Every Saturday, we will take a light look at the world. We will be investigating what makes people laugh. Laughter is a very good medicine, especially for curing what ails us. Dr. Norman Cousins wrote a book called Anatomy of a Disease. In it, he gave details of how he cured an incurable disease through the use of humor.
“Humor. It is a difficult concept.” -Lt. Saavik in Star Trek: the Wrath of Khan.
So, what makes you laugh? Do you love the verbal repartee of such masters as Abbott and Costello? Are you drawn toward situational comedies, in such classics as the Dick Van Dyke show? Do you love the wonderful, chaotic physical comedy of such masters as Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd? You tell me you don’t know Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton? Shame on you.
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Let’s explore the various types of comedy that are out there.
Black Comedy. These stories poke fun at some very serious subjects. Arsenic and Old Lace pokes fun at murder, old age and insanity. They don’t seem like subjects to laugh about, but believe me, Arsenic and Old Lace is incredibly funny movie. If ever I need a good laugh, this is the movie I watch. Another classic black comedy is Dr. Strangelove. Dr. Strangelove brings the world to the edge of nuclear annihilation and beyond, while we are on the floor laughing our butts off.
Here’s a brilliant clip from “Arsenic and Old Lace”: -
Verbal Comedy. Here, obviously, words and their delivery are the prime movers of humor. Done well, it produces timeless wit that will outlive all of us. The true masters of this art were Abbott and Costello. For 15 years, they were the screens masters of verbal comedy.
Here is their classic routine from the 1946 film “Naughty Nineties.”
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Situational Comedy. The classic examples in this form of humor must fall to Laurel and Hardy. Although there you are mixes in verbal and physical comedy, it is the situations they find themselves in that are so memorable. Words cannot express how amazing these two gentlemen were on screen. Instead, I will at their work speak for them.
Here’s their Academy award-winning film “The Music Box.”
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Physical Comedy. Everyone laughs when someone slips on a banana peel. It’s just human nature. Expanding that into a larger format brings us into the world of chaos. Jackie Chan is probably the best modern example of a physical comedian. A gifted athlete, he makes it all seem effortless. His movies would be funny without all of his bone crunching humor, but with it these films are classics.
Here is a clip from one of his films “The First Strike.”
That will be all for this week. I will continue to explore comedy each Saturday. Please come back next week and I will try to put a smile on your face.
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