Date of Award
2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Humanities
First Advisor
Cuomo, Glenn
Keywords
Silent Films, Comedy, Comic Theory
Area of Concentration
Humanities
Abstract
This thesis explores silent film comedy in conjunction with comic theory. The leading actors in these films had a lot of creative control and would portray the same character from film to film. This thesis uses the works of Mack Sennett, Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Harry Langdon as its focus. Their popularity was immense, and they represent an instantly accessible, populist form of comedy. Comic theory is a sprawling, contentious discipline, and comedy itself is difficult to define. This thesis uses comic theory to help explain how the protagonists in silent comedies interacted with the world around them, and thrilled audiences by not fitting in. This thesis also uses Indifférance, a new silent short, to show how silent comedy is still able to show society in an interesting and revealing light. The comic remains elusive, and nearly impossible to define, but this thesis explores some of the ways in which it can affect its audience.
Recommended Citation
Shelley, Reid, "THE CHARGE OF THE AWKWARD SQUAD: SILENT FILM CLOWNING IN THEORY AND PRACTICE" (2015). Theses & ETDs. 5112.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5112