Woody Allen And Charlie Chaplin

The comic archetype of the Little Man--a "nobody" who stands up to unfairness--is central to the films of Woody Allen and Charlie Chaplin. Portraying the alienation of life in an indifferent world with a mix of pathos, irony and slapstick, both adopted absurdist personas--Chaplin's bumbling yet clever Tramp with his shabby clothes, and Allen's fool with his metaphysical witticisms and proclivity to fall in love too quickly. Both men were auteurs who managed to retain creative control of their work and achieve worldwide popularity. Both suffered from scandals regarding their attraction to younger women. Drawing on psychoanalysis and gender studies, this book explores their films as barometers of their respective historical moments, marking cultural shifts from modernism to postmodernism.

THE GREAT MOVIE COMEDIANS: FROM CHARLIE CHAPLIN TO WOODY ALLEN - Revised Edition by Leonard Maltin Leonard Maltin surveys the 20th century's greatest comedy performers to see what made each one unique. Drawing on his own observations as well as interviews with directors who worked with these stars, he presents entertaining profiles of everyone from Charlie Chaplin, the genius who "did it all" to his modern-day counterpart Woody Allen, whose nebbish persona became as identifiable as Chaplin's Little Tramp. Along the way you'll learn about pioneering comedienne Mabel Normand, sexual provocateur Mae West (who wrote her own saucy material), "iron man" Buster Keaton, the madcap Marx Brothers, the relentlessly rowdy Three Stooges, and many, many more. Maltin has revised his chapters (and filmographies) on Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, and Woody Allen to bring this acclaimed 1978 book up to date. What's more, he's added some rare, new photos to the already-impressive gallery of images. If you love comedy, you'll enjoy this celebratory volume.

Brief but sharply honed, this book is an essential reference for anyone seeking to understand the life and times of one of the most important--and least understood--American filmmakers of the era.

An appreciative retrospective survey of the great American film comedians combines history, nostalgia, and criticism with nearly two hundred stills

In a series of interviews Woody Allen shares the anxieties, frustrations, and inspirations in his life.

First Published in 2001. Woody Allen, who first became famous as a stand- up comedian and writer of comedy routines, also has had a distinguished career as a playwright, actor, screenwriter and director. While his celebrity status is attributed to some of his better-known early films such as 'Annie Hall', 'Manhattan', 'Hannah and her Sisters' he has produced more than ten new films in the past decade.

This is the first uncensored, unauthorized biography of a filmmaker who is to his era what Charlie Chaplin & Buster Keaton were to theirs - & the first biography to investigate all the sensitive subjects both personal & professional that Woody does not talk about.

Woody Allen on Woody Allen is a unique self-portrait of this uncompromising filmmaker that offers a revealing account of his life and work. In a series of rare, in-depth interviews, Allen brings us onto the sets and behind the scenes of all his films. Woody Allen on Woody Allen is punctuated with his memories and opinions: afternoon movie-watching while growing up in Brooklyn; anecdotes about the film industry; discussions of favorite films, most inspirational actresses, most revered cinematographers; his love of jazz; his fascination with the city of New York. From his youthful interest in the nonsensical surrealism of Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers to the poetic lyricism of Ingmar Bergman, the conversations in Woody Allen on Woody Allen reveal the broad influences of Woody Allen's eclectic vision and bring him closer, in all his vulnerable complexity, than ever before.