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Haunted Smile, The

The Story of Jewish Comedians in America

Author: Lawrence J. Epstein
Hardback: 382 pages
Publisher: Public Affairs Books (2001)
Avg. Rating: [ Unrated ]
In Print? No

The Three Stooges are discussed several times, covering... their distinct physical style of comedy, their verbal talents, the use of Jewish humor like Yiddish references, and the lampooning of the Nazis, particularly Moe's depiction of Adolf Hitler.

From the back cover...

"For the past century and more, American comedy has drawn its strengths and soul from the comic genius of Jewish performers and writers. An incomplete listings of names makes the point... The Marx Brothers, Jack Benny, Fanny Brice, George Burns, Milton Berle, Jackie Mason, Joan Rivers, Rodney Dangerfield, Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks, Alan King, Mort Sahl, Buddy Hackett, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Andy Kaufman, Richard Belzer, Jerry Seinfeld. These men and women, among others, form the canon of Jewish American comedy, and in The Haunted Smile  Epstein offers us a deep and subtle understanding of how Jewish culture and American openness gave birth to a new style of entertainment."

A softbound edition, with new cover art, was published in 2002.

(Refreshing the page will alternate the editions pictured.)


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