The Oscar goes to… Buster Keaton! Buster Keaton won his Oscar for comedy in 1959, two years after his film biography, “The Buster Keaton Story,” which was released in 1957 (Buster Keaton par 1). Buster Keaton, born as Joseph Frank Keaton, IV, got his nickname from the Great Houdini (Buster Keaton par 1). Buster Keaton was known as the greatest silent film clown in all of his movies in the 1920’s (Buster Keaton par 1).
Buster Keaton, son of Joe and Myra Keaton, was born on October 4, 1895, in Piqua, Kansas (Buster Keaton par 1). Joe and Myra were vaudevillian actors that quickly introduced their son, Buster Keaton, to acting (Buster Keaton par 1). Keaton’s father, Joe, would always use him as a human mop in the family vaudevillian films (Buster Keaton par 1). “The three Keaton’s specialized in knockabout acrobatics, with Joe using little Buster as a ‘human mop’” (Buster Keaton par 1). Keaton was always getting picked on (Buster Keaton par 1). Buster Keaton was accustomed to getting bullied, so this helped him out a tremendous amount when he made it to the big stage (Buster Keaton par 1). Keaton ended up making most of his money because he would get picked on easily (Buster Keaton par 1). “Keaton quickly grew used to being knocked around a bit” (Buster Keaton par 1).
“Already accustomed to taking pratfalls without suffering injury, Buster learned how to get laughs at a very early age” (Buster Keaton par 1). Buster Keaton spent two years learning about comedy and how to impress people (Buster Keaton par 3). Buster was very fond with the movie “Medium.” Keaton did not have very many friends or fans when he first started off, but he did not really care (Buster Keaton par 4). Buster started as a silent movie comedian, which m...
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...his alcohol addiction (Buster Keaton par 10). Buster Keaton later died on February 1st, 1996 in Woodland Hills, California (Buster Keaton par 1). Buster Keaton passed away at the age of 70 (Buster Keaton Biography par 1). Buster Keaton was a great actor in the 1920’s, also known as the roaring twenties today. Buster Keaton was not a well-known actor. Although he was a very good man and a silent comedian, he had some difficulties with alcohol and making films. He later kept a stable job that eventually got sold to MGM. Buster Keaton, also known as Joseph Frank Keaton the IV, got his name from the Great Houdini. Buster Keaton was known as the greatest silent clown in all of his movies in the 1920’s. He will be remembered a man who impacted people’s life’s and helped a tremendous amount with making the film industry the industry we know it has become today.
Even though Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb screened in the midst of the sobering Cold War, critics were keen on praising the film for its mastery of humor applied to such a sensitive matter. The film is exceedingly loaded with metaphors, innuendos, and allusions that nothing can be left undissected or taken for face value; the resulting effect is understood to be part of Kubrick’s multifarious theme. Kubrick has stated that what began as a “the basis for a serious film about accidental war ” eventually birthed an absurd and farcical classic comedy. The director fuses together irony, satire, and black humor to create a waggish piece but most of all the situation of the times and its gravity is the essence of what the audience finds so hilarious . Using caricatures rather than characters, exaggerated script, and sexual undertones, Kubrick manifests to the audience their own predicament and just how ridiculous it is to even consider brinksmanship as a means to preserve the American lifestyle.
Born in March of 1916 as Jacob (Jack) Ezra Katz, he was the third child to Benjamin and Augusta Katz. His parents were both Polish immigrants of Jewish descent and they raised him in East New York, the predominantly Jewish section of Brooklyn. As immigrants they were plagued with financial difficulties and this was further aggravated when they struggled through the Depression. Despite all of these hardships, Keats had already begun to showcase his artistic abilities. At the age of eight he was hired to paint the sign of a local store. Naturally, his father was quite proud of him when he earned twenty-five cents for his work and hoped that this might endeavor might lead to a steady career as a sign pa¬inter. Unfortunately for him, Keats was smitten with Fine Arts and won his first award in Junior High School: a medal for ...
performances. Jerry used a form of comedy that no one had ever seen before. He
Although some parents believe Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is sending the wrong message to their children, the message is positive and can help their children better understand mental institutions and also teaches them that everyone deserves freedom.
Born in Brooklyn, New York in January 1899, Capone was one of eight children. His parents were recent Italian immigrants looking to start fresh in America, the land of opportunity, and would never begin to suspect that they had birthed a boy who would in later years become America’s most notorious gangster, the ultimate “Public Enemy No. 1”.1 Up until the sixth grade Capone worked hard in school, trying to be...
The subtly of interplay between The Comedian’s persona, his humanity, and even his hypocrisy strongly support his status as a living person alongside Dr. Manhattan. To create living people should always be the goal in literature. It is how a writer can illuminate a new facet of existence and can only be achieved through the use of a sympathetic imagination. Hemingway erred however, when he argued, “A character is a caricature” (153).
Another major contender in the comedy genre was Harold Lloyd. He had an unpredictable style of comedy at first. For a long time he wanted to model himself after Charlie Chaplin until he came into his own unique style. Chaplin’s clothes were too big for him, so Lloyd wore clothes that were too small for him. However, it was not as simple as reversing Chaplin’s style. One day someone put him in oval wire glasses and it somehow became part of his persona. Lloyd eventually evolved on his own and claimed his own unique style. “At times he would seem meek but then would explode suddenly with force and anger” (Cousins, p. 73). He became most famous for his incredible stamina and ability to perform outrageous stunts, known as his “human fly” act. In Safety Last he is seen climbing the side of a building, along the way running into many obstacles that would threaten to push him off. He was unparalleled in the way he performed such dangerous stunts all for the sake of comedy.
The novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey introduces Chief Broom, a half Indian character, and the events that occur to him inside of a mental hospital in the beginning of the novel. Chief Broom narrates the novel and describes every situation that occurs to him as well as the feelings that he evokes in chronological order. Broom’s fake act of remaining “dead and dumb” allows him to observe the actions and conversations of the workers (10). For instance, Chief Broom describes that the worker could “smell [his] fear” before actually taking him to shave his head which shows that the writing of the story occurs in order rather than jumping to different points in time.
Laughter is a therapeutic form. In the novel One flew over the cuckoo’s nest by Ken Kesey laughter represents freedom and an escape from nurse Ratched’s restrictions.
On August 11, 2014, Robin McLaurin Williams took his own life. Throughout his 63 years on Earth he had become one of America’s most well-known actors and comedians. Williams suffered from depression and anxiety in the years before his death. He had also been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013. The origins of Williams’ mental illnesses can be explained by the biological perspective, behavioral perspective, and psychodynamic perspective.
His contribution to cinema and his work was recognized by Oscars too. His film fanny added a new feather to the actor’s hat. Fanny got nominated for 5 categories in the Oscars.
Many people believe Marlon Brando was the greatest actor of the 20th century. His life was filled with wonderful, interesting, but also encountered troubling times. Marlon Brando was a rebellious boy who later grew up to be known as the “world’s greatest actor.”
Comedy came easy to Charlie Chaplin. “All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman, and a pretty girl.” But more that acting and directing, his comedy is what paved the road for him to being one of the most well known men in history. The era in which he made a lasting name for himself, 1920-1960, endured some of the toughest times in history from the Holocaust, World War I, the Great Depression, to World War II. But oddly enough it was through those times that that the world tuned into him most. “Chaplin had demonstrated that he believed comedy was the most effective when it was offset by a touch of pathos or sentiment” (Inge 62). He turned the turmoil they were living through into his inspiration. He used humanism to connect with his audience along with satire to make light of current events, however there was much truth to his comedy. .In conclusion, it was Charlie Chaplin’s ability to capture the audience in life’s most trying times that carved his name in history.
“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” This was one of the most famous quotes from Charlie Chaplin who became the celebrated superstar from the silent film era. He fulfilled this quote as his acting and directing career spanned over 75 years. He made his debut early on in his childhood and worked up until the day before he died at age 88. He is best remembered for role as the silly and loveable Little Tramp
The nature of comedy has always left it somewhat resistant to critical analysis, and to some extent the same can be said for comedic actors. The class-clowns of Hollywood like Will Ferrell are often times constructed as being nothing more than amusing, so they seem like a simple case study.... ... middle of paper ... ...