Turner plans slapstick comedy tribute

Michelle Clancy
| 16 August 2016

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will pay tribute to pratfalls and double-takes with Ouch! A Salute to Slapstick.

slapstickThe month-long programming special features more than 50 films exploring the history of slapstick. Hosted by acclaimed stand-up comedian Greg Proops, the special will feature programming from silent masters Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd to modern master Will Ferrell, and will premiere on 6 September and air every Tuesday and Wednesday during the month.

Additionally, TCM is once again partnering with Ball State University and Canvas Network to offer a free online multimedia course on slapstick comedy. Enrolment begins today and comedy fans can sign up for the course at TCM.com/slapstick.

Ouch! A Salute to Slapstick will explore the various forms slapstick in movie history including:

• The Silent Era – the rambunctious physical nature of the style proved perfect for the era and programming includes Charlie Chaplin’s first feature, Tillie’s Punctured Romance (1914) and Buster Keaton’s masterpiece Steamboat Bill, Jr (1928)

• The 1930s – slapstick took on the classic art form it is today with the rise of the popularity of Laurel and Hardy (Sons of the Dessert [1933]) and the Marx Brothers (A Night at the Opera [1935])

• The 1940s & 50s – slapstick remained a popular art form thanks to practitioners WC Fields in The Bank Dick (1940) and Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis in Scared Stiff (1953)

• The 1960s – the style was revived with the all-star It's Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) and two Peter Sellers' masterpieces A Shot in the Dark (1964) and The Party (1968)

• The 1980s and Beyond – the genre and format continued to thrive with Strange Brew (1983) and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004).

“This month-long programming special is going to be a fun and comprehensive opportunity for fans to discover and enjoy this distinctive genre,” said Jennifer Dorian, general manager Turner Classic Movies. “Coming off the successful online course last year with film noir, we’re happy to continue to partner with Ball State and Canvas to once again offer this immersive fan engagement opportunity, which allows us to interact with our passionate film audience in another exciting and new way.”