Chain of Fools
- Author Trav S.D.
- Narrator Trav S.D.
- Publish Date 30 July 2024
- Run Time 13 hours and 30 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Comedy and stand-up, Film history, theory or criticism, History, History of Performing Arts, Social and cultural history, Television, The Arts.
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What to expect
Chain of Fools traces the art of slapstick comedy from its pre-cinema origins in the ancient pantomime through its silent movie heyday in the teens and twenties, then on to talkies, television, and the internet. Author Trav S.D. mixes a wicked wit, a scholar’s curiosity, and a keen critical appreciation for laugh-makers through the ages, from classical clowns like Joseph Grimaldi to comedy kings like Mack Sennett, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Buster Keaton … to more recent figures, from Red Skelton, Sid Caesar, and Ernie Kovacs to Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, and Steve Carell … all the way down to the teenagers on YouTube whose backyard antics bring us full circle to slapstick’s beginnings. This valentine to the great clowns contains enough insights and surprises to open the eyes of even life-long comedy fans.
Critics Review
“Perhaps the most incisive and comprehensive account of silent comedy and the many men and women who made it…Full of surprises, delicious obscurities, and great detail that never becomes academic. Highly recommended.”
“Trav traces the arc of silent comedy back further than most film historians do in their books, and follows it further into the present as well. Chain of Fools is not just about silent comedy itself but its place in our culture and how it’s been a consistent part of it. A fun read, and accessible to both novice and seasoned historian. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
“Reading this book is like drinking a really great cognac. It is exciting as you drink it and when it goes down it warms you up!”
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