MDIA 453 American Film Comedy

Examines American movie comedies from the silent era to 1965, asking questions about genre (what is comedy?) and context (what do comedies have to tell us about American culture and its history?). Particular emphasis is given to silent film slapstick, the sophisticated "screwball" comedy of the 1930s, and the varieties of comedy during the 1950s and early 1960s.