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The book examines Charlie Chaplin's evolving perspective on dark comedy in his three war films, Shoulder Arms (1918), The Great Dictator (1940), and Monsieur Verdoux (1947). In the first he uses the genre in a groundbreaking manner but yet for a pro-war cause. In Dictator dark comedy is applied in an antiwar way. In Monsieur Verdoux Chaplin embraces the genre as an individual in defense against a society out to destroy him. All three are pivotal films in the development of the genre in film, with the latter two movies being very controversial for their time.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Table of ContentsForeword by Conrad Lane
Preface and Acknowledgments
Prologue
1.¿Chaplin and the Basic Parameters of Dark Comedy
2.¿Chaplin's Life and Career to 1918
3.¿The War Bond Rallies of 1918: A Neglected Patriot
4.¿Shoulder Arms and War as a Film Topic in 1918
5.¿Moving to the Post-War 1920s
6.¿The 1930s and Gathering War Clouds
7.¿Napoleon, Hitler and The Great Dictator
8.¿After The Great Dictator; Before Monsieur Verdoux
9.¿Monsieur Verdoux, Without His "Talisman" Charlie
10.¿Monsieur Verdoux to Limelight: From "The Little Tramp" to "The Little Red"
11.¿Two Bitter Kings, Dark Comedy Reality, and a Lesson from Monsieur Verdoux
12.¿Coming Full Circle: Chaplin's Last Years, an Unrealized Darkly Comic Project, and a Final Macabre Twist
Epilogue
Filmography
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
Über den Autor / die Autorin
Wes D. Gehring is a distinguished professor of film at Ball State University and associate media editor for USA Today magazine, for which he also writes the column "Reel World." He is the author of 40 film books, including biographies of James Dean, Carole Lombard, Steve McQueen, Robert Wise, Red Skelton and Charlie Chaplin.
