Slapstick films are comedy films using slapstick humor, a physical comedy that includes pratfalls, tripping, falling, practical jokes, and mistakes are highlighted over dialogue, plot and character development.[1] The physical comedy in these films contains a cartoonish style of violence that is predominantly harmless and goofy in tone.[1]
Silent film had slapstick comedies that included the films starring Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, the Keystone Cops and Harold Lloyd.[1] These comedians often laced their slapstick with social commentary while comedians such as Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy and The Three Stooges did not contain these social messages.[1] Slapstick is about uninhibited action and timing, which may include being made to look foolish or to act with tom foolery.[2]
There were fewer slapstick comedies produced at the advent of sound film.[1] After World War II, the genre resurfaced in France with films by Jacques Tati and in the United States with films It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and The Great Race, starring the stoic, aloof and mild mannered Buster Keaton, also known as "The Great Stone Face", as well as the films of comedians like Jerry Lewis.[1]
Slapstick films and television series[edit]
Slapstick films and television series include:
1910s[edit]
1920s[edit]
- The Scarecrow (1920)[4]
- Safety Last! (1923)[5]
- Sherlock Jr. (1924)[6]
- The General (1926)[7]
- Big Business (1929)[8]
- Mickey Mouse (1929–1953)
1930s[edit]
- Looney Tunes (1930–1969, 1980–present)
- Merrie Melodies (1931–1969)
- Lightning Strikes Twice (1935)[9]
- Way Out West (1937)[10]
- Donald Duck (1937–1965)
1940s[edit]
- Whistling in the Dark (1941)[11]
- Crazy Knights (1944)[12]
- Tom and Jerry (1940–present)
1950s[edit]
- Fancy Pants (1950)[13]
- The Good Humor Man (1950)[14]
- The Fuller Brush Girl (1950)[15]
- Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953)[16]
- The Court Jester (1953)[17]
- Just My Luck (1957)[18]
- Mon Oncle (1958)[19]
- Have Rocket, Will Travel (1959)[20]
- The Battle of the Sexes (1959)[21]
1960s[edit]
- The Bellboy (1960)[22]
- The Absent-Minded Professor (1961)[23]
- One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
- The Ladies Man (1961)[24]
- Two Way Stretch (1960)[25]
- Everything's Ducky (1961)[26]
- The Errand Boy (1961)[27]
- Invasion Quartet (1961)[28]
- It's Only Money (1962)[29]
- On the Beat (1962)[30]
- The Notorious Landlady (1962)[31]
- Who's Minding the Store? (1963)[32]
- Carry on Spying (1964)[33]
- Advance to the Rear (1964)[34]
- Carry on Cleo (1964)[35]
- Man's Favorite Sport? (1964)[36]
- The Disorderly Orderly (1964)[37]
- The Great Race (1965)[38]
- Batman (1966)[39]
- That Riviera Touch (1966)[40]
- Three on a Couch (1966)[41]
- Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number! (1966)[42]
- Carry on Doctor (1967)[43]
- Carry on Again, Doctor (1967)[44]
- The Magnificent Two (1967)[45]
- Who Wants to Kill Jessie? (1966)[46]
- The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)[47]
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)[48]
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)[49]
- The Party (1968)[50]
- Inspector Clouseau (1968)[51]
- Blackbeard's Ghost (1968)[52]
1970s[edit]
- The Boatniks (1970)[53]
- Bananas (1971)[54]
- Evil Roy Slade (1972)
- Carry On Abroad (1972)
- My Name Is Nobody (1973)
- Mr. Hercules Against Karate (1973)
- Sleeper (1973)[55]
- Blazing Saddles (1974)
- The Fortune (1975)[56]
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
- Slap Shot (1977)[57][58]
- Up in Smoke (1978)
- The Jerk (1979)
- 1941 (1979)
- The Kentucky Fried Movie (1979)
1980s[edit]
- Airplane! (1980)
- Hardly Working (1981), surreal slapstick[59]
- The Gods Must Be Crazy (1981)[60]
- History of the World, Part I (1981)
- Airplane II: The Sequel
- Mr. Vampire (1986), horror-comedy[61]
- Club Paradise (1986)[62]
- Stoogemania (1986)
- Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
- Spaceballs (1987)
- Munchies (1987), horror-comedy
- Beetlejuice (1988), horror-comedy
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)[63]
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
- Garfield and Friends (1988–1994)
- Slime City (1988)
- The Wrong Guys (1988)
- Arthur 2 (1988)
- I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)
- See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)[64]
- Nothing But Trouble (1991)
- UHF (1989)
- Sweet Home (1989)
- Major League (1989)
- The Simpsons (1989–present)
1990s[edit]
- Tiny Toon Adventures (1990–1993)
- Home Alone (1990)
- Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
- Problem Child (1990)
- Problem Child 2 (1991)[65]
- Repossessed (1990)
- The Addams Family (1991)
- The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear (1991)
- Drop Dead Fred (1991)
- Darkwing Duck (1991–1992)
- The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991–1996)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
- Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College (1991)[66]
- Hot Shots! (1991)
- Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation, 1992
- Aladdin (1992)
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)[67]
- Super Dave: Daredevil for Hire (1992)
- Eek the Cat (1992–1997)
- Addams Family Values (1993)
- Army of Darkness (1993)
- Beverly Hillbillies (1993)
- Dennis the Menace (1993)
- Hocus Pocus (1993)
- Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)
- Surf Ninjas (1993)
- Rocko's Modern Life (1993–1996)
- Bonkers (1993–1994)
- Animaniacs (1993–1998)
- 2 Stupid Dogs (1993–1994)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)
- Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)
- Police Academy 5 (1993)
- Coneheads (1993)
- Cannibal! The Musical (1993)
- Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
- Baby's Day Out (1994)[68]
- Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love (1994)
- Dumb and Dumber (1994)
- The Mask (1994)
- Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994)
- The Santa Clause (1994)
- In the Army Now (1994)
- Major League II (1994)
- The Shnookums and Meat Funny Cartoon Show (1995)
- Timon & Pumbaa (1995–1999)
- Earthworm Jim (1995–1996)
- What a Cartoon! (1995–1997)
- Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)
- Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995)
- Casper (1995)
- Happy Gilmore (1996)[69]
- Spy Hard (1996)
- The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper (1996–1998)
- The Nutty Professor (1996)
- KaBlam! (1996–2000)
- Space Jam (1996)
- Black Sheep (1996)[70]
- 101 Dalmatians (1996)
- Bio-Dome (1996)
- Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)
- George of the Jungle (1997)[71]
- Flubber (1997)[72]
- Hercules (1997)
- Home Alone 3 (1997)[73]
- Liar Liar (1997)
- Cats Don't Dance (1997)
- MouseHunt (1997)[74]
- Mr. Magoo (1997)
- Cow and Chicken (1997–1999)
- I Am Weasel (1997–2000)
- Austin Powers (1997)
- The Angry Beavers (1997–2001)
- Orgazmo (1997)
- There's Something About Mary (1998)
- Le Dîner de Cons (1998)
- Wrongfully Accused (1998)
- Histeria! (1998–2000)
- CatDog (1998–2005)
- Oggy and the Cockroaches (1998–present)
- The Waterboy (1998)
- Quest for Camelot (1998)
- Inspector Gadget (1999)
- Guest House Paradiso (1999)
- The New Woody Woodpecker Show (1999–2002)
- Family Guy (1999–present)
- Mickey Mouse Works (1999–2000)
- SpongeBob SquarePants (1999–present)
- Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999–2009)
- Dudley Do-Right (1999)
- Courage the Cowardly Dog (1999–2002)
- Rock N Roll Frankenstein (1999)
2000s[edit]
- Black Dynamite (2009)
- Bibi Blocksberg (2009)
- Suck (2009)
- The Pink Panther 2 (2009)
- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)
- Balls Out: The Gary Houseman Story (2008)
- Superhero Movie (2008)
- Meet the Spartans (2008)
- El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera (2007–2008)
- Back at the Barnyard (2007–2011)
- Kickin' It Old Skool (2007)
- Epic Movie (2007)
- Shrek the Third (2007)
- Evil Aliens (2006), horror-comedy
- Scary Movie 4 (2006), horror-comedy
- The Pink Panther (2006)[75]
- Night at the Museum (2006)
- My Gym Partner's a Monkey (2005–2008)
- Catscratch (2005–2007)
- Camp Lazlo (2005–2008)
- Shrek 2 (2004)
- Brandy & Mr. Whiskers (2004–2006)
- Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi (2004–2006)
- White Chicks (2004)[76]
- Evil Con Carne (2003–2004)
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2003–2007)
- Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon" (2003)
- Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
- The Cat in the Hat (2003)
- Scary Movie 3 (2003), horror-comedy
- The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius (2002–2006)
- Larryboy (2002)
- Home Alone 4 Take Back To Home (2002)
- Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002)
- Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth (2000), horror-comedy
- Joe Dirt (2001)
- Zoolander (2001)
- Tomcats (2001), gross-out, sex-comedy
- Super Troopers (2001)[77]
- Scary Movie 2 (2001), horror-comedy
- The Fairly OddParents (2001–2017)
- The Ripping Friends (2001–2002)
- Monsters, Inc. (2001)
- Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius (2001)
- Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001)
- Rat Race (2001)
- Shrek (2001)
- La Tour Montparnasse Infernale (2001)
- 2001: A Space Travesty (2001)
- I Am Sam (2001)
- Big Money Hustlas (2000)
- Teacher's Pet (2000–2002)
- Scary Movie (2000), horror-comedy
- The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
- 102 Dalmatians (2000)
- Meet the Parents (2000)
2010s[edit]
- Big Money Rustlas (2010)
- Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures (2010-2015)
- My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (2010–2019)
- Vampires Suck (2010)
- Grown Ups (2010)
- T.U.F.F. Puppy (2010–2015)
- Furry Vengeance (2010)
- Zig and Sharko (2010–present)
- Shrek Forever After (2010)
- Jack and Jill (2011)
- The Amazing World of Gumball (2011-2019)
- Johnny English Reborn (2011)
- Littlest Pet Shop (2012-2016)
- Robot and Monster (2012–2015)
- That's My Boy (2012)
- Home Alone: The Holiday Heist (2012)
- The Three Stooges (2012)
- Mickey Mouse (2013–2019)
- Grown Ups 2 (2013)
- Scary Movie 5 (2013)
- A Haunted House (2013)
- Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Drive & Gaim: Movie War Full Throttle (2014)
- Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)
- A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
- The Tom and Jerry Show (2014–2021)
- A Haunted House 2 (2014)
- Dumb and Dumber To (2014)
- Superfast! (2015)
- New Looney Tunes (2015–2020)
- Vacation (2015)
- Bunnicula (2016–2018)
- Fifty Shades of Black (2016)
- Grimsby (2016)
- La Tour 2 contrôle infernale (2016)
- Unikitty! (2017–2020)
- Chuck's Choice (2017)
- Unikitty! (2017–2020)
- Bunsen is a Beast (2017–2018)
- Woody Woodpecker (2017)
- The Death of Stalin (2017)
- Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)
- Woody Woodpecker (2018–2022)
- Harvey Girls Forever! (2018–2020)
- Amphibia (2019–2022)
- Total Dhamaal (2019)
2020s[edit]
- Animaniacs (2020–2023)
- Looney Tunes Cartoons (2020–present)
- The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse (2020–present)
- Tom & Jerry (2021)
- Jellystone! (2021–present)
- Space Jam A New Legacy (2021)
- Tom and Jerry Special Shorts (2021)
- Tom and Jerry in New York (2021)
- The Ghost and Molly McGee (2021–present)
- The Patrick Star Show (2021–present)
- The Cuphead Show (2022-2023)
- Hundreds of Beavers (2022)
- Jackass Forever (2022)
- Tiny Toons Looniversity (2023–present)
- Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp (2024)
See also[edit]
- List of slapstick comedy topics
- Slapstick, the eponymous device, used by Harlequin in Commedia
- Mo lei tau, a genre of slapstick comedy in Hong Kong cinema
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f "Slapstick". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ "Slaptstick Device".
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "The Rink". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ "The Scarecrow". AllMovie. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Williams, Karl. "Safety Last". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Williams, Karl. "Sherlock Jr". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Townsend, Emru. "The General". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ "Big Business". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "Lightning Strikes Twice". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "Way Out West". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "Whistling in the Dark". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "Crazy Knights". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Phipps, Keith. "Fancy Pants". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "The Good Humor Man". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
- ^ Phipps, Keith. "The Fuller Brush Girl". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Phipps, Keith. "Mr. Hulot's Holiday". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Phipps, Keith. "The Court Jester". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Just My Luck (1957) - John Paddy Carstairs | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie, retrieved 2020-05-07
- ^ Phipps, Keith. "Mon Oncle". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Phipps, Keith. "Have Rocket, Will Travel". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Phipps, Keith. "The Battle of the Sexes". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "The Bellboy". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "The Absent-Minded Professor". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "The Ladies Man". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Two Way Stretch". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Everything's Ducky". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "The Errand Boy". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Invasion Quartet". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "It's Only Money". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "On the Beat". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "The Notorious Landlady". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Who's Minding the Store?". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Carry on Spying". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Advance to the Rear". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Carry on Cleo". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Man's Favorite Sport?". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "The Disorderly Orderly". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "The Great Race". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Batman". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "That Riviera Touch". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Three on a Couch". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Carry on Doctor". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Carry on Again, Doctor". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "The Magnificent Two". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Who Wants to Kill Jessie?". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "The Glass Bottom Boat". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "The Party". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Inspector Clouseau". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Blackbeard's Ghost". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ The Boatniks (1970) - Norman Tokar | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie, retrieved 2020-05-07
- ^ Kaye, Don. "Bananas". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "Sleeper". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Lucia Bozzola. "The Fortune". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "Slap Shot". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Jeff Stafford. "Slap Shot". TCM. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "Hardly Working". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "The Gods Must Be Crazy". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Crow, Jonathan. "Mr. Vampire". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Crow, Jonathan. "Club Paradise=". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "The Naked Gun". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Williams, Karl. "See No Evil, Hear No Evil". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Deming, Mark. "Problem Child 2". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Brenner, Paul. "Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College". DailyDead. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Brenner, Paul. "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Beday, Jeremy. "Baby's Day Out". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Armstrong, Derek. "Happy Gilmore". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Sandra Brennan. "Black Sheep". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Deming, Mark. "George of the Jungle". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Stewart, Bhob. "Flubber". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Stewart, Bhob. "Home Alone 3". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Stewart, Bhob. "MouseHunt". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Deming, Mark. "The Pink Panther". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
- ^ Tracie Cooper. "White Chicks". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Deming, Mark. "Super Troopers". AllMovie. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
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