What Made Pistachio Nuts? Early Sound Comedy and the Vaudeville Aesthetic

Each chapter of this lively and eclectic study breaks new ground. Included is a reconsideration of the role of female comic performers; an in-depth profile of Eddie Cantor's precarious career; a case study of the scripting of a single film, Hollywood Party; and a discussion of the American popular press's treatment of laughter, which serves to illuminate many of the class-based issues regarding the form and style of popular comedy.