Book Review: Movie Comedians of the 1950s
Wes D. Gehring is a prolific author and film historian with an expertise in screen comedy. Thus, a book on movie comedians of the fifties would be especially significant coming from someone with his frame of reference and accomplishment.
Gehring’s approach is to single out twelve performances in significant comedy features of the 1950s. This includes Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday, Martin and Lewis in Sailor Beware and in Artists and Models, Bob Hope in Son of Paleface and Hope with Bing Crosby in Road To Bali, Charlie Chaplin in Limelight, Red Skelton in The Clown, Tom Ewell and Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch, Jack Lemmon is Mister Roberts, Danny Kaye in The Court Jester, Tony Randall in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, and Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Miss Monroe in Some Like it Hot.
The choices Gehring makes for his study are, in a word, perfect. This sounds like hyperbole in a book review, but these selections really do perfectly run the gamut of different comedy modes from this era. Using Martin and Lewis twice, Gehring observs the young, boisterous comedians during their heyday, and another film from when their relationship was becoming more shaky. That Frank Tashlin directed the latter film, Artists and Models is important to note. Gehring gives a great deal of attention to Tashlin’s vision as a comedy director, using several of his film in this study.
The book is subtitled “Defining a New Era of Big Screen Comedy,” and Gehring does examine the prevailing culture of the decade and how comedy films responded. Each film and performance has a particular connection to both the development of screen comedy during this decade, and the culture of the 1950s that changed and redefined.
Gehring carefully and insightfully examines all of the movies and spotlights their connection, their importance, and their continued impact. These are all timeless films and performances that are of their own time, but also transcend their era and continue to resonate.
“Movie Comedians of the 1950s” is one of the most interesting film books of the year. It is available for purchase here.