Wes Preston's Books

Forties Film Funnymen

The Decade's Great Comedians at Work in the Shadow of War

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Forties Film Funnymen

The Decade's Great Comedians at Work in the Shadow of War

By: Wes D. Gehring

The twelve classic comedy films examined within these pages are distinguished by an equal number of defining comic performances. Ranging from The Great Dictator (1940) to A Southern Yankee (1948), each film focuses on the most central theme of "clown comedy": Resilience, the encouragement or hope that one can survive the most daunting of life's dilemmas--even during the war-torn 1940s. And each film can be regarded as a microcosm of the antiheroic world of its central clown (or clowns). Among the performers represented are Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Abbott and Costello, Jack Benny, Eddie Bracken, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, the Marx Brothers, Harold Lloyd and Red Skelton. This lavishly illustrated work includes an introduction by noted film critic and historian Anthony Slide.

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Page Count

235

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786456655

ISBN 13

9780786456659

Movie Comedians of the 1950s

Defining a New Era of Big Screen Comedy

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Movie Comedians of the 1950s

Defining a New Era of Big Screen Comedy

By: Wes D. Gehring

The 1950s were a transitional period for film comedians. The artistic suppression of the McCarthy era and the advent of television often resulted in a dumbing down of motion pictures. Cartoonist-turned-director Frank Tashlin contributed a funny but cartoonish effect through his work with comedians like Jerry Lewis and Bob Hope. A new vanguard of comedians appeared without stock comic garb or make-up--fresh faces not easily pigeonholed as merely comedians, such as Tony Randall, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. Some traditional comedians, like Charlie Chaplin, Red Skelton and Danny Kaye, continued their shtick, though with some evident tweaking. This book provides insight into a misunderstood decade of film history with an examination of the "personality comedians." The talents of Dean Martin and Bob Hope are reappraised and the "dumb blonde" stereotype, as applied to Judy Holliday and Marilyn Monroe, is deconstructed.

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210

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786499966

ISBN 13

9780786499960

Will Cuppy, American Satirist

A Biography

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Will Cuppy, American Satirist

A Biography

By: Wes D. Gehring

Back in the golden age of humor books (late 1920s-early 1950s), when wits of the pantheon like Robert Benchley, James Thurber, and S.J. Perelman were producing their signature works, there was another singular satirist who more than held his own with such fast company: Will Cuppy (1884-1949). This factual funnyman's metier is dark comedy that flirts with nihilism. His agenda is baldly stated in such classic Cuppy book titles as How to Be a Hermit (1929), How to Tell Your Friends from the Apes (1931), and The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody (1950). This biography doubles as a critical study of a satirist whose shish-kebabing of humanity was often done through the veiled anthropomorphic use of animals. For a biographer, Will Cuppy represents a treasure trove of possibilities. He was a great humorist, and most of his best work is still in print, but until now he has never been the subject of a book-length study. His mesmerizingly complex and eccentric private life almost trumps the comic accomplishments of his public persona.

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223

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McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786469617

ISBN 13

9780786469611

Kinds of American Film Comedy

Six Core Genres and Their Literary Roots

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Kinds of American Film Comedy

Six Core Genres and Their Literary Roots

By: Wes D. Gehring

This groundbreaking film study begins with a survey of American print humorists from eras leading up to and overlapping the advent of film--including some who worked both on the page and on the screen, like Robert Benchley, Will Rogers, Groucho Marx and W. C. Fields. Six comic film genres are identified as outgrowths of a national tradition of Cracker Barrel philosophers, personality comedy, parody, screwball comedy, romantic comedy and dark comedy. Whether it is Mark Twain or a parody film involving Steve Martin, comedy is most often about blowing "raspberries" at the world, and a reminder you are not alone.

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243

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McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476650497

ISBN 13

9781476650494

Buster Keaton in His Own Time

What the Responses of 1920s Critics Reveal

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Buster Keaton in His Own Time

What the Responses of 1920s Critics Reveal

By: Wes D. Gehring

Buster Keaton "can impress a weary world with the vitally important fact that life, after all, is a foolishly inconsequential affair," wrote critic Robert Sherwood in 1918. A century later Keaton, with his darkly comic "theater of the absurd," speaks to audiences like no other silent comedian. If you thought you knew Keaton--think again!

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612

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McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476633266

ISBN 13

9781476633268

Genre-Busting Dark Comedies of the 1970s

Twelve American Films

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Genre-Busting Dark Comedies of the 1970s

Twelve American Films

By: Wes D. Gehring

This examination of dark comedies of the 1970s focuses on films which concealed black humor behind a misleading genre label. All That Jazz (1979) is a musical...about death--hardly Fred and Ginger territory. This masking goes beyond misnomer to a breaking of formula that director Robert Altman called "anti-genre." Altman's MASH (1970) ridiculed the military establishment in general--the Vietnam War in particular--under the guise of a standard military service comedy. The picaresque Western Little Big Man (1970) turned the bluecoats vs. Indians formula upside-down--the audience roots for the Indians instead of the cavalry. The book covers 12 essential films, including Harold and Maude (1971), Slaughterhouse-Five (1972), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and Being There (1979), with notes on A Clockwork Orange (1971). These films reveal a compounding complexity that reinforces the absurdity at the heart of dark comedy.

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251

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476622515

ISBN 13

9781476622514

Multidimensional Item Response Theory

By: Wes Bonifay

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Multidimensional Item Response Theory

By: Wes Bonifay

Several decades of psychometric research have led to the development of sophisticated models for multidimensional test data, and in recent years, multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) has become a burgeoning topic in psychological and educational measurement. Considered a cutting-edge statistical technique, the methodology underlying MIRT can be complex, and therefore doesn’t receive much attention in introductory IRT courses. However author Wes Bonifay shows how MIRT can be understood and applied by anyone with a firm grounding in unidimensional IRT modeling. His volume includes practical examples and illustrations, along with numerous figures and diagrams. Multidimensional Item Response Theory includes snippets of R code interspersed throughout the text (with the complete R code included on an accompanying website) to guide readers in exploring MIRT models, estimating the model parameters, generating plots, and implementing the various procedures and applications discussed throughout the book.

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105

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Published Date

ISBN 10

1506384234

ISBN 13

9781506384238

One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up

A Memoir of Growing Up and Getting On

By: Wes Streeting

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One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up

A Memoir of Growing Up and Getting On

By: Wes Streeting

The Sunday Times bestseller *** '[A] compelling story of overcoming adversity... Unexpectedly fascinating... amazingly inspiriting...' --- The Observer '...the vitality of the book lies in its directness and conversational candour... An engaging memoir' --- The Sunday Times 'Extraordinary' --- Evening Standard 'Funny, honest and at times heart-breaking - a terrific read.' --- Lorraine Kelly 'For a politician to have such an extraordinary story to tell is rare. For that politician to be able to tell it with such eloquence and benevolence is rarer still. This book is a triumph.' --- Alan Johnson 'This riveting tale of social aspiration leads us from the East End to Westminster in detailed honesty.' --- Ian McKellen 'A moving and inspiring hymn to the ups and downs of life - to love, to adversity and above all courage.' ---Michael Cashman 'Compulsive reading: Wes's story is inspiring, surprising and full of compassion.' --- Jess Phillips 'A remarkable and enchanting book.' --- The House 'One of the most extraordinary memoirs that I have read.' --- Lewis Goodall, The News Agents 'Searingly honest... a really inspirational book.' --- Iain Dale 'Compelling'. --- Charlotte Ivers Wes Streeting might have ended up in prison rather than in parliament. His maternal grandfather Bill, an unsuccessful armed robber, spent time behind bars, as did his grandmother, who was also a political campaigner. Brought up on a Stepney council estate, the young Streeting saw his teenage parents struggle to provide for him. In One Boy, Two Bills & A Fry Up he brings to life the poverty, humiliation and incredible struggle for them choosing whether to feed the meter and heat the flat, put carpet on the floor, or food on the table. Wes Streeting knows it was the help and inspiration he received from the great characters that surrounded him, especially his paternal grandfather (also called Bill), that ultimately set him on the way to Cambridge and then Parliament. He knew he could draw on the strengths in childhood to eventually come out, and to go on and face his now successful struggle with kidney cancer. This honest, uplifting, affectionate memoir is a tribute to the love and support which set him on his way out of poverty, and informs everything about Wes Streeting's mission now in politics.

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389

Publisher

Hodder & Stoughton

Published Date

ISBN 10

1399710117

ISBN 13

9781399710114

Romantic Vs. Screwball Comedy

Charting the Difference

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Romantic Vs. Screwball Comedy

Charting the Difference

By: Wes D. Gehring

It is an informative resource for film students and scholars and a thoroughly engaging read for film buffs."--BOOK JACKET.

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242

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield

Published Date

ISBN 10

0810844249

ISBN 13

9780810844247

Hitchcock and Humor

Modes of Comedy in Twelve Defining Films

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Hitchcock and Humor

Modes of Comedy in Twelve Defining Films

By: Wes D. Gehring

Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery has been described as "a kind of Rear Window for retirees." As this quote suggests, an analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's methodical use of comedy in his films is past due. One of Turner Classic Movies' on-screen scholars for their summer 2017 online Hitchcock class, the author grew tired of misleading throwaway references to the director's "comic relief." This book examines what should be obvious: Hitchcock systematically incorporated assorted types of comedy--black humor, parody, farce/screwball comedy and romantic comedy--in his films to entertain his audience with "comic" thrillers.

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291

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

147667356X

ISBN 13

9781476673561

Irene Dunne

First Lady of Hollywood

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Irene Dunne

First Lady of Hollywood

By: Wes D. Gehring

Traces the life of the American film actress from her childhood days spent in Louisville, St. Louis, and Madison, Indiana, through her Hollywood career to her retirement, and receipt of the Kennedy Center Award in 1985.

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252

Publisher

Scarecrow Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0810858649

ISBN 13

9780810858640

Steve McQueen

The Great Escape

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Steve McQueen

The Great Escape

By: Wes D. Gehring

The poster-child victim of a dysfunctional family from Beech Grove, Indiana, Steve McQueen experienced an unsettled early life with a rebellious and alcoholic mother. McQueen channeled his difficult childhood into a masterful career on screen portraying tough, self-sufficient characters in such iconic films as The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), The Sand Pebbles (1966), Bullitt (1968). Gehring explores how McQueen rose from his days as a troubled youth into one of Hollywood’s top box-office stars, and how he attempted to ease the lives of other troubled youth. Gehring delves into McQueen’s early success, his rocky relationships with women, his sense of humor, his love of fast cars and motorcycles, and his often neglected acting.

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Page Count

309

Publisher

Indiana Historical Society

Published Date

ISBN 10

0871953099

ISBN 13

9780871953094

Mr. Deeds Goes to Yankee Stadium

Baseball Films in the Capra Tradition

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Mr. Deeds Goes to Yankee Stadium

Baseball Films in the Capra Tradition

By: Wes D. Gehring

Celebrated film director Frank Capra was a central architect of the "feel good" movie genre now known as populism, which celebrates people, families, second chances, and other traditional American icons such as small town or pastoral life and baseball. Capra developed his own brand of populism by interweaving traditional values of the genre with a younger, more vulnerable hero starting with Mr. Deeds Goes to Town in 1936. The result, Capraesque populism, has had a significant influence on American pop culture in general and forms a small but important subgenre of baseball movie. This book examines eight of these Capraesque baseball films, starting with the all-important Pride of the Yankees (1942), which one admiring critic has called "Mr. Deeds Goes to Yankee Stadium." An introduction provides an overview of baseball and populism. Individual chapters are devoted to the populist legacy from Will Rogers (Capra's mentor) to Capra, The Pride of the Yankees, The Stratton Story, Angels in the Outfield, The Natural, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, Frequency and The Rookie.

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177

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786483504

ISBN 13

9780786483501

The Marx Brothers

A Bio-Bibliography

By: Wes D. Gehring

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The Marx Brothers

A Bio-Bibliography

By: Wes D. Gehring

This bio-bibliography was designed to present a combined biographical, critical, and bibliographical portrait of the Marx Brothers. It examines their significance in film comedy in particular, and as popular culture figures in general. The book is divided into five sections, beginning with a biography which explores the public and private sides of the Marx Brothers. The second section is concerned with the influences of the Marx Brothers as icons of anti-establishment comedy, as contributors to developments in American comedy, as early examples of saturation comedy, and as a crucial link between silent films and the talkies. Three original articles, two by Groucho and one by Gummo, comprise part three. A bibliographical essay, which assesses key reference materials and research collections, is followed by two bibliographical checklists. Appendices containing a chronological biography with a timeline, a filmography, and a selected discography complete the work.

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281

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0313031878

ISBN 13

9780313031878

Chaplin's War Trilogy

An Evolving Lens in Three Dark Comedies, 1918-1947

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Chaplin's War Trilogy

An Evolving Lens in Three Dark Comedies, 1918-1947

By: Wes D. Gehring

The book examines Charlie Chaplin's evolving perspective on dark comedy in his three war films, Shoulder Arms (1918), The Great Dictator (1940), and Monsieur Verdoux (1947). In the first he uses the genre in a groundbreaking manner but yet for a pro-war cause. In Dictator dark comedy is applied in an antiwar way. In Monsieur Verdoux Chaplin embraces the genre as an individual in defense against a society out to destroy him. All three are pivotal films in the development of the genre in film, with the latter two movies being very controversial for their time.

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241

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McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786474653

ISBN 13

9780786474653

Charlie Chaplin and A Woman of Paris

The Genesis of a Misunderstood Masterpiece

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Charlie Chaplin and A Woman of Paris

The Genesis of a Misunderstood Masterpiece

By: Wes D. Gehring

Charlie Chaplin's A Woman of Paris (1923) was a groundbreaking film which was neither a simple recycling of Peggy Hopkins Joyce's story, nor quickly forgotten. Through heavily-documented "period research," this book lands several bombshells, including Paris is deeply rooted in Chaplin's previous films and his relationship with Edna Purviance, Paris was not rejected by heartland America, Chaplin did "romantic research" (especially with Pola Negri), and Paris' many ongoing influences have never been fully appreciated. These are just a few of the mistakes about Paris.

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261

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

147667244X

ISBN 13

9781476672441

Red Skelton

The Mask behind the Mask

By: Wes Gehring

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Red Skelton

The Mask behind the Mask

By: Wes Gehring

For more than twenty years, Hoosier comic Red Skelton entertained millions of viewers who gathered around their television sets to delight in the antics of such notable characters as Freddie the Freeloader, Clem Kaddiddlehopper, Cauliflower McPugg, and Sheriff Deadeye. Noted film historian Wes D. Gehring examines the man behind the characters—someone who never let the facts get in the way of a good story. Gehring delves into Skelton's hardscrabble life with a shockingly dysfunctional family in the southern Indiana community of Vincennes, his days on the road on the vaudeville circuit, the comedian's early success on radio, his up-and-down movie career with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and his sometimes tragic personal life.

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Page Count

397

Publisher

Indiana Historical Society

Published Date

ISBN 10

0871953552

ISBN 13

9780871953551

Unveiling Empire

Reading Revelation Then and Now

By: Wes Howard-Brook,Anthony Gwyther

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Unveiling Empire

Reading Revelation Then and Now

By: Wes Howard-Brook,Anthony Gwyther

Confused by "end of the world" readings or put off by the dense and mysterious imagery, many readers hesitate to explore the Book of Revelation. Unveiling Empire offers a new entree into this troubling and controversial book of the Bible by examining the roots and social purposes of apocalyptic literature and Revelations own use of traditional imagery. In this way the authors provide readers with the tools for deciphering the texts message--and its urgent applications for Christians today living amidst a new kind of "empire.

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387

Publisher

Orbis Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1608331555

ISBN 13

9781608331550

Five Days

The Fiery Reckoning of an American City

By: Wes Moore,Erica L. Green

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Five Days

The Fiery Reckoning of an American City

By: Wes Moore,Erica L. Green

“An illuminating portrait of Baltimore in the aftermath of the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray . . . Readers will be enthralled by this propulsive account.”—Publishers Weekly LONGLISTED FOR THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY LIBRARY JOURNAL From the New York Times bestselling author of The Other Wes Moore, a kaleidoscopic account of five days in the life of a city on the edge, told through eight characters on the front lines of the uprising that overtook Baltimore and riveted the world When Freddie Gray was arrested for possessing an “illegal knife” in April 2015, he was, by eyewitness accounts that video evidence later confirmed, treated “roughly” as police loaded him into a vehicle. By the end of his trip in the police van, Gray was in a coma from which he would never recover. In the wake of a long history of police abuse in Baltimore, this killing felt like the final straw—it led to a week of protests, then five days described alternately as a riot or an uprising that set the entire city on edge and caught the nation's attention. Wes Moore is a Rhodes Scholar, bestselling author, decorated combat veteran, former White House fellow, and CEO of Robin Hood, one of the largest anti-poverty nonprofits in the nation. While attending Gray’s funeral, he saw every stratum of the city come together: grieving mothers, members of the city’s wealthy elite, activists, and the long-suffering citizens of Baltimore—all looking to comfort one another, but also looking for answers. He knew that when they left the church, these factions would spread out to their own corners, but that the answers they were all looking for could be found only in the city as a whole. Moore—along with journalist Erica Green—tells the story of the Baltimore uprising both through his own observations and through the eyes of other Baltimoreans: Partee, a conflicted black captain of the Baltimore Police Department; Jenny, a young white public defender who’s drawn into the violent center of the uprising herself; Tawanda, a young black woman who’d spent a lonely year protesting the killing of her own brother by police; and John Angelos, scion of the city’s most powerful family and executive vice president of the Baltimore Orioles, who had to make choices of conscience he’d never before confronted. Each shifting point of view contributes to an engrossing, cacophonous account of one of the most consequential moments in our recent history, which is also an essential cri de coeur about the deeper causes of the violence and the small seeds of hope planted in its aftermath.

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321

Publisher

One World

Published Date

ISBN 10

0525512381

ISBN 13

9780525512387

Parody as Film Genre

Never Give a Saga an Even Break

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Parody as Film Genre

Never Give a Saga an Even Break

By: Wes D. Gehring

Parody is the least appreciated of all film comedy genres and receives little serious attention, even among film fans. This study elevates parody to mainstream significance. A historical overview places the genre in context, and a number of basic parody components, which better define the genre and celebrate its value, are examined. Parody is differentiated from satire, and the two parody types, traditional and reaffirmation, are explained. Chapters study the most spoofed genre in American parody history, the Western; pantheon members of American Film Comedy such as The Marx Brothers, W. C. Fields, Mae West, and Laurel and Hardy; pivotal parody artists, Bob Hope and Woody Allen; Mel Brooks, whose name is often synonymous with parody; and finally, parody in the 1990s. Films discussed include Destry Rides Again (1939), The Road to Utopia (1945), My Favorite Brunette (1947), The Paleface (1948), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993) and Scream (1996). This examination of parody will appeal to scholars and students of American film and film comedy, as well as those interested in the specific comedians discussed and the Western genre. Gehring's work will also find a place in American pop culture studies and sociological studies of the period from the 1920s to the 1990s. The book is carefully documented and includes a selected bibliography and filmography.

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249

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

031300353X

ISBN 13

9780313003530

Joe E. Brown

Film Comedian and Baseball Buffoon

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Joe E. Brown

Film Comedian and Baseball Buffoon

By: Wes D. Gehring

As a young boy in the depths of the 1890s depression, Joe E. Brown had a job: making faces at the firemen on passing coal-burning trains so they would throw coal at him. As a child he also worked as a circus acrobat and newsboy. His inventiveness and spunk helped his family get through hard times but also fueled his fascination with entertainment, and he built up a repertoire of rubber-faced expressions and funny antics that would make his stage and screen work memorable. Baseball was a favorite pursuit in his life and thus a recurring theme in his films and skits. In this biography--the first on one of the top film comedians of the 1930s--the reader learns of Joe's challenging childhood and how it prepared him for later screen roles, and how his love of baseball translated into screen successes. His early career in vaudeville is discussed, his work as a Broadway comedian in the Roaring Twenties, his road to movie stardom, and how he parlayed his love of sports into big hits like 1930's Elmer the Great. The year 1935 gets its own chapter; its films are considered the pinnacle of Brown's career, including Alibi Ike, Bright Lights and A Midsummer Night's Dream. The final chapters reveal what happened after he left Warner Bros., including the bittersweet 1940s, when he entertained troops around the globe while mourning a son lost to the war. The book concludes with a comprehensive filmography of his features from 1928 to 1963.

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229

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786483512

ISBN 13

9780786483518

The Kentucky Barbecue Book

By: Wes Berry

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The Kentucky Barbecue Book

By: Wes Berry

The Kentucky Barbecue Book is a feast for readers who are eager to sample the finest fare in the state. From the banks of the Mississippi to the hidden hollows of the Appalachian Mountains, author and barbecue enthusiast Wes Berry hit the trail in search of the best smoke, the best flavor, and the best pitmasters he could find. This handy guide presents the most succulent menus and colorful personalities in Kentucky.

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386

Publisher

University Press of Kentucky

Published Date

ISBN 10

0813141796

ISBN 13

9780813141794

Robert Wise

Shadowlands

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Robert Wise

Shadowlands

By: Wes D. Gehring

Born in Winchester, Indiana, Robert Wise spent much of his youth sitting in darkened movie theaters enthralled by the swashbuckling heroics of screen legend Douglas Fairbanks Sr. Through these viewings, Wise developed a passion for film—a passion he followed for the rest of his life, making movies in Hollywood. Nationally known film historian Wes D. Gehring explores Wise’s life from his days in the Hoosier State to the beginning of his movie career at RKO studios working as the editor of Orson Welles’s classic movie Citizen Kane. Wise is best known for producing and directing two of the most memorable movie musicals in cinema history, West Side Story (co-director Jerome Robbins) and The Sound of Music, for which he won four Academy Awards—two Best Picture and Best Directors Oscars. But, as Gehring notes, other than Howard Hawks, Wise was arguably Hollywood’s most versatile director of various celebrated genre films.

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Page Count

351

Publisher

Indiana Historical Society

Published Date

ISBN 10

0871952963

ISBN 13

9780871952967

Texas Compound

By: Wes Brent

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Texas Compound

By: Wes Brent

The penal system’s escalating growth is costing more and more money to support as time goes by. This book is both fact and fiction that will ease the dollar support and return the convict back into a competitive member of society. With an approximately two billion dollar budget in 1997 to keep incarcerated one hundred forty thousand inmates with a capacity of one hundred forty seven thousand beds, it is apparent that new facilities need to be provided. The cost and growth goes on. Let’s return these convicts to society better suited to fit in for less money. A system must be provided to let the inmate step back into society equal to his non-incarcerated peers. The fiction and facts between these two covers may be a way to achieve that goal.

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418

Publisher

iUniverse

Published Date

ISBN 10

0595166105

ISBN 13

9780595166107

Populism and the Capra Legacy

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Populism and the Capra Legacy

By: Wes D. Gehring

Traditionally identified with screwball comedies, Frank Capra has seldom been considered a conduit for populist concerns and issues. In this book, Gehring examines the influence of both Will Rogers and Frank Capra on modern populist movies, providing important background on Capra's links to the crackerbarrel personality of Rogers. He follows this theme forward, examining the populist roots in such films as The Electric Horseman, Field of Dreams, Dave, Grand Canyon, and others. A final chapter is a close-up of the contemporary, Capra-like director, Ron Howard. The inclusion of a bibliography and selected filmography makes this book an important contribution to film studies, popular culture, and American humor.

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158

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Praeger

Published Date

ISBN 10

0313261830

ISBN 13

9780313261831

The Right Time

John Henry "Pop" Lloyd and Black Baseball

By: Wes Singletary

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The Right Time

John Henry "Pop" Lloyd and Black Baseball

By: Wes Singletary

Although he never played a day in the white major leagues, John Henry "Pop" Lloyd was one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived. A shortstop who could take over a game with his glove or his bat, Lloyd dominated early black baseball, drawing comparisons to the most celebrated National Leaguer of his day, Honus Wagner, who declared it a privilege to be mentioned with Lloyd. Beginning his career years before the first Negro National League was established, Lloyd played for a dizzying number of teams, following the money, as he'd put it, throughout the country and sometimes past its borders, doing several stints in Cuba. He was seemingly ageless, winning two batting titles in his 40s and playing at the highest levels of blackball until he was 48. (He would continue to coach and play semi-pro baseball for another ten years.) Admired by teammates and opponents alike for his generosity and quiet strength, Lloyd was also one of the most beloved figures in white or black baseball.

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Page Count

235

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786484667

ISBN 13

9780786484669

Dragons and Chariots

An Explanation of Extraterrestrial Spacecraft and Their Propulsion Systems

By: Wes Bateman

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Dragons and Chariots

An Explanation of Extraterrestrial Spacecraft and Their Propulsion Systems

By: Wes Bateman

An Explanation of Extraterrestrial Spacecraft and Their Propulsion Systems Introduction to Saucer Propulsion Gravity The Interplanetaries The Dragon The Dragon Seeds Manipulated Light The Interstellar Motherships The Intergalactic Motherships

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Publisher

Light Technology Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

0929385454

ISBN 13

9780929385457

Leo McCarey

From Marx to McCarthy

By: Wes D. Gehring

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Leo McCarey

From Marx to McCarthy

By: Wes D. Gehring

This first full-length biography of a legendary and award-winning Hollywood writer, producer, and director (Duck Soup, My Favorite Wife, An Affair to Remember, Going My Way, and The Bells of St. Mary's) explores the director's life as filtered through his art. Gehring maintains that McCarey's films were often a reworking of his antiheroic self. In addition, the apparent diversity of his films actually represents an interrelated web of various comedy genres and a pattern of antiheroic characters and themes.

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Page Count

308

Publisher

Scarecrow Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0810852632

ISBN 13

9780810852631

Book's by Wes Preston

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