The comedians : drunks, thieves, scoundrels, and the history of American comedy / Kliph Nesteroff.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Nesteroff, Kliph, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Comedy--History and criticism.

Comedy.

American wit and humor--History and criticism.

American wit and humor.

Vaudeville--History and criticism.

Vaudeville.

Stand-up comedy--United States--History and criticism.

Stand-up comedy.

Comedians--United States.

Comedians.

United States.

Local Subjects:

United States.

Genre:

Narrative non-fiction.

Stand-up comedy routines.

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xvii, 425 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, portraits ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Grove Press, [2015]

Summary:

"Jokes change from generation to generation, but the experience of the stand-up comedian transcends the ages: the striving and struggles, the tragedy and triumph. From the Marx Brothers to Milton Berle, George Carlin to Eddie Murphy, Conan O'Brien to Louis C.K.--comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff presents a century of fascinating rebels, forgotten stars, and characters on the precipice of fame in this essential history of American comedy."--Jacket.

Contents:

Vaudeville comedians

Radio

Nightclubs

Television

Late night

The emergence of Las Vegas

Stand-up's great change

Percolation in the mid-1960s

Hippie madness at decade's end

The first comedy clubs and the 1970s

The stand-up comedy boom

The 1990s

The new millennium.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 363-393) and index.

Local Notes:

The Forrest Performing Arts Collection.

ISBN:

9780802123985

0802123988

9780802125682

0802125689

OCLC:

921844606

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description