and poke fun at them. They would portray them as looking selfish and stupid. • There was criticism of these types of movies as being unpatriotic.

Other Comedy Types: • Other Comedy types evolved as the movies progressed.

The Creation of the MPAA: • Some movies had humor that was not considered appropriate. – It made fun of government officials (Not Patriotic) – There was too much PDA without marriage. – Slapstick was becoming crude. (Dirty jokes)

The Hays Code: • (We will talk more about this later on in class) • The short version: – The Government required that a set of rules be put in place to “clean up the movies” – The Hays Code said that movies had to be “clean. ” People who weren’t married couldn’t sleep in the same bed, No dirty jokes, no violence etc. – Movie Makers had to get creative.

Thou Shalt Nots: • Law must always win over crime. • Women shall not show the inside of their thigh, cleavage, bellybutton, extreme shoulder, or considerable exposed skin. • No Lace Lingerie • People cannot be killed on screen nor may a dead body appear on the screen. • No Narcotics, Drinking, Smoking etc. • No Gambling • No Swearing • No Pointing a Gun at Another Human Being • No Tommy Guns • Men and women cannot sleep in the same bed • No jokes about or on police officers, religious figures, politicians, and any other figure of authority. • Likewise the above cannot ever appear corrupt or sinful.

Screwball Comedy • Screwball comedy derives its humor largely from bizarre, surprising (and improbable) situations or characters. • Screwball comedies often involve mistaken identities or other circumstances in which a character or characters try to keep some important fact a secret. Sometimes screwball comedies feature male characters crossdressing, further contributing to the misunderstandings.

Example of Early Screwball Comedy: Arsenic and Old Lace: • Based on a very popular play. • Major elements of the movie had to be changed for it to pass the Hays Code. • No dead bodies. • Mortimer and Elaine had to be married. • Elaine can’t be seen in her nightgown- Notice the heavy coat. • Notice the lack of guns and other weapons.

End of the Hays Code: • The Hays Code remained in place for over ten years; however film makers began to ignore the rules. • Watch the Long, Long Trailer. • Notice that there are still separate beds for the married couple, but now you can see her nightgown. • There are several other rules that are now ignored- See how many are broken as you watch.

Modern Movie Types: • With the end of the Hays Code- Other subtypes of comedies began to develop:

Fish Out of Water • In a Fish Out of Water Comedy Film, the main character finds himself in an unusual environment, which drives most of the humor. Situations can be swapping gender.

Parody or spoof • A Parody or Spoof Film is a comedy that satirizes other film genres or classic films. Such films employ sarcasm, stereotyping, mockery of scenes from other films, and the obviousness of meaning in a character's actions. Examples of this form include Blazing Saddles (1974), Airplane! (1980), Young Frankenstein (1974) and Scary Movie (2000).

Black Comedy • The Black Comedy film deals with normally taboo subjects, including death, murder, intimate relations, suicide, and war in a satirical manner. • Dark humor that makes light of socalled dark or evil elements in human nature. • Examples include Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Heathers (1989), • and Burn After Reading (2008).

Gross Out! • Gross Out Films are a relatively recent development and rely heavily on vulgaror "toilet" humor. • Example: Dumb and Dumber (1994) • Super Troopers (2001) • The Ridiculous 6 (2016)

Romantic Comedy • The Romantic Comedy Film sub-genre typically involves the development of a relationship between a man and a woman. The stereotyped plot line follows the boygets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy gets girl back again sequence. • • Examples of this style of film include I Pretty Woman(1990 The Proposal (2010) Little Black Book (

Sophomoric Comedy • Sophomoric humor aka Juvenile Comedy is a comedy that would normally be expected from an adolescent. This includes bathroom humor, intimate relations humor, and gags that are based on and appeal to a silly sense of immaturity.

Elements of Comedy Films • Irony: –Verbal Irony: Saying one thing and meaning another –Dramatic Irony: The audience knows something a character does not –Situational Irony: Something unexpected happens

Comic Devices • Mistaken Identity: Either an intended act of deception or an accident • Coincidence: Improbable chance happenings or meetings • Surprise & Incongruity: To set up the audience to expect one thing and then surprising them with the unexpected (irony) • Hyperbole/Exaggeration: May be used due to strong feelings or is used to create a strong impression and is not meant to be taken literally

Review for the. Test: • http: //mswoodtheater. weebly. com/unit-3 test-review. html • This is on my website- Check it out!