American Slapstick Comedy Notes

American Slapstick Comedy

Introduction

• Slapstick comedy is a physical form of humor with lots of action and potential for injury.
• It often involves schadenfreude, which is taking pleasure in the misfortune of others.
• Slapstick comedy's roots trace back to the silent era.

The Three Geniuses of Slapstick Comedy

• The presentation will cover the three geniuses of slapstick comedy.

Mac Sennett

• Mac Sennett significantly contributed to slapstick comedy.
• He began as an actor at Edison Studios.
• He followed Griffith to Biograph in NYC.
• He started directing comedies for Biograph and had comedic influences.
• Sennett was influenced by:
  • French comedians and filmmakers (e.g., Pathé French film studio & Max Linder, a French Comedian).
  • Circus clowns.
  • Vaudeville comedians.

Vaudeville Shows

• Vaudeville shows were variety shows featuring skits, trained animals, comedy, clowns, singing, and dancing.
• Comedians would perform live acts, often incorporating various forms of comedy.

The Slapstick

• A slapstick was a device used to add sound effects to the comedy.
• It enhanced the humor of a gag or joke.
• It would be slapped off stage for the audience to hear but not see.

Keystone Studios

• Mac Sennett's studio was called Keystone Studios, established in 1912. It was the first one in Hollywood.

Keystone Cops

• The Keystone Cops were an ensemble comedy troupe produced by Mac Sennett.
• They would improvise at actual events around town.
• Keystone Cops films were produced between 1912 and 1917.

The Gag

• The "gag" was the joke.
• The writers were called "gag writers."
• The gag was the most important part of any slapstick comedy.

Popularity

• Slapstick Comedy was the most popular film genre of the 1920s.

Charlie Chaplin

• Charlie Chaplin, the most famous Keystone Cop, was born in London, England, on April 16, 1889.
• Charles Chaplin Sr. was a Vaudeville performer with a drinking problem.
• Hannah Chaplin was an actress with serious mental problems.
• Both parents were labeled as unfit.
• Charlie was removed from his home and placed in a workhouse (orphanage).
• In 1903, he began to act.
• He developed a character based on his father called “The Drunk.”
• He came to America to perform this character.
• Mac Sennett saw Chaplin perform as "The Drunk" and invited him to Hollywood.
• Chaplin wanted to establish his own character and drew inspiration from:
  • Max Linder, a French comedian who was very well dressed with a top hat and cane.
  • Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, who wore baggy pants.

The Little Tramp

• Chaplin named his character "The Little Tramp."
• The Little Tramp was a major success for Chaplin.
• He became the world's first superstar.
• He was also the first star to have their own fan club.

Chaplin's Salary

• 1913: $150$ A Week
• 1914: $1,250$ A Week
• 1915: $10,000$ A Week
• 1917: $1 Million$ A Year
• He was the First Actor To Make $1 Million$ A Year (not adjusted for inflation).
• The CPI of 1917 was 12.8, and the CPI of 2023/24 is 3.5, so in today's money, Chaplin was being paid over $23,000,000$ a year!

Philanthropy

• He was generous with his money.
• He kept paying his crew all year, even when they were not making a film.
• He donated a lot of money to various charitable organizations as well.

Charlie Chaplin Studios

• Charlie Chaplin Studios was located on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood and was operational from 1917 to 1953.
• This studio is now known as the Jim Henson Company Lot.

Mabel Normand

• She started to work with Chaplin at Keystone, first as an actress, then as a director.
• She moved to Chaplin's studio and helped him develop his character.

Pantomime

• Pantomime involves using gestures and facial expressions without words to convey emotions.
• Chaplin was a genius at it.

Social and Political Themes

• Social and political themes started to appear in his work.
• He developed enemies in Washington D.C. in the 1920s, and the investigations never stopped.
• He was labeled a Communist, largely because of charitable donations he had made to help the Russian people.
• He also had sexual relationships with young women.
• He was sued for paternity and had other court appearances because of his actions.

Exile

• In 1952, Chaplin left the U.S.
• While he was in international waters, his visa was revoked by the government.
• He moved to Switzerland, married a young woman, and they had eight children together.

Honorary Award

• In 1971, Chaplin received an honorary Academy Award.
• He was able to obtain a 48-hour visa to enter the U.S.
• This is considered one of the most emotional moments in Academy Award history.

Buster Keaton

• Buster Keaton's nickname was "The Great Stone Face" because he never showed any expression.
• He came from a Vaudeville family.
• They had a very rough act, and young Buster would be thrown around the stage from a very young age.
• His given name was Joseph Frank Keaton.
• Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle convinced him to come to Hollywood.
• Together they would do one-reel comedies.
• They became very well known together and very popular.
• They also got paid a lot to do these comedies.
• Despite that, Keaton lived at the YMCA; he didn’t really need or want much.

Feature Films

• He became a feature film star.
• His producer, Joseph Schenck, told him to marry his sister-in-law or he would never act again.
• Schenck would hold his contract but never give him a role.
• She eventually divorced him and kept the house.

Stunts

• Keaton did all his own stunts.

The General

• "The General" is his most spectacular work.
• It is set during the American Civil War.
• They blew up a bridge during filming.

Harold Lloyd

• Harold Lloyd was the third genius of slapstick comedy.
• Lloyd was an amateur actor who came to Hollywood to get into films.
• He became a "featured player" working with producer Hal Roach.
• He developed a serious or scholarly look with large glasses.
• He was in nearly 300 films, doing all his own stunts.
• Lloyd was considered the “Comedian of Thrills.”

Honorary Award

• In 1953, Lloyd received an Honorary Academy Award for being a "master comedian and good citizen."
• The "good citizen" part was added as a jab to Charlie Chaplin, although Lloyd had nothing to do with naming the award.

The Freshman

• "The Freshman" (1925) is one of Lloyd's most popular works.
• It was the inspiration for "The Waterboy" (1998).
• Lloyd plays a young man entering college and trying to impress the popular people because he wants to be the big man on campus.
• There is a lot of slapstick comedy.
• The football game scene was shot at a real football game in 1924, Stanford at U.C. Berkeley.
• There were 85,000 real football fans as extras!