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In Tough Times, Comedy Is King by Tait Maxfeldt
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Charlie Chaplin in character as 'The Little Tramp,' which was born before the Great Depression but fit that time perfectly, circa 1925. photo: courtesy C. Chaplin5
THE SHOCK WAVES OF THE GREAT
Depression of 1929 ushered in an unprecedented era of film innovation. Perhaps the greatest revelation came in the backwaters of America’s brightest film form. The comedy.
Artists like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy and Mae West married America’s thirst for entertainment and escapism with the needs of changing times.
Comedy has consistently been our greatest leveler and sunniest friend, but during a catastrophe, it can also be our most creative tool.
As we navigate the current health crisis, economic distress and isolation imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic, entertainment has become one of our most precious commodities. While others review the 1918 Pandemic Flu, I recall the Crash of 1929, the 90th anniversary of which passed unceremoniously last October.
Finding ourselves alone and unable to take part in the great American pastime—public film viewing, which held us together during the Great Depression—we are now watching alone at home. In that sense, the silver screen has gone silent again.
The 1930s weekend matinees were the forerunner of our collective binge watching. The movies almost always included newsreels, cartoons or shorts as well as a double feature. A babysitter and brain eraser. The theatre-going experience was a pressure release valve, allowing our greatest respite and leaving many audiences feeling “that the movies saved us.”
Buster Keaton, the cosmic fool to Chaplin's poignant loser, in a scene from 'Seven Chances' (1925)—note the multiculti cast. photo: courtesy B. Keaton5
Comedy films were an integral part of this depression therapy and, as the uncertainty unfolded, it became more important. We have always looked to comedy during our darkest times. Antics can be the greatest antidote.
The Great Depression gave us the screwball comedy, the romantic comedy, the political satire and the musical comedy. But, as brilliant the silent comedic genius of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd were, they couldn't beat the innovation of sound motion pictures.
Keaton’s “The Cameraman” and Chaplin’s “The Circus” (both released in 1928) performed admirably, yet Al Jolsen’s “The Singing Fool” out grossed both at the box office. It was the end of an era, and by 1930 Depression audiences’ tastes had changed.
Americans and viewers worldwide responded to the Marx brothers’ quick-witted and manic nature of “Animal Crackers” (1930), as well as the punchy political satire of “Duck Soup” (1933). They were charmed by the playful word play of Lubitsch’s first rom-com “The Love Parade” (1929), their affection continuing with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in films like “Swing Time” (1936).
Screwball comedies propelled a talented group of hungry directors like Howard Hawks, Preston Sturges and Frank Capra, whose sophisticated scripts and breezy dialogue culminated in the latter's “It Happened One Night” (1934).
Mae West not only a great comedian but writer, producer and sex-positive feminist. photo: courtesy M. West5
It remains the only comedy to ever sweep the five major academy awards, winning both Best Actor and Best Actress! Satisfying both popular and critical criteria, that comedy held our hands as we ventured into the unknown.
Sound films began commercially in 1927, with the “Jazz Singer”, but exploded in 1929, creating a sea change in cinema. Soon some 80 million Americans were flocking to the movies every week, which exceeds, in a smaller population, the approximately 61 million Netflix subscribers or 75 million podcast listeners today.
Where Depression-era audiences once flocked to the theatre’s we are now forced into solitary entertainment experiences. Mass entertainment has become a solitary pursuit, as we are forced to separate ourselves. A paradigm shift.
As public spaces close and social distancing castrates the film industry, comedies will become increasingly prevalent, I predict.
They will populate our homes because they are quick to make, cheap to produce and popular. Silent film producer Mack Sennett famously produced short comedies “in a week and made a million.” The writing is already on the wall.
The Marx brothers on the cover of Time Magazine in 1932, quite sensational for a vaudeville act turned comedy movie stars. photo: courtesy Marx Bros Museum5
As film budgets continue to shrink, productions will become smaller and releases will become sleeker as we seek entertainment that brightens our day. Writers will find themselves ample time to dedicate to their craft.
In the 2020s, comedy is about to have an explosive revival, even more spectacular than the barrage of standup specials, sitcom series and low budget films. It will also introduce us to brilliant scripts, new talents and a treasure trove of material inspired by the continuing crises.
Although comedy has always been there when we needed it the most, perhaps this will be one good thing wrought by the pandemic.
Tait Maxfeldt is a Gallery Director for Lahaina Printsellers, writer, musician and Movie Poster dealer. You can reach him .Posted on Apr 05, 2020 - 08:35 PM