Comic Venus: Women and Comedy in American Silent Film Paperback - 2018
by Kristen Anderson Wagner
From the rear cover
For many people the term "silent comedy" conjures up images of Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp, Buster Keaton's Stoneface, or Harold Lloyd hanging precariously from the side of a skyscraper. Even people who have never seen a silent film can recognize these comedians at a glance. But what about the female comedians? Gale Henry, Louise Fazenda, Constance Talmadge-these and numerous others were wildly popular during the silent film era, appearing in countless motion pictures and earning top salaries, and yet, their names have been almost entirely forgotten. As a consequence, recovering their history is all the more compelling given that they laid the foundation for generations of funny women, from Lucille Ball to Tina Fey. These women constitute an essential and neglected sector of film history, reflecting a turning point in women's social and political history. Their talent and brave spirit continues to be felt today, and Comic Venus: Women and Comedy in American Silent Film seeks to provide a better understanding of women's experiences in the early twentieth century, and an appreciation of the unruly and boundary-breaking women who have followed. The diversity and breadth of archival materials explored in Comic Venus illuminate the social and historical period of comediennes and silent film. In four sections, Kristen Anderson Wagner begins with the question of why historically women weren't seen as funny in the public and male eye, a question that persists even today. Wagner delves into the idea of women's "delicate sensibilities," which presumably prevented them from being funny, and traces ideas about feminine beauty and what a woman should express versus what these comedic women did express. Wagner discusses how comediennes such as Clara Bow and Colleen Moore used humor to gain recognition and power through performances of sexuality and desire. Women comedians presented "sexuality as fun and playful, suggesting that personal relationships could be fluid rather than stable." Chapter four examines silent comediennes' relationships to the modern world and argues that these women exemplified modernity and new womanhood. The final chapter of Comic Venus brings readers to understand comediennes and their impact on silent-era cinema, as well as their lasting influence on later generations of funny women.
Details
- Title Comic Venus: Women and Comedy in American Silent Film
- Author Kristen Anderson Wagner
- Binding Paperback
- Pages 314
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Wayne State University Press
- Date 2018-03-01
- Illustrated Yes
- Features Bibliography, Illustrated, Index
- ISBN 9780814341025 / 0814341020
- Weight 0.93 lbs (0.42 kg)
- Dimensions 9 x 6 x 0.66 in (22.86 x 15.24 x 1.68 cm)
-
Themes
- Sex & Gender: Feminine
- Library of Congress subjects Motion picture actors and actresses - United, Silent films - United States - History and
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 2017956167
- Dewey Decimal Code 791.436
Media reviews
Citations
- Choice, 08/01/2018, Page 0
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