Throughout the history of comedy, many actors and actresses have come and gone and left behind their hilarious movies and stand-up shows. Adam Sandler and Chevy Chase are good examples of how comedy has helped shape the face of acting. Comedy is very important in today’s society, with famous actors and blockbuster hits. Comedy is fun for the whole family, and it is the most watched form of movie out there. Most people find enjoyment out of a good laugh with their friends and family. It is a form of entertainment that has been around for a very long time, and I don’t see it going away anytime soon. Famous comedians such as; Charlie Chaplin, and The Three Stooges, were way ahead of their time and were often looked down upon in the face of television. …show more content…
His grandmother gave him the name Chevy when he was two-years old, and has gone by that name ever since. Chase has been in many movies over the years of his career. He is mostly known for his appearances on Saturday Night Live, for his newscaster role in the show. Some of his movies that he has starred in consist of; Funny Farm, European Vacation, Hotel Hell Vacation, Christmas Vacation, Vegas Vacation, and Vacation. Throughout the late seventies and early eighties, Chase became very famous as a comedy for his films, and his anchorman bit on SNL. Most of the sequels to his best films, never made it big. The only strand of films he was in that stayed big through all of them was, the National Lampoon's’ Vacation movies. Other films of his that the sequels failed were films such as, Caddyshack 2, Cops and Robbersons 2, and Fletch 2. Chase crossed a whole new line of comedy when Christmas Vacation came out in the eighties, he made everyone laugh until they wanted to cry with his line about the family at the nuthouse. He is an iconic comedian and is old enough to have a lifetime achievement award. The original four National Lampoon’s movies were by far his most famous and well-known by mostly anyone who has watched his movies. …show more content…
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Epstein, Dwayne. Adam Sandler. San Diego: Lucent, 2004. Print.
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Richard Chase was born on May 23, 1950 in Sacramento, California. He died on December 26, 1980. He was born in Sacramento, California (unable to verify).
The Secret of Seinfeld’s Humor: The significance of the Insignificant, an article written by Jorge Gracia briefly outlines what the author believes to be the origin of the humour with which the popular television show Seinfeld achieved such broad based success. A show that embraced the ordinary of everyday life, while atypically avoiding the mainstay of violence and sex of most of today’s popular visual media and culture. Gracia (19??) begins his article by posing the question “how, can a show that deals with ordinary, everyday occurrences have such wide appeal”? This is a very general question that could be analysed in any number of ways. The author however, suggest one possible answer. That a show such as Seinfeld is effective because its humour is based upon the dramatic tradition of the comedy and tragedy.
performances. Jerry used a form of comedy that no one had ever seen before. He
The movies that he made at the end of the decade were the ones that established him as an actor of merit. Howard Hawks emphasized the willful side of Wayne’s screen persona by giving him the part in Red River (1948). He played the part of Tom Dunson, a difficult, unlikeable yet compelling character. Two other films directed by John Ford quickly followed.
Born in Massapequa, New York in 1954, Seinfeld soon discovered the attention that making jokes could garner him, and he admits to having been a class clown throughout his education. After college, Seinfeld starting touring the nation's comedy clubs and college campuses with his odd brand of observational humor. Seinfeld would notice something from society, someone who talked too close to another person for example, and h...
Ford: The Times, The Man, The Company Allen Nevins, (New York, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1953), 93-114
With the turn of the century, society and technology evolved and so did the minstrel shows. The introduction of the television gave the shows a new platform to broadcast their content to more american audiences. While not as harsh as the shows in the 19th century’s shows, the modern minstrel shows were “vestiges of their racial stereotyping and performances aesthetics persisted for decades in various performance mediums. ” (7). The show 's popularity forged a strong foundation for careers in the entertainment industry for African Americans. African Americans often could find great success in pursuing musical, or comedic careers following the minstrel shows. And as the shows finally died out, this underlying principle stayed true as the United States progressed. The minstrel shows facilitated African Americans into many forms of the entertainment as various performers. The shows play a major role in developing the comedic basis for African American entertainers even today. As referred to in the modern day , “Black Comedy” is extremely favored by the populus. Famous black comedian Dave Chappelle, once played a role as a “racial pixie”. Chappelle performed as a oddly dressed pixie on the shoulders of African Americans and sang, danced, and encouraged the individual to given into the stereotypes of society (4). Perhaps what disturbed Chappelle the most was the
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.
Neil Simon is arguably one of the greatest American playwrights of the twentieth century. He has brought his unique personality and views to his works. His plays have not only graced Broadway, but many have made it to the screen. Simon uses personal ties in portraying characters familiar to the audience. Simon said once in an interview with Glenn Loney, “Certain types of critics will always look down on comedy. For them, it seems to easy- or it doesn’t have enough substance” (Konas 212). Neil Simon is criticized for lacking substance within his works. However his plays are actual dramatizations of his life, or the life of those he knows best, which utilize buffoon comedy to create substance while keeping a light-hearted ambiance.
He received the People’s Choice Award of Favourite Comedic Movie Actor because of films like “50 First Dates”, “Grown Ups”, “Just Go with It”, “That’s My Boy” and “Grown Ups 2”.
Adam Sandler was born on September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York. He was educated at New Hampshire’s Manchester Central High School during the early 1980’s. He later went to New York University and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 1991 (“Celeb-Site';). Adam’s first time in the spotlight was when he was 11, and he sung “16'; by Ringo Starr at his sister’s wedding (Arnold 110). Yet, his career of being a comedian began at age 17, when he got up on stage at a Boston comedy club. He really had no influences; he spontaneously got on stage. After that he performed regularly at the University and at clubs. Adam also got a spot on The Cosby Show as one of Theo’s friends. He was also featured on MTV’s Remote Control, and on Saturday Night Live during the 1990-91 season (“dAvYgRaVy';). His performances caused an article to be posted in the L.A. Times, which said that he was “the most talentless, juvenile, and offensive of the current cast…'; Obviously, not everyone felt this way because he continued to get jobs in the entertainment field. Adam’s early career stretched to different areas, but he was really discovered during his first season on Saturday Night Live (“Celeb-Site’). Adam also worked on productions other than sitcoms, like movies. In fact, Adam has made many movies throughout his career. His films include Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Water Boy, and many others (“WBR';).
“Do the Right Thing.” IMBD.com. Internet Movie Database, n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2011. < http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097216/>
Sorensen, Charles E. My Forty Years with Ford. New York: Wayne State University Press, 1956. Accessed March 9, 2014. http://books.google.com/books/about/My_Forty_Years_with_Ford.html?id=fv9WPvAXpGMC.
Humor has been the source of entertainment throughout history. Today humor is practiced in movies, plays, songs, television shows and radio. Humor has brought fame and fortune to those who have mastered its power.