Category Books

The Haunted Smile: The Story of Jewish Comedians in America »

Authors: Lawrence J. Epstein, Jenny Dossin
ISBN-13: 9781586481629, ISBN-10: 1586481622
Format: Paperback
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Date Published: November 2002
Edition: (Non-applicable)

Author Biography: Lawrence J. Epstein

Lawrence J. Epstein is a Professor of English at Suffolk County Community College in Selden, New York. He is widely considered to be a leading expert on American Jewish life and is the author of such books as A Treasury of Jewish Anecdotes and A Treasury of Jewish Inspirational Stories. He frequently lectures on American popular culture and lives with his wife and family on Long Island, New York.

Book Synopsis

From vaudeville to the movies to television, the complete—and often hilarious—history of how Jewish comedians transformed American entertainment

Los Angeles Times

Lively and entertaining ... thoughtful and enlightening.... [A] clearly written, crisply presented chronicle of comedy.

	Introduction: The World of Jewish Comedians
I	The Golden Door and the Velvet Curtain 1890-1930
1	The Land of Hope and Tears: Comedians and Immigrant America	3
2	Curtain Up and Curtain Down: The Age of Vaudeville	21
II	The Years of Fear 1930-1950
3	Theater of the Mind: Radio's Finest Hour	55
4	Laughing in the Dark: Films	79
5	The Jewish Alps: The Rise of the Borscht Belt	104
III	The Years of Acceptance 1950-1965
6	The Magic Box: The American Television Revolution	129
7	"Is There Any Group I Haven't Offended?": The Changing World of Stand-up Comedy	155
IV	The Years of Triumph 1965 - Present
8	"I Need the Eggs": Jewish Comic Filmmakers	195
9	Masters of Their Domain: Comedy All Over the Place	220
10	Kosher at Last: Jewish Women Comedians	253
11	The Cost of Victory: The Psychological and Social World of American Jewish Comedians	270
12	Not the Last Laugh: The Future of Jewish Comedians in America	278
App	Schlemiels and Nudnicks: The Sources and Nature of Jewish Humor	287
	References	309
	Acknowledgments	331
	Index	343