Personality Comedians As Genre Selected Players By: Wes D Gehring

Author: Wes D. Gehring

The success of clown comedy is dependent on the comic or comics who take center stage. These comics are usually identified with a specific comedic shtick, physical or visual humor, and their underdog status. This study by film scholar Wes Gehring presents a brief, historical overview of major figures in the genre, including W. C. Fields, Charlie Chaplin, Bob Hope, and Woody Allen. The comedians discussed are drawn from four genre the silent era, the depression era, the post-World War II period, and the modern era.