The book examines Charlie Chaplin's evolving perspective on dark comedy in his three war films, Shoulder Arms (1918), The Great Dictator (1940), and Monsieur Verdoux (1947). In the first he uses the genre in a groundbreaking manner but yet for a pro-war cause. In Dictator dark comedy is applied in an antiwar way. In Monsieur Verdoux Chaplin embraces the genre as an individual in defense against a society out to destroy him. All three are pivotal films in the development of the genre in film, with the latter two movies being very controversial for their time.
Recenzijos
this tribute to Chaplin is both a brilliant textual analysis and a cultural history...Gehring remains supreme in film comedy scholarship...recommendedChoice; Just about anything with film historian and media writer Wes D. Gehrings name on it will be of quality.Cinema Retro; fascinating...After reading Gehrings fine book, youll be eager to return to Chaplins films, to reexamine them with a new understanding and appreciation. He makes us aware of the timelessness of both the inventive humor and profound messages in Chaplins masterfully made worksPop Culture Classics; a comprehensive and fascinating study...goes deep into the mans career and his large cinematic contributions...highly recommendedTaste of Cinema; offers a stimulating insight into a century of cinema through the lens of Charlie Chaplins filmmakingCercles; an intelligent look at one aspect of Chaplins enormous contribution to cinema. RecommendedExaminer.com; a brilliant researcherKiller Reviews.
| Foreword |
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1 | (2) |
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| Preface and Acknowledgments |
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3 | (2) |
| Prologue |
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5 | (4) |
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1 Chaplin and the Basic Parameters of Dark Comedy |
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9 | (9) |
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2 Chaplin's Life and Career to 1918 |
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18 | (13) |
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3 The War Bond Rallies of 1918: A Neglected Patriot |
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31 | (18) |
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4 Shoulder Arms and War as a Film Topic in 1918 |
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49 | (17) |
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5 Moving to the Post-War 1920s |
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66 | (22) |
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6 The 1930s and Gathering War Clouds |
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88 | (13) |
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7 Napoleon, Hitler and The Great Dictator |
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101 | (10) |
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8 After The Great Dictator; Before Monsieur Verdoux |
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111 | (28) |
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9 Monsieur Verdoux, Without His "Talisman" Charlie |
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139 | (18) |
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10 Monsieur Verdoux to Limelight: From "The Little Tramp" to "The Little Red" |
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157 | (11) |
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11 Two Bitter Kings, Dark Comedy Reality, and a Lesson from Monsieur Verdoux |
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168 | (14) |
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12 Coming Full Circle: Chaplin's Last Years, an Unrealized Darkly Comic Project, and a Final Macabre Twist |
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182 | (13) |
| Epilogue |
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195 | (8) |
| Filmography |
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203 | (2) |
| Chapter Notes |
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205 | (14) |
| Bibliography |
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219 | (10) |
| Index |
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229 | |
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.
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