Slapstick Divas: The Women of Silent Comedy

by Steve Massa

Funny girls, those comediennes from the silent movies, knew shtick from slapstick. Mabel Normand, Marie Dressler, Bebe Daniels, Dorothy Gish, Constance Talmadge, Marion Davies, and Colleen Moore brought riotous laughter to millions around the world, yet their hilarity may seem hidden to those only familiar with Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, and Harold Lloyd. Discover the women of wit, from the supporting players to the stars. Author Steve Massa covers their contributions to comedy with in-depth analyses of the most hilarious heroines of humor, followed by 459 biographies of other droll divas from the famous to the forgotten. Illustrated with 440 rare movie scene shots, formal portraits, candid behind the scenes photos, film frame enlargements, trade magazine advertisements, lobby cards, stage photographs, artist’s renderings and caricatures, and casting guide entries. Bibliography, and an Index. About the Steve Massa is the author of Lame Brains and The Good, The Bad, and The Forgotten of Silent Comedy and Marcel The International Mirth-Maker. He has organized and curated comedy film programs for the Museum of Modern Art, The Library of Congress, The Museum of the Moving Image, The Smithsonian Institution, and The Pordenone Silent Film Festival.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Biography

644 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Creolecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and informative.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Steve Massa has done a mammoth amount of research documenting early film comedy. This book highlights dozens of comediennes who starred in, wrote and even produced silent comedy films. In addition, the appendix documents literally hundreds of actresses who made memorable comedy film appearances. Besides outlining their film careers, Massa has tracked down details of what happened to many of them after they got out of the business. The book is lavishly illustrated. The only sad thing about this book is that many of these comedy films no longer exist, or they are not easily available to audiences. If you are a fan of silent and early sound comedy, or of film history, you will love this book.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough bios of the ladies of comedy from 1929 and prior. The first portion of the book deals with the more prolific actresses in and out of the genre. The final 1/3 is pocket bios of much lesser known and latecomers to the genre. Copious amounts of photographs included. You'll learn a lot from this volume.