Books in French are on www.livres-cinema.info
Hitchcock and Humor
Modes of Comedy in Twelve Defining Films
(0 vote)Average rating:
| 0 | rating |  = We can do without |
| 0 | rating |  = Good book |
| 0 | rating |  = Excellent book |
| 0 | rating |  = Unique / a reference |
Your rating: -
Book Presentation:
Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery has been described as “a kind of Rear Window for retirees.” As this quote suggests, an analysis of Alfred Hitchcock’s methodical use of comedy in his films is past due.
One of Turner Classic Movies’ on-screen scholars for their summer 2017 online Hitchcock class, the author grew tired of misleading throwaway references to the director’s “comic relief.” This book examines what should be obvious: Hitchcock systematically incorporated assorted types of comedy—black humor, parody, farce/screwball comedy and romantic comedy—in his films to entertain his audience with “comic” thrillers.
About the Author:
Wes D. Gehring is a distinguished professor of film at Ball State University and associate media editor for USA Today magazine, for which he also writes the column “Reel World.” He is the author of 40 film books, including biographies of James Dean, Carole Lombard, Steve McQueen, Robert Wise, Red Skelton and Charlie Chaplin.
Press Reviews:
• "Gehring remains supreme in film comedy scholarship"—Choice
• "Just about anything with film historian and media writer Wes D. Gehring’s name on it will be of quality…."A unique take on perhaps the most analyzed film director of all time and the observations on North by Northwest alone merit adding this to your library."—Cinema Retro
• "Gehring delves into each film with assiduous detail…he’s clearly done his homework"—Yes! Weekly
• "The most sustained and thorough examination of humor in Hitchcock to date… Gehring has a breezy and playful writing style. I found myself chuckling aloud at times."Hitchcock Annual
See the publisher website: McFarland & Co
See the complete filmography of Alfred Hitchcock on the website: IMDB ...
> From the same author:
Kinds of American Film Comedy (2024)
Six Core Genres and Their Literary Roots
Subject: Genre > Comedy/Humor
Charlie Chaplin and A Woman of Paris (2021)
The Genesis of a Misunderstood Masterpiece
Subject: One Film > A Woman of Paris
Buster Keaton in His Own Time (2018)
What the Responses of 1920s Critics Reveal
Subject: Director > Buster Keaton
Movie Comedians of the 1950s (2016)
Defining a New Era of Big Screen Comedy
Subject: Genre > Comedy/Humor
Chaplin's War Trilogy (2014)
An Evolving Lens in Three Dark Comedies, 1918–1947
Subject: One Film > Shoulder Arms, The Great Dictator, Monsieur Verdoux
Forties Film Funnymen (2010)
The Decade's Great Comedians at Work in the Shadow of War
Subject: Genre > Comedy/Humor
Mr. Deeds Goes to Yankee Stadium (2004)
Baseball Films in the Capra Tradition
Subject: On Films > Film selections
> On a related topic:
Hitchcock and Herrmann (2026)
The Friendship and Film Scores that Changed Cinema
Subject: Director > Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock All the Films (2024)
The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
by Bernard Benoliel, Gilles Esposito, Murielle Joudet and Jean-François Rauger
Subject: Director > Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock and Film Noir (2024)
The Darker Side
Dir. R. Barton Palmer and Homer B. Pettey
Subject: Director > Alfred Hitchcock
One Shot Hitchcock (2024)
A Contemporary Approach to the Screen
Dir. Luke Robinson and Melanie Robson
Subject: Director > Alfred Hitchcock
Cultural Theory in the Films of Alfred Hitchcock (2023)
Subject: Director > Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock's Blondes (2023)
The Unforgettable Women Behind the Legendary Director's Dark Obsession
Subject: Director > Alfred Hitchcock
Back
