Vaudeville

Jack Benny was an American comedian that performed in vaudeville, radio, television, and motion picture. He was known as the leading American entertainer of the 20th Century. His main character portrayal was a miser that played his violin badly. Ironically, he was actually very good at playing the violin. Jack was known for his perfect comedic timing. His career spanned over 50 years. Jack Benny’s birth name was Benjamin Kubelsky. He was born on February 14, 1894 in Chicago, Illinois. Both of…

One of the major themes from week 6 focused on highlighting how the United States was experiencing rapid changes in every major avenue in the decades after the Civil War. These transformations demonstrated how the country was adjusting following a devastating war that had fractured the country politically, economically and ideologically while also highlighting how the United States was becoming a more influential international leader. Chapter 18 of the American Yawp describes how the United…

time using vaudeville aesthetics of simple comedic narratives. Programs began to use the integration of theatrical tradition of legitimate theater and society’s interest in vaudeville to tame and redefine the elements of theater, while simultaneously eradicating the audience’s fear opening the home up to unwanted elements of the public sphere. Legitimate theater “promised genteel respectability with polite, quiet audience who sat in sublime contemplation of the story” while vaudeville “presented…

The question of why synchronised sound developed can be approached in many different ways. From a teleological approach the argument would be that the development of synchronised sound seemed inevitable, arguably a logical improvement on Hollywood films. A teleological viewpoint would see the development of sound as inevitable because this makes the films more realistic. Steve Neale argues that the use of sound-in-film “reflects more of the world as experienced through our two basis senses”…

the start, followed by a filler and this would keep going until the final act which was usually a “chaser” act used to help run patrons out of the revolving show (D. 86-88). The variety of acts ranged from: (MC) Master of Ceremonies (invented in Vaudeville), comics, magicians, shadowgraphs, acrobats, ventriloquists, puppeteers, musicians, imitators, yodelers, clog dancers, hobo impersonators, feats of strength, mind reading, fancy divers, pantomimes, song and dance, and a seemingly endless…

characterization from 1886 to 1902 through his farce- vaudeville monodrama in one act, On the Injurious Effects of Tobacco. Chekhov wrote the first version of the play in 1886 and revised it multiple ties in the subsequent years. The final version of the monodrama is the most popular and well-known of all the published versions. The paper will also take into account the other nine one- act plays Chekhov wrote in this period (1886-1902): the Farce- Vaudevilles- The Bear, The Proposal, A Tragic…

Sweet harmony and valiant lyrics ring out in the sky as a group of people in the street clap and dance to the beat of the music. The lyrics speak of overcoming all and living in what seems to be such a distant world. The people enjoying the music are African-Americans and they are playing a genre known today as the Blues. The origin of the Blues genre dates back to the Atlantic Slave Trade, which took place from 1619 to 1809 and beyond. In order to get the cheapest labor for future plans in the…

specific style of comedy filmmaking. Thesis: The extent of the Marx Brothers influences on Mel Brooks lies within their roots in vaudeville, emphasis on multiple forms of comedy, and overall anarchic attitude towards filmmaking. Roots in Vaudeville and Theater The Marx Brothers started as a vaudeville act that transitioned to Broadway and then films. (Destabilizing Vaudeville Source). They honed their craft and developed a wide array of comedic talent. Mel…

Comedy has changed exponentially throughout the years. Different genres of comedy have all emerged from the one proceeding before it. For example, vaudeville emerged from black face minstrelsy. Yet, none of the various genres of comedy could have been made without refinement. Two authors that write about refinement are Robert Snyder, and Richard Zoglin. In Snyder’s piece, he makes the claim that businessman BF Keith refined the audience. While in Zoglin’s text, Zoglin argues that Robin…

along the fur trades routes. This lead to a folk music culture movement incorporating many varieties of Slavic and Scandinavian styles. Many years later, Minneapolis was actually home to a famous vaudeville comedy. The culture surrounding vaudeville acts was a very upbeat and positive culture. Vaudeville was very representative of the early 20th century (PBS, 1999). It became a cultural staple in the Twin Cities between the 1880s and the early 1900s, providing a hub for many different cultures…