1895- 1930s
Comic films began during the era of silent films in 1895 to 1930. The visual humor of these silent films relied on slapstick . A very early comedy short was Watering the Gardener (1895) by the Lumiere Brothers. In America, the most prominent comic actors of the silent era included Charlie Chaplin who was mainly successful in America.
In the 1920s, comedy was present in the form of animated cartoons, with iconic characters such as Felix the Cat and Betty Boop.
1930–1950s
The invention of sound into films enabled new dramatic film styles, with verbal humor. During the 1930s, silent film comedy was replaced by dialogue from film comedians such as the W.C. Fields and Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardey, used sound to deepen their well-formed screen characterisations and to enhance their visual humour, and were a great success in talking films or 'talkies'. Though, the comedian Carlie Chaplin was one of the last silent film hold-outs, and his films during the 1930s did not include dialogue, although they did employ sound effects.
Screwball comedies, produced by Frank Capra, conveyed reassuring social values and a certain optimism about everyday life. Movies still included slapstick humor and other physical comedy, but these were now frequently supplemental to the verbal interaction.
In the UK, film adaptations of stage farces were popular in the early 1930s. However, music hall tradition influenced film comedy into the 1940s. In England in the late 1940s, Ealing Studios achieved popular success and critical acclaim for a series of films known as "Ealing comedies", from 1946 to 1956. These comedies commented on social issues and featured ensemble casts which included Alec Guinness or Stanley Holloway. Among the most famous examples were Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) Lavender Hill Mob (1951) and The Lady Killers (1955)
With the ongoing conflict of the Second World War, Hollywood became focused on themes related to the conflict. Comedies portrayed military themes such as service, civil defense, boot-camp and shore-leave. The war-time restrictions on travel made this a boom time for Hollywood, and nearly a quarter of the money spent on attending movies.
The post-war period was an age of reflection on the war, and the emergence of a competing medium. Television. In 1948, TV began to acquire commercial momentum and by the following year there were nearly a hundred television transmitters in American cities.
The British film industry produced a number of highly successful film series such as the St Trinian's films and the increasingly licentious Carry On Series in the 1960s. John and Roy Boulting wrote and directed a series of successful satires such as Private's Progress (1956) and I'm Alright Jack (1959). As in the United States, in the next decade much of this talent would move into television.
1960s–1980s
The next decade saw an increasing number of broad, star-packed comedies including It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (1965 and The Great Race (1965). Some of the 1950s generation of American comedians, such as Jerry Lewis declined, while British comedian Peter Sellers found success with international audiences in his first American film The Pink Panther. Sellers played the bumbling Inspector Clouseau who was on the trail to find a precious diamond known as the pink panther.
Near the end of the 1950s, darker humor and more serious themes had begun to emerge, including satire and social commentary. Dr Strangelove (1964) was a satirical comedy about paranoia of the Cold War, while Alfie (1966) and The Graduate (1967) featured sexual themes , which would have been a taboo in previous years.
In 1970, black comedies such as M*A*S*H reflected the anti-war sentiment , as well as conveying the topic of suicide. M*A*S*H later became successful on television.
Among the leading lights in comedy films of the next decade were Woody Allen and Mel Brooks. Both wrote, directed and appeared in their movies. Brooks' style was generally slapstick and zany in nature, often parodying film styles and genres, including films such as Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Hitchcock film such as High Anxiety.
Most British comedy films in the early 70s were television series spin offs, such as Dad's Army and On the Buses. Though popular films included the Monty Python series such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975 ) and Monty Python Life of Brian (1979) which was subject to controversy following its biblical references.
In 1980s, the gag-based comedy Airplane!a spoof of the previous decade's disaster film series was released and paved the way for more spoofs including the Naked Gun series. Popular comedy stars in the '80s included Dudley Moore, Eddies Murphy and Dan Akroyd. Many had come to prominence on the American TV series Saturday Night Live, such as Chevy Chase and Steve Martin.
Also popular were the films of John Hughes such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Hughes also became well known for the Home Alone series in the 1990s. Home Alone sparked a series of comedies aimed at a family audience, such as Honey, I shrunk the Kids.
1990s–2000s
One of the major developments of the 1990s was the re-emergence of the romantic comedy film encouraged by films such as When Harry Met Sally (1989), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), You've Got Mail (1998) from the US. Britsh rom coms also flourished with the likes of Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Sliding Doors (1998) and Notting Hill in 1999. Spoofs remained popular as well, with the Scary Movies series and Not Another Teen Movie being successful.
In the UK, working class comedies such as Brassed Off (1996) and The Full Monty (1997) were popular. Other British comedies focused on the role of the Asian community in British life, including Bhaji on the Beach (1993), East is East (1999), Bend it Like Beckham (2002) and Anita and Me (2003).
The rise of sub genres such as "stoner" comedies became more influential, as the audience would laugh at the protagonist as they encounter random things on their journey. Films of this sub-genre would be Dude Where's My Car , Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Hangover, Pineapple Express. These movies usuallyhave drug-related jokes and crude content such as sex and casual violence.
In the millennium decade, the use of "gross out humour", became popular amongst a teenage audience. Films like There's Something About Mary, The American Pie series conveyed sexual openness and vulgarity. Also, black comedies such as Superbad and Porky's were also popular to other audiences. In late 2006, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan blended vulgar humor with cultural satire.
http://www.filmsite.org/comedyfilms.html
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