SLAPSTICK.
My Oxford Dictionary doesn't list it. but I suppose a fairly good definition of "slapstick" is: "An act of violence with the purpose of creating laughter.'" says Melvyn Douglas. One of the Three Stooges sticks his fingers in another's eye, an act that in ordinary life might well send the victim to th. hospital. We see. We shudder. W> laugh. Or, at least, some of us laugh In "Too Many Husbands" Jean Arthur. Fred Mac Murray, and myself do a lo1 of things that border on the slapstick jret ( to my way of.thinking, aren'slapstick. For instance, Fred and ' try to show off our prowess to Jear* Arthur, whom both of us are tryin: to win, by jumping over chairs anr things in her drawing-room. As it hap pens, of course, I take a nasty header, and land in a mess at her feet. I might mention that the crew thought it was funny! I maintain that this type of thing isn't slapstick,, because it fits logically into the course of the dramatic action.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19400829.2.156.5
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 52, 29 August 1940, Page 18
Word Count
174SLAPSTICK. Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 52, 29 August 1940, Page 18
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Post. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in