- published: 19 Jun 2014
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Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity which exceeds the boundaries of common sense.
The name "slapstick" comes from the Italian language word batacchio or bataccio — called the "slap stick" in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in commedia dell'arte. When struck, the batacchio produces a loud smacking noise, though little force transfers from the object to the person being struck. Actors may thus hit one another repeatedly with great audible effect while causing very little actual physical damage. Along with the inflatable bladder (of which the whoopee cushion is a modern variant), it was among the earliest special effects.
Slapstick comedy's history is measured in centuries. Shakespeare incorporated many chase scenes and beatings into his comedies, such as in his play The Comedy of Errors. In early 19th century England, pantomime acquired its present form which includes slapstick comedy, while comedy routines also featured heavily in British music hall theatre which became popular in the 1850s. British comedians who honed their skills at pantomime and music hall sketches include Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel, George Formby and Dan Leno. The influential English music hall comedian and theatre impresario Fred Karno developed a form of sketch comedy without dialogue in the 1890s, and Chaplin and Laurel were among the young comedians who worked for him as part of "Fred Karno's Army".
Laurel and Hardy were a comedy double act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema. The team was composed of thin Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and heavyset American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). They became well known during the late 1920s through the mid-1940s for their slapstick comedy with Laurel playing the clumsy and childlike friend of the pompous Hardy. The duo's signature tune, which is known variously as "The Cuckoo Song", "Ku-Ku" or "The Dance of the Cuckoos", was played over the opening credits of their films and has become as emblematic of the duo as their bowler hats.
Prior to their being teamed up, both actors had well-established film careers. Laurel had appeared in over 50 films while Hardy had been in more than 250 productions. The two comedians had previously worked together as cast members on the film The Lucky Dog in 1921. However, they were not a comedy team at that time and it was not until 1926, when both separately signed contracts with the Hal Roach film studio, that they appeared in a movie short together. Laurel and Hardy officially became a team in 1927 when they appeared together in the silent short film Putting Pants on Philip. They remained with the Roach studio until 1940 and then appeared in eight "B" movie comedies for 20th Century Fox and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1941 to 1945. After finishing their movie commitments at the end of 1944 they concentrated on performing in stage shows and embarked on a music hall tour of England, Ireland and Scotland. In 1950, before retiring from the screen, they made their last film which was a French/Italian co-production called Atoll K.
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, comedian, writer, singer, dancer, and producer whose career in entertainment has spanned almost seven decades. He is also a World War II United States Army Air Corps veteran. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke and father of Barry Van Dyke.
Van Dyke starred in the films Bye Bye Birdie, Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and in the TV series The Dick Van Dyke Show and Diagnosis: Murder. He recently appeared in supporting roles in Night at the Museum and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.
Recipient of five Emmys, a Tony and a Grammy, Van Dyke was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995. He received the Screen Actors Guild's highest honor, the SAG Life Achievement Award, in 2013. Van Dyke has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard and has also been recognized as a Disney Legend.
Dick Van Dyke was born on December 13, 1925, in West Plains, Missouri, to Hazel Victoria (née McCord; 1896–1992), a stenographer, and Loren Wayne Van Dyke (1900–1976), a salesman. He grew up in Danville, Illinois. He is the older brother of actor Jerry Van Dyke, who is best known for a role on the TV series Coach. Van Dyke's grandson, Shane Van Dyke, is also an actor and directed Titanic II. Van Dyke has Dutch, Scotch-Irish and English ancestry, with a family line that traces back to Mayflower passenger John Alden.
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor. Called the King of Pop, his contributions to music and dance, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.
The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his elder brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971. In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller" from his 1982 album Thriller, were credited with breaking down racial barriers and with transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. The popularity of these videos helped to bring the then-relatively-new television channel MTV to fame. His 1987 album Bad spawned the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana", becoming the first album to have five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. With videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream", he continued to innovate the medium throughout the 1990s, as well as forging a reputation as a touring solo artist. Through stage and video performances, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous artists of various music genres.
Top 10 Slapstick Comedy Movies
Slapstick comedy duo Laurel and Hardy Κωμωδία duo λόρελ και χάρντι
America's Got Talent S09E01 Dustins Dojo Slapstick Karate Comedy Act
Oldie Silent Slapstick Montage of the 1920s & 1930s
Best Slapstick Pranks - Best of Just for Laughs Gags
Slapstick of Another Kind Jerry Lewis Movie
Slapstick by Dick Van Dyke
Michael Jackson Slapstick (Hot Street Demo) Audio HQ
Britain's Got Talent 2015 S09E05 Vladimir Georgievsky Slapstick Silent Film Throwback Trampoline Act
Alien Slapstick Comedy | Robot Chicken | Adult Swim
You struggle with words, I don't
But you can bet that when you struggle to control yourself, I'll make the choices you won't
Myself, I'm only having trouble taking the time to decide if what I'm about to say is right
A closed fist is a powerful thing -- (You'd hit the ground)
You'd run for cover if you knew what I mean -- (When I say)
A closed fist is a powerful thing -- (You'd hit the ground)
You'd run for cover if you knew what I mean
SO FUCK YOU
'Cause I can't stand it, and I won't tolerate
Another false line of the standard fucking shit you say
I can't believe it, that they would celebrate in the face of another empty line about pain
Your tombstone reads the lies that your body couldn't sell while you were alive
Your tombstone reads the lies that your body couldn't sell while you were alive
A closed fist is a powerful thing -- (You'd hit the ground)
You'd run for cover if you knew what I mean -- (When I say)
A closed fist is a powerful thing -- (You'd hit the ground)
You'd hit the ground
You'd hit the ground
You'd hit the ground