200 classic movie comedies are discussed and reviewed (with full cast and credit details) in this must-have book that will delight every vintage film fan. If you've never heard of Abbott and Costello, The 3 Stooges, or Laurel and Hardy, this is not the book for you. On the other hand, if you're a fan of classic Hollywood comedies, this book will not only evoke lively memories of TV laugh-makers of the 1970s and 1980s, but even (if you are old enough to remember such things) of Saturday movie matinees when Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake and many other solo clowns like Harold Lloyd, Red Skelton, Joe E. Brown, Charles Chaplin, Clifton Webb and W.C. Fields convulsed audiences with their antics. I also fondly remember comedy teams like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey, Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. Some of their funniest movies are all featured in this book too. HOLLYWOOD'S CLASSIC COMEDIES, is a treat for movie lovers and collectors. It features slapstick, romance, music, glamour and screwball fun with a massive 200 entries. The reviews read like a who's who in the field of comedy films. In addition, there's a listing of 50 Must-See Highlights of Movie Comedy, and three pages listing the major comedians featured in the reviews with the titles of their films. Some of the movies covered include Adam's Rib, And Baby Makes Three, Belles of St Trinian's, Bringing Up Baby, Designing Woman, The Egg and I, The Paleface, The Philadelphia Story. Raffles (all three versions), Slightly Dangerous, The Titfield Thunderbold, Woman of the Year, and many, many more to delight the reader. Series films include Abbott and Costello, Bulldog Drummond, Blondie, Charlie Chaplin and Dad Rudd. As is usual in John Howard Reid's books, the author goes into much detail about the cast, the technicians, and release dates in America, England and Australia. And his own comments are always balanced with the views of other critics. To quote Molly Martin: This must-have book is nicely presented and will provide the movie enthusiast with a wealth of information that cannot be found in any other publication. From fall down silly slapstick to satirical, from lunacy for the sake of lunacy to more genteel giggles, writer Reid has gathered a great collection of comedy masterpieces. Among the featured comedians are included my Daddy's favorites Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. My childish laughter was piqued with the antics of Hope and Crosby and the many Road movies. Abbot & Costello Meet the Mummy, And Baby Makes Three, Bringing Up Baby, a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Designing Woman, the Emperor Waltz, Follow the Fleet, Getting a Ticket, the Gracie Allen Murder Case, Scared Stiff and Woman of the Year are titles I remember well, and remember cackling with glee then, and still laugh without restraint when given opportunity to view today. There are names everyone remembers today: Will Rogers, The Three Stooges, Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, Audrey Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Robert Young. And some, few other than those who are of my parents generation do: Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Jacques Tati, Sid Field, The Crazy Gang, Jack Hulbert, Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson, Clifton Webb, Ronald Shiner, Cecil Kellaway, Norman Wisdom, Frankie Howard, Toto, Arthur Askey, Marjorie Main, Percy Kilbride, Stanley Holloway, Penny Singleton and Arthur Lake. Eddie Cantor, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Joe E. Brown, Red Skelton, Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Claudette Colbert, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Joan Davis. Reid's reviews of the various films bring back happy memories of movies almost forgotten, or stirred an interest to hunt down some I may have missed as a child. In all, here is a wonderful treasure trove!
