Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter One: Anarchic Comedy: Duck Soup
Chapter Two: Romantic Comedy: It Happened One Night
Chapter Three: Screwball Comedy: Bringing Up Baby and What's Up,
Doc?
Chapter Four: Musical Comedy: Singin' in the Rain
Chapter Five: Sex Farce: Some Like It Hot
Chapter Six: Satire: Dr. Strangelove
Chapter Seven: Parody: Young Frankenstein
Chapter Eight: Neurotic Comedy: Annie Hall
Chapter Nine: Dionysian Comedy: Animal House
Chapter Ten: Mockumentary: Waiting for Guffman
Chapter Eleven: Animated: South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
Michael V. Tueth, SJ, teaches film and television studies in the Department of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University. He is the author of Laughter in the Living Room: Television Comedy and the American Home Audience (2005).
Tueth (communication and media studies, Fordham Univ.) analyzes 12
US comedies as representative of 11 genres. Duck Soup is clearly
anarchic comedy; It Happened One Night, romantic; Singin' in the
Rain, musical; Some Like It Hot, sex farce; Dr. Strangelove,
satire; Young Frankenstein, parody; Annie Hall, neurotic; Animal
House, Dionysian; Waiting for Guffman, mockumentary; and South
Park, feature animation. For screwball, Bringing Up Baby is joined
by its undervalued remake, What's Up, Doc?. Each chapter provides
an excellent introduction to its film(s). The author nods to the
literary antecedents, chats about production details, cites other
critics effectively, and moves easily between the film's general
significance and close readings of important scenes. With all the
quoted jokes and recollections, this makes for a delightful read,
especially as Tueth prefers the subject texts over any imported
theory. This excellent book would be valuable as a textbook and a
solid basis for more extensive explorations of less examined genres
(neurotic, Dionysian, mockumentary, and animation). Summing Up:
Highly recommended.
*CHOICE*
This is an important work for film buffs that will probably be most
used in the circulating collection.
*American Reference Books Annual*
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