Slapstick film

Slapstick films are comedy films where physical comedy that includes pratfalls, tripping, falling, practical jokes, mistakes, are highlighted over dialogue, plot and character development.[1] The physical comedy in these films contains a cartoonish style of violence that is predominantly harmless and goofy in tone.[1]

Silent film had slapstick comedies that included the films starring Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, the Keystone Cops and Harold Lloyd.[1] These comedians often laced their slapstick with social commentary while comedians such as Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy and The Three Stooges did not contain these social messages.[1] Slapstick is about uninhibited action and timing, which may include being made to look foolish or to act with tom foolery.[2]

There were fewer slapstick comedies produced at the advent of sound film.[1] After World War II, the genre resurfaced in France with films by Jacques Tati and in the United States with films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and The Great Race, starring the Stoic, aloof and mild mannered Buster Keaton, also known as The Great Stone Face, as well as the films of comedians like Jerry Lewis.[1]

Slapstick films

Slapstick films include:

1910s

• The Rink (1916)[3]

1920s

• The Scarecrow, (1920),[4]
• Safety Last! (1923)[5]
• Sherlock Jr. (1924)[6]
• The General (1926)[7]
• Big Business (1929)[8]

1930s

• Looney Tunes (1930-1969, 1980-present)
• Merrie Melodies (1931-1969)
• Lightning Strikes Twice, (1935) [9]
• Way Out West (1937)[10]

1940s

• Whistling in the Dark, (1941), [11]
• Crazy Knights, (1944),[12]
• Tom and Jerry (1940-present)

1950s

• Fancy Pants (film), 1950, [13]
• The Fuller Brush Girl, 1950, [14]
• Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953)[15]
• The Court Jester (1953)[16]
• Just My Luck (1957 film), 1957, [17]
• Mon Oncle (1958)[18]
• Have Rocket, Will Travel, 1959, [19]
• The Battle of the Sexes (1959 film), 1959, [20]

1960s

• The Bellboy, (1960) [21]
• The Absent-Minded Professor, (1961) [22]
• The Ladies Man, (1961) [23]
• Two Way Stretch, (1960) [24]
• Everything's Ducky, (1961) [25]
• The Errand Boy, (1961) [26]
• Invasion Quartet, (1961) [27]
• It's Only Money, (1962) [28]
• On the Beat (1962 film), 1962 [29]
• The Notorious Landlady, (1962) [30]
• Who's Minding the Store? (1963), [31]
• Carry on Spying, (1964) [32]
• Advance to the Rear, (1964) [33]
• Carry on Cleo, (1964) [34]
• Man's Favorite Sport?, (1964) [35]
• The Disorderly Orderly, (1964) [36]
• The Great Race, (1965) [37]
• Batman, (1966) [38]
• That Riviera Touch, (1966) [39]
• Three on a Couch, (1966) [40]
• Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!, (1966) [41]
• Carry on Doctor, (1967) [42]
• Carry on Again, Doctor, (1967) [43]
• The Magnificent Two, (1967) [44]
• Who Wants to Kill Jessie?, (1966) [45]
• The Glass Bottom Boat, (1966) [46]
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, (1966) [47]
• It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, (1968) [48]
• The Party (1968 film), (1968) [49]
• Inspector Clouseau, (1968) [50]
• Blackbeard's Ghost, (1968) [51]

1970s

• The Boatniks, (1970), [52]
• Bananas (1971)[53]
• Evil Roy Slade (1972)
• My Name Is Nobody (1973)
• Mr. Hercules Against Karate, (1973),
• Sleeper (1973)[54]
• Alice Goodbody, (1974) [55]
• The Fortune, (1975), [56]
• Slap Shot (film) (1977)[57][58]

1980s

• Airplane! (1980)
• Hardly Working, (1981), surreal slapstick, [59]
• The Gods Must Be Crazy (1981)[60]
• Airplane II: The Sequel
• Mr. Vampire (1986), horror-comedy,[61]
• Club Paradise, (1986) [62]
• Stoogemania, (1986),
• Spaceballs (1987)
• Munchies, (1987), horror-comedy
• Beetlejuice (1988), horror-comedy
• The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)[63]
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
• Slime City, (1988)
• The Wrong Guys, (1988),
• Arthur 2, (1988),
• See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)[64]
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
• UHF (1989)
• Sweet Home (film), (1989)

1990s

• (Austin Powers) (1997)
• Home Alone (1990)
• Problem Child (1990)
• Problem Child 2 (1991)[65]
• Repossessed (1990)
• The Addams Family (1991)
• The Naked Gun ​2 ¹⁄₂: The Smell of Fear (1991)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
• Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College (1991), [66]
• Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation, 1992
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)[67]
• Addams Family Values (1993)
• Army of Darkness (1993)
• Beverly Hillbillies (1993)
• Dennis the Menace (1993)
• Hocus Pocus (1993)
• Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
• Surf Ninjas (1993)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)
• Timon and Pumbaa (1994-1999)
• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
• Baby's Day Out (1994)[68]
• Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love, 1994
• Dumb and Dumber (1994)
• The Mask (1994)
• Naked Gun ​33 ¹⁄₃: The Final Insult (1994)
• The Santa Clause (1994)
• Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
• Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)
• Happy Gilmore (1996)[69]
• Spy Hard (1996)
• Black Sheep, (1996), [70]
• George of the Jungle (1997)[71]
• Flubber (1997)[72]
• Home Alone 3 (1997)[73]
• MouseHunt (1997)[74]
• Mr. Magoo (1997)
• There's Something About Mary (1998)
• Wrongfully Accused (1998)
• Histeria! (1998)
• Oggy and the Cockroaches (1998-present )
• SpongeBob SquarePants (1999)
• Inspector Gadget (1999)

2000s

• Meet The Parents (2000)
• The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
• Scary Movie (2000), horror-comedy
• I Am Sam (2001)
• 2001: A Space Travesty (2001)
• Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
• Scary Movie 2 (2001), horror-comedy
• Super Troopers (2001)[75]
• Tomcats, (2001), gross-out, sex-comedy
• Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth (2000), horror-comedy
• Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002)
• Larryboy (2002)
• Scary Movie 3 (2003), horror-comedy
• Leprechaun 6: Back 2 Tha Hood, (2003), horror-comedy
• White Chicks, (2004),[76]
• Night at the Museum (2006)
• The Pink Panther (2006)[77]
• Scary Movie 4 (2006), horror-comedy
• Evil Aliens, (2006), horror-comedy
• Epic Movie (2007)
• Kickin' It Old Skool (2007)
• Meet the Spartans (2008)
• Superhero Movie (2008)
• Balls Out: The Gary Houseman Story, 2008
• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)
• The Pink Panther 2 (2009)
• Suck (film) (2009)

2010s

• Zig and Sharko (2010-present)
• Furry Vengeance (2010)
• Grown Ups (2010)
• Vampires Suck (2010)
• Johnny English Reborn (2011)
• Jack and Jill (2011)
• The Three Stooges (2012)
• Thats My Boy (2012)
• A Haunted House (2013)
• Scary Movie 5 (2013)
• Grown Ups 2 (2013)
• Dumb and Dumber To (2014)
• A Haunted House 2 (2014)
• A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
• Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)
• Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Drive & Gaim: Movie War Full Throttle (2014)
• Vacation (2015)
• Superfast! (2015)
• Grimsby (2016)
• Fifty Shades of Black (2016)
• The Death of Stalin (2017)
• Woody Woodpecker (2017)
• Chuck's Choice (2017)
• Harvey Street Kids (2018)
• Johnny English Strikes Again, (2018)
• Total Dhammal (2019)

See also

• List of slapstick comedy topics
• Slapstick - the eponymous device, used by Harlequin in Commedia

References

1. "Slapstick". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
2. "Slaptstick Device".
3. Erickson, Hal. "The Rink". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
4. "The Scarecrow". AllMovie. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
5. Williams, Karl. "Safety Last". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
6. Williams, Karl. "Sherlock Jr". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
7. Townsend, Emru. "The General". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
8. "Big Business". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
9. Erickson, Hal. "Lightning Strikes Twice". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
10. Erickson, Hal. "Way Out West". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
11. Erickson, Hal. "Whistling in the Dark". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
12. Erickson, Hal. "Crazy Knights". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
13. Phipps, Keith. "Fancy Pants". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
14. Phipps, Keith. "The Fuller Brush Girl". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
15. Phipps, Keith. "Mr. Hulot's Holiday". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
16. Phipps, Keith. "The Court Jester". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
17. Just My Luck (1957) - John Paddy Carstairs | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie, retrieved 2020-05-07
18. Phipps, Keith. "Mon Oncle". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
19. Phipps, Keith. "Have Rocket, Will Travel". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
20. Phipps, Keith. "The Battle of the Sexes". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
21. Kaye, Don. "The Bellboy". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
22. Kaye, Don. "The Absent-Minded Professor". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
23. Kaye, Don. "The Ladies Man". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
24. Kaye, Don. "Two Way Stretch". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
25. Kaye, Don. "Everything's Ducky". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
26. Kaye, Don. "The Errand Boy". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
27. Kaye, Don. "Invasion Quartet". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
28. Kaye, Don. "It's Only Money". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
29. Kaye, Don. "On the Beat". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
30. Kaye, Don. "The Notorious Landlady". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
31. Kaye, Don. "Who's Minding the Store?". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
32. Kaye, Don. "Carry on Spying". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
33. Kaye, Don. "Advance to the Rear". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
34. Kaye, Don. "Carry on Cleo". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
35. Kaye, Don. "Man's Favorite Sport?". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
36. Kaye, Don. "The Disorderly Orderly". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
37. Kaye, Don. "The Great Race". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
38. Kaye, Don. "Batman". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
39. Kaye, Don. "That Riviera Touch". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
40. Kaye, Don. "Three on a Couch". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
41. Kaye, Don. "Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
42. Kaye, Don. "Carry on Doctor". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
43. Kaye, Don. "Carry on Again, Doctor". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
44. Kaye, Don. "The Magnificent Two". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
45. Kaye, Don. "Who Wants to Kill Jessie?". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
46. Kaye, Don. "The Glass Bottom Boat". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
47. Kaye, Don. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
48. Kaye, Don. "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
49. Kaye, Don. "The Party". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
50. Kaye, Don. "Inspector Clouseau". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
51. Kaye, Don. "Blackbeard's Ghost". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
52. The Boatniks (1970) - Norman Tokar | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie, retrieved 2020-05-07
53. Kaye, Don. "Bananas". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
54. Erickson, Hal. "Sleeper". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
55. Clarke Fountain. "Alice Goodbody". TCM. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
56. Lucia Bozzola. "The Fortune". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
57. Erickson, Hal. "Slap Shot". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
58. Jeff Stafford. "Slap Shot". TCM. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
59. Erickson, Hal. "Hardly Working". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
60. Erickson, Hal. "The Gods Must Be Crazy". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
61. Crow, Jonathan. "Mr. Vampire". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
62. Crow, Jonathan. "Club Paradise=". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
63. Erickson, Hal. "The Naked Gun". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
64. Williams, Karl. "See No Evil, Hear No Evil". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
65. Deming, Mark. "Problem Child 2". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
66. Brenner, Paul. "Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College". DailyDead. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
67. Brenner, Paul. "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
68. Beday, Jeremy. "Baby's Day Out". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
69. Armstrong, Derek. "Happy Gilmore". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
70. Sandra Brennan. "Black Sheep". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
71. Deming, Mark. "George of the Jungle". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
72. Stewart, Bhob. "Flubber". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
73. Stewart, Bhob. "Home Alone 3". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
74. Stewart, Bhob. "MouseHunt". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
75. Deming, Mark. "Super Troopers". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
76. Tracie Cooper. "White Chicks". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
77. Deming, Mark. "The Pink Panther". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.