Comedys greatest era is available to read in full here thanks to the good people at mit. Often cited, james agees eloquent 1949lifeessay, comedys greatest era, is a turning point in this regard, a nostalgic paean that, once and for all, elevated silent comedy as a symbol of the past glories of popular culture. Agee was a magazine feature writer during the pretelevision era when magazines commanded wide influence. Agee, comic discourse, and buster keatons cops kevin w. And one of the high points in his famous nostalgic essay comedys greatest era is a long descrip tion of the way in which buster keaton and the girl pursue and fi nally find each other in the navigator, to read it is almost as much. When film critic and screenwriter james agee wrote his influential essay comedys greatest era for life magazine in 1949, he deemed four silent movie clowns as the kings of comedy. In praise of film writer james agee film the guardian. Lyman howe and the forgotten era of traveling exhibition, 18801920. The film writing of james agee 19091955 to me represents along with a select few including manny farber and jonathan rosenbaum the. They were charlie chaplin, buster keaton, harold lloyd and harry langdon. It appeared in life magazine in 1949, at a time when buster keaton, harold lloyd and harry langdonnot to mention folks like ben turpin and mack swainwere in danger of being completely forgotten by the general public. Womens laughter and the feminist politics of gender in motion, in the. An inventory of his collection at the harry ransom center descriptive summary creator. James agees 1949 article, comedys greatest era did much to revive interest in keaton.
The appearance of comedys greatest era in life magazine, september 3, 1949, received one of the greatest responses in the magazines. Physical comedy in modern times bright walldark room. Comedys greatest era, from 1949, in which agee lovingly rescues the. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search.
Even those who have never seen anything better mutt occasionally have the feeling. James agee, on deadpan comedian buster keaton, comedys greatest era reprinted in life, fall 1986. Unlike bazin, who claims that silent comedy was a comedy of spaceits gags. Joseph frank keaton october 4, 1895 february 1, 1966, known professionally as buster keaton, was an american actor, comedian, film director, producer, screenwriter, and stunt performer. The mechanized muse margaret kennedy directors of the thirties john grierson comedys greatest era james agee the westerner robert warshow underground films manny farber sex gilbert seldes film technique. Norma claypool earned notoriety for welcoming 15 hardtoadopt children into her baltimore home. The appearance of comedys greatest era in life magazine, september 3, 1949, received one of the greatest responses in the magazines history. Of the four master comics whom james agee cited in his famous essay on. The essay is a revisionist look at james agees famous article comedys greatest era keying on buster keaton and charlie. Comedys greatest era 1949, only chaplin really survived the end of that era. However, while chaplin was the giant of the era, period literature showcases that keaton was a popular but more cultlike figure. It was agee s tribute to the masters of silent films the charlie chaplins, the buster keatons, and more. Nyu department of cinema studies american film, 1895 to 1929.
James agee, comedys greatest era 1949 in film comedy reader ed. On september 1949, life magazine published james agees possibly most famous piece called comedys greatest era. After 1948, agee wrote principally film scripts 2 agee, james, 19091955. Rather to his bewilderment, keaton found himself elevated.
Critic james agee believed the sequence contained the greatest piece of acting and highest moment in movies, and the films closing image, of the tramp sheepishly biting his nails, remains one of the most enduring and iconic shots in all of film history 1. Comedies greatest era, by james agee comedies greatest era the great stone face this is a direct transcript from a section devoted to buster keaton in a 1949 article in life magazine by james agee. James and vince twice told sc hun 59328 agee, james comedys greatest era great reading from life sc lif 24664 agee, james a mothers tale 50 great american short stories sc 50 70190 aickman, robert ringing the. Only some years after langdons death did his status as a major comedian once again flourish. The class is not mediaspecific, though we will be using video and media as a main component. It is true, though, that agees greatest fame came posthumously. Since college, maybe before, my absolute favorite piece of criticism of any kind has been james agees comedys greatest era. If we remember the era as an era at all, it is because of james agees masterly tribute to silent comedy, published as comedys greatest era in the september 5, 1949 issue of life magazine. His most well known piece of criticism was comedys greatest era, published in 1949 in life magazine, in which agee extolled the era of silent movies. Keatons face ranked almost with lincolns as an early american archetype.
All these people zipped and caromed about the pristine world of the screen as jazzily as a convention of water bugs. James agee, comedys greatest era, from agee on film, vol. In the language of screen comedians, says james agee in his famous essay, comedys greatest era, four of the main grades of laugh are the titter, the yowl, thebellylaugh, and the boffo. Find materials for this course in the pages linked along the left. Comedys greatest era by james agee scraps from the loft. Comedys greatest era on film comedys silent beginnings. Comedys greatest era, which makes an impassioned case that the comic tradition of charles. The surprising element was the reaction from people who could have seen few, if any, of the silent comedies, simply because they were too young. In his 1949 essay comedys greatest era, james agee suggested that keatons face ranked almost with lincolns as an early american archetype. Thesequencethatfollowsrepresents,moreorless,myidealsyllabus. The collection also includes one of film historys most important essays. Throughout the 1950s and 60s, as movie fans and critics. In his seminal essay on comedys golden age, comedys greatest era, published in life in 1949, james agee laments the usurpation of comedic artistry by the talkies. The library of america includes a few of these pieces, but it is the.
When he ran from a cop his transitions from accelerating walk to easy jog trot to brisk canter to headlong gallop to floggedpiston sprint. Internet archive contributor internet archive language. James agee wrote a piece for life magazine called comedys greatest era which appeared on september 3, 1949. Comedy s greatest era on film comedys silent beginnings.
Instead of using exaggerated facial tics or riotous slapstick, people used their words to tell joke. Meaning well, agee argues that lazy reliance on dialogue killed comedy. What minority gained a certain amount of prominence. It appeared in life magazine in 1949, at a time when buster keaton, harold lloyd and harry langdonnot. Anyone who has watched screen comedy over the past ten or fifteen years is bound to. It was agees tribute to the masters of silent films the charlie chaplins, the buster keatons, and more. Nilsen english department arizona state university tempe, az 852870302 don. Looking for the cause of agees alleged failure, james seizes on his long years at time. The resulting pieces, comedys greatest era and undirectable director, are familiar to many readers. What minority gained a certain amount of prominence through films during the from vm 100 at emerson college. If we remember the era as an era at all, it is because of james agee s masterly tribute to silent comedy, published as comedys greatest era in the september 5, 1949 issue of life magazine. James and vince twice told sc hun agee, james the waiting the best american short stories 1958 sc bes agee, james comedys greatest era great reading from life sc lif agee, james a mothers tale 50 great american short stories sc 50 aickman, robert the visiting star hauntings.
James agee was passionately involved with the movies throughout his life. This syllabus is a living document, and is a plan for the course of the semester. In the service of this objective, we will read about, watch, and look at comedy and historical and contemporary artists using comedic tactics or tropes. In retrospect, buster keaton was probably the best comedy director in the business. Harry langdon american actor and director britannica. He is best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression that earned him the nickname the great stone face.
James agee, comedys greatest era dialecticsbreakbricks. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure knows all about a bellylaugh. The essay is a revisionist look at james agees famous article comedys greatest era keying on buster keaton and charlie chaplin the comedy auteurs of the 1920s. Smashing agees pantheon of comedians unread post by mike gebert. James agee, comedys greatest era, life, september 3, 1949, reprinted in agee. Two from the outside, with feeling the sun magazine.
James agee, comedys greatest era, in the film comedy reader, ed. James agee in comedys greatest era distinguishes among. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. The keaton project 2015 il cinema ritrovato festival. Maggie hennefeld, slapstick comediennes in silent cinema. Situated somewhere between journalistic inquest and poetic account, agees celebration of four masters of silent comedy lloyd, langdon, keaton and chaplin aimed at reminding america of the uniqueness of an art. Criticism and comment on the movies modern library the movies modern library pbk. Sweeney in his widely reprinted life magazine article, comedys greatest era, james agee nostalgically recalls the hollywood comic tradition and discusses what he calls the language of silent comedy 3. Hokum the early sound slapstick short and depressionera. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. If we remember the era as an era at all, it is because of james agees masterly tribute to silent comedy, published as comedys greatest era in. Critic james agees 1949 essay for life magazine comedys greatest era includes langdon as one of the four greatest silent comedians, along with chaplin, lloyd, and buster keaton. The article makes it possible for everyone to be nostalgic for something that perhaps they have.
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