Zigoto, Beaucitron, Picratt, Calouchon, Dudule. So many nicknames unknown to the general public, despite their funny and enticing connotations. This is because they hide a number of talented American comedians who greatly entertained our parents and grandparents, but who often remained in the shadow of Charlie Chaplins, Buster Keaton and other Harold Lloyd. There is a notorious injustice that Jean-Jacques Couderc has set himself the task of repairing. Dedicated to these forgotten or little-known comedians of American silent cinema, this book first of all retraces their agitated and often too short lives of melancholically shooting stars in the burlesque firmament. For each of them, it was imperative to save from oblivion some sequences, realistic or crazy, brilliant or old-fashioned, grotesque or subtle, in all cases overflowing with humour, imagination or fantasy and put them in their context. And of course, reading their biographies and scripts of their films and short films, poetic or incredible, arouses in us as much gaiety as incredulous astonishment. In addition, this reference work offers the reader all the information currently available on these actors and directors whose memory should be saved: they belong more than ever to the great history of American cinema. |