I start where I just left off on my Friday Funny's podcast and pan'sdicourses. In my journey from class clown to performer and comedian, I hold the great's of Vaudeville to be my greatest teacher's. The great's that I mention in today's blogs are the one's who made it in movies, radio and television, while a great deal of the humor on Vaudeville involved acts that were suited only for the Ed Sullivan show, or the Ted Mac amateur hour. People spinning a dozen plates on stick's, juggler's, knife thrower's, one armed pianist's, ( I didn't wish for a 12 inch pianist), child prodigies, and the world famous man, who could sit on stage and play the star spangled banner using only his own farts and manipulation of the blow hole.
Today's show and blog, "The wit and humor of W C Field's". Throughout human history there have been dark times, and times of Golden advances. We specifically call a few generations of Greek life, 2,400 years ago, the Golden age. This spoke of art, science and philosophy. There was a "Golden Age" of American comedy. This originated in the transition of burlesque into Vaudeville, and into the sound era of Hollywood.
The number of truly great comedian's from this time was truly remarkable. There was WC Fields, Mae West, Groucho and the Marx brother's, Charley Caplan, the keystone cops, Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, George and Gracie, Buster Keaton, Ed Wynn, Lucy and Ricky, and the list goes on. The favorite of France was Jerry Lewis, raising the question laughing with or at the American.
Today on my Friday podcast, I share some of the best quotes of the man with rhinophyma (a medical term for the inflamed nose of the comic). I hope you enjoy them, and the accompanying music choices.
I spend many hour's each day, studying the style and techniques of current and past comedian's. I have been taught by many fine directors and comedian's a few of which actually performed in Vaudeville, as standup's. With a name like Irving Oyle, where else would you set your sight's. One could craft and Irving and Olive Oyle joke out of this name, but I wouldn't be that brutal, eh, you too Brutus?
The one thing that I close with, is that like quoted by Woody Guthrie, regarding music, hell yes, we steal from everyone (only he didn't us the word hell, and it isn't considered stealing). So as you study the current, the late and the great, you will find constant repetition of the same themes and joke's sometime's with no changes. So steal away, stand up in front of a mirror and try a few jokes or a funny story.
I use the computer camera for my mirror.
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