Comedy/Cinema/Theory

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The nature of comedy has intrigued thinkers from Plato to Freud, yet film comedy has recently lacked theoretical exploration. The essays in this collection utilize various critical and theoretical approaches to delve into this captivating subject, making it an engaging read for those interested in film and humor. Comedy remains a significant human concern, evolving in form across different media over the centuries. In the introduction, Horton reviews the history of comedy studies, spanning from Aristophanes to contemporary works, and discusses related comic fiction, comic books, TV sitcoms, and jokes. Some essays address broader issues of comedy and cinema, with scholars like Lucy Fischer, Noel Carroll, and Peter Lehman employing feminist, post-Freudian, neo-Marxist, and Bakhtinian methodologies in their often humorous prose. Other contributions focus on specific works and filmmakers, offering diverse analytical perspectives on figures such as The Three Stooges, Chaplin, Jerry Lewis, Woody Allen, and Alfred Hitchcock's Mr. and Mrs. Smith, alongside the unique genre of Eastern European cynical humor. While Horton notes that no single overarching theory of film comedy emerges from these essays, the originality and variety of contributions highlight a growing interest in the field, appealing to both film students and general audiences alike.