No kidding.
There
were so many worthwhile film books this year that they necessitated a
second piece, a look at new books on early comedy. As was true with
this year’s general selection of film books,
the best among this early comedy group are biographies, a couple of
which break new ground by being the first on their subject or by shining
light on otherwise little known aspects of cinema history. There is
also a book which will prove handy for those seeking a guided tour of
the field. So, without further ado, here they are, the “Best Film Books
of 2017: Silent Comedy Edition.”
Slapstick Divas: The Women of Silent Comedy (BearManor Media) by Steve Massa
One
can’t say enough about this book, and that’s why it’s included in this
round-up as well as in my earlier piece on the “Best Film Books of
2017.” This book looks at the careers of the many funny ladies of early
film—who, compared to their male colleagues, haven’t received the
attention they rightly deserve. Besides the better known Marie Dressler,
Mabel Normand, and
Marion Davies,
Massa’s book looks at the careers of Flora Finch, Louise Fazenda, Alice
Howell, Madge Kennedy, Dorothy Devore, Edna Purviance, Dot Farley,
Baby Peggy,
Ethel Teare, Merta Sterling and numerous other “droll divas” and “film
comedy Eves.” It includes hundreds of rare illustrations, as well as
capsule biographies of once famous, now little remembered or wholly
forgotten screen comediennes. It also includes a short passage on Louise Brooks and her handful of comedies.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again:
Steve Massa
has written a highly recommended book which belongs on the shelves of
anyone interested in early film comedy or women’s film history.
Reeder’s
impressive, 767 page, heavily detailed book is billed as a “cautionary
tale for all aspiring artists whose dreams exceed their grasp.” It tells
the story of the otherwise little known actor, screenwriter, producer
and director Henry Lehrman, and in doing so sets out to untarnish and
restore his reputation in film history. Considered the architect of
silent comedy and acknowledged for his absurd, frenetic, gag-filled
films, Lehrman helped launch the film career of newcomer Charles Chaplin
while both were working for Mack Sennett at Keystone; Lehrman directed a
few of Chaplin’s very first shorts in 1914. Early comedy greats Roscoe
Arbuckle, Ford Sterling, Mabel Normand and others likewise benefited
from his guidance and friendship. By 1919, Lehrman’s rapid rise led to
the fulfillment of his dream: complete artistic control in the form of
his own, namesake studio. And then it all collapsed. Lehrman’s career
hit the skids with the studio’s failure, which was followed by his
association with the era’s most notorious scandal—the alleged rape and
subsequent death of Lehrman’s fiancé, Virginia Rappe, at the hands of
his friend Roscoe Arbuckle. Lehrman kept on working into the 1930’s, but
never at the heights he once envisioned—and briefly attained. Along
with an extensive filmography,
Mr. Suicide: Henry “Pathe” Lehrman and The Birth of Silent Comedy includes a foreword by the legendary Sam Gill and an introduction by equally reputable Steve Massa.
Charlie Chaplin’s Red Letter Days: At Work with the Comic Genius (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers) by Fred Goodwins, edited by David James and Dan Kamin
This
300+ page book is made up of a gathering of thirty-five articles,
dating from 1915 and 1916 and reproduced here for the first time since,
which provide a vivid account of daily goings-on at the Chaplin studio.
Their author is Fred Goodwins, a British actor who joined Chaplin’s
stock company in early 1915 and began writing short pieces which he
submitted to a British magazine, Red Letter.
The articles have
been edited by film historian David James and annotated by Chaplin
expert Dan Kamin, to which have been added introductory material and
rare images. All together, it adds up to a fascinating,
behind-the-scenes look at a comic genius.This book is highly recommended to the many, many Chaplin fans.
Harry Langdon: King of Silent Comedy (University Press of Kentucky) by Gabriella Oldham and Mabel Langdon, with a Foreword by Harry Langdon Jr.
Charlie
Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd stand out as the three kings
of early comedy. Their prince is Harry Langdon, who parlayed his
considerable pantomime talents and remarkable, wide-eyed, childlike face
into silent-era stardom in classic films like
Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (1926)
, The Strong Man (1926), and
Long Pants (1927).
Each was produced by Langdon, and each was directed by the great Frank
Capra. After Langdon fired Capra, Langdon’s popularity dimmed, and his
career declined. This biography, which features behind-the-scenes
accounts and personal recollections compiled by Langdon’s late wife,
provides a considered picture of this multifaceted entertainer—as well
as his meteoric rise and fall.
[If you don’t already own a copy, Langdon
fans will also want to check out last year’s
Nothing on the Stage is Permanent: the Harry Langdon Scrapbook (Walker & Anthony Publications) by Harry Langdon Jr., who provided the foreword to this new book.]
100 Essential Silent Film Comedies (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers) by James Roots
Film
lovers still remember and laugh at the cinematic clowning of Chaplin,
Keaton, Lloyd and Langdon, as well as Laurel & Hardy, Roscoe
Arbuckle, Charley Chase and others. In this new book, Roots looks at the
major comedies produced in the first three decades of the twentieth
century, ranging from brief shorts to epic farces. Each entry includes
details on the cast and crew, a synopsis, critical evaluation, and
commentary.
100 Essential Silent Film Comedies is a useful book, as is Roots’ 2014 title,
The 100 Greatest Silent Film Comedians.
There were a few other notable books on early comedians published this year. Three that caught my attention include
Max Linder: Father of Film Comedy (BearManor Media) by Snorre Smári Mathiesen,
The Silent Films of Marion Davies (CreateSpace) by Edward Lorusso, and
The W.C. Fields Films (McFarland) by James L. Neibaur.
Max
Linder was a French comedian and director whose early start made him
one of the first international movie stars, even before Charlie Chaplin.
Mathiesen, a Norwegian cartoonist and film buff, tells Linder’s tragic
story.
Marion Davies was a charming and brilliant comedian who produced and starred in two of the great silent films,
The Patsy (1928) and
Show People (1928),
but whose reputation was eclipsed by her longtime relationship with
William Randolph Hearst. W. C. Fields got his start during the silent
era in films like
It’s the Old Army Game (1926), but went on to even greater acclaim in the sound era in films like
The Bank Dick (1940) and
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941). Neibaur’s book surveys his work.
BTW: It's the Old Army Game, which stars W.C. Fields and Louise Brooks, is being released on DVD by Kino Lorber early next year, likely in the Spring, perhaps in March.
Along
with idiosyncratic books on
Rudolph Valentino and
Lon Chaney, Kevin
Scott Collier is an industrious self-published author who has also
written and/or compiled short books on a few early comedians. If you are
interested, or a complete-ist, then you may want to check out these
2017 Collier titles:
Film Comedian John Bunny: Funny Bunny (CreateSpace),
Mack Swain: The Ambrose Years (CreateSpace),
Billy Dooley: The Misfit Sailor: His Life, Vaudeville Career, Silent Films, Talkies and more! (CreateSpace), and
Luther J. Pollard: Ebony Film Corp. (CreateSpace). The latter looks at what has been called the first
company to feature an entirely black cast in their films, a string of
comedy shorts in 1917 to 1918.
a variant of this article by Thomas Gladysz appeared in the Huffington Post
