Ernie wise morcambe and wise or his modernday counterpart, bob mortimer reeves and mortimer both these straight guys do their job perfectly in that they allow their much sillier and more outrageous otherhalves to shine, whilst being extremel. The straight man is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch. A history of british comedy duos by andrew roberts. In a comic trio, they usually play the helpless observer role. Random house, 1997 is a novel by richard russo set at the fictional west central pennsylvania university in railton, pennsylvania. As far as comedy duos go, they seem to have taken a few cues from another set of twin comedians. Double act academic dictionaries and encyclopedias.
When the straight man serves no specific comic purpose, but acts as a device to make the. The 20 best standup comedy specials of 2017 so far by. Middle school mania comedy duos for guys a collection of five skits by laurie allen. A double act also known as a comedy duo is a form of comedy originating in the british music hall tradition, and american vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. This was the comedy duo or double act which paired a sillier comic with a straight man or feeder, a guy whose job was to do the set ups for the punchlines delivered by the comic.
But to answer the question in the title, a comic pairing is known as a double act, and the one playing opposite the straight man may be known. The key to any great buddy cop pairing is onscreen chemistry shared by the two actors. Policy 1 woman, 1 man a young married couple who makes money by prostitution. Recall that famous scene from pirates of the carribean. The trope is lampshaded and identified by name in the dresden files novel. That includes classic comedy duos like laurel and hardy with oliver hardy acting as the straight man providing the setup. Theyre not seen too much these days, but there was a time in this country when comedy duos haunted the pop culture landscape the same way in which popculture selfawareness does today. A history of british comedy duos andrew roberts on. He rarely gets the funny lines, but has to have impeccable timing and delivery so that the comic the other half of a comedy duo can hit it. Straight man definition is a member of a comedy team who feeds lines to a partner who in turn replies with usually humorous quips.
Straight man is a middleagers book,centering on an english department in a pennsylvania college where tenure matters more than anything far more than sex and none of its protagonists are likely to resign to bravely head into more adventurous seas. See more ideas about comedy duos, comedians and movie stars. With dick playing the folksinging straight man and tom the interrupting and annoying comic relief. Today it occurred to me that in the many comedy duos that feature a straight man and a comedian, the straight man is invariably named first. You need a good straight man or woman to bring your comedic. Hilarious and truetolife, witty, compassionate, and impossible to put down, straight man follows hank devereaux through one very bad week in this novel from pulitzer prizewinning author richard russo. The seriousness of the book is not helped, either, by a halfhearted index, some. He is remembered as an american actor, producer and comedian.
Also consider following open culture on facebook and twitter and sharing intelligent media with your friends. Laurel was the manchild who drove hardy up the wall, but in their films, the two swapped roles and didnt stick to. Great straight me in muppet comedy duos hilarie mukavitz with all the great comedy duos, it is usually the funny man that we remember. The 20 best standup comedy specials of 2017 so far paste. The straight man approaches everything seriously even things that are patently ludicrous and presents a straightforward, sane, conventional point of view. In tv comedy, a straight man is frequently one half of an odd couple. Or sign up for our daily email and get a daily dose of open culture in your inbox. The straight man provides a known, serious quantity for the comedian to play off of in a comedic setting, and so the role of straight man is defined in opposition to the role of comedian, not the other way around. Is the meaning of the novels title clear after hank makes this statement. On straight men, comedy teams and belated props for abbott. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading straight man. Pairings are typically longterm, in some cases for the artists entire careers.
From arya and the hound to mulder and scully the 50 best tv duos of all time. A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior. A history of british comedy duos by andrew roberts isbn. What is the opposite word to straight man in comedy. Typically, comedy duos have a designated straight man and a funny foil. Other straight men in comedy duos have included george burns with gracie. As fraiser fans remember john mahony, we present the 25 best funny comic pairs. A comedy duo is a pair of comic performers of, normally, the same sex and age group belonging to the same social background and ethnicity but having very different personalities with contrasting behaviors. Often one of the duo members, the straight man, feed, dead wood, or stooge is portrayed as reasonable and serious, and the other one, the funny. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically, the straight man is expected to maintain composure. Here are 6 movies that have paired some unlikely comedy duos, to varying degrees of success. Back to life 1 woman, 1 man its the 1950s, mitchell is a police officer who is sending off pamela for a final goodbye. Your story needs a good straight man bookbaby blog.
Somebody has to set up the joke so the funny guy can deliver the punchline. Straight man by richard russo goodreads share book. The 20 funniest comedy teams of all time aol entertainment. By far the most common pairing is straight man and wise guy. The idea of mark wahlberg playing the straight man to will ferrells. My favorite of their movies is the time of their lives, but i also love buck privates and of course their classic whos on first routine. He is of course best remembered as the straight man of the comedy team of abbott and costello, with lou costello. The nook book ebook of the cheech is not my real name. Bud abbott and lou costello a classic comedy paring includes a straight man who is a bit slick opposite a comedian who is a bit childlike.
Straight man definition of straight man by merriamwebster. I suppose this is why the author chose comedy duos instead of comedy teams to try to broaden the field but it really doesnt do either side justice, and. The original straight man was the interlocutor in minstrelsy. Harmon and scott dive into the history and value of the straight man in comedy teams.
Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. A novel vintage contemporaries kindle edition by russo, richard. The straight man is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. The straight man and wise guy are an inseparable odd couple duo who play off each other for comedy. Pages in category british comedy duos the following 36 pages are in this category, out of 36 total. The straight man comes first the universe of discourse. Charlie higson on a curious history of comedy double acts. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The double act by andrew roberts overdrive rakuten. In wodehouses books, jeeves is implacable and unflappable and fry brings. Make a list browse lists search lists leaders help contact suggest feature newsletter.
Like roving packs of boy bands, comedy duos would haunt movies. The wise guy is a jokester who answers the straight man s stodgy pronouncements with puns, wisecracks, and. The unexpected resurgence of the comedy duo vulture. But to the credit of both frost and director edgar wright, the character avoided typical annoyances and arrived as a fully formed person. In english departments the most serious competition is for the role of straight man p. Writing a book is a lot like planning a long journey. The wise guy is a jokester who answers the straight mans stodgy pronouncements with puns, wisecracks, and. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel.
So you get this straight, young man, you are our number one problem in this school and your every move. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Abbott and costello, one of americas most popular comedy duos of the 1940s and 50s in radio, film and television. The double act has been at the heart of british entertainment for over 150 years, yet there has never been a book detailing how this form of comedy continues to develop. They discuss the yinyang balance and chemistry the straight man brings to the comedy team. Nicholas lyndhurst has learned the craft of comedy. Next article top 10 movies you didnt know were comic books first. Straight man by richard russo book club discussion. As far as comedy duos go, they seem to have taken a few cues from another set of twin comedians that eschewed a straightmanfunnyman. If multiple characters take turns playing straight man, they have a game of sanity ball.
The straight man in comedy is already the opposite word for the comedian. A double act is a form of comedy originating in the british music hall tradition, and american. Its all about the comedy when the this is your life team shine the spotlight on those talented men and women who found fame tickling the nations funny bones so, from music hall to stand up, via radio, television and the cinema, we take a look at those masters and mistresses of mirth who kept us laughing through the years, and were richly rewarded with the big red book treatment. He started as a young man in shows like going straight and butterflies and went on to appear in only fools and horses and then goodnight sweetheart.
Many of the comedians on this list dont fall into the traditional straight man crazy person dynamic. One member of the duothe straight man, feed, dead wood, or stoogeis often. Why does hank keep harping on william cherry, the man who lay down on the towns railroad tracks. At the very least, the duo, or double act that foundational comedic configuration, the straight man and the quipster, the stooge and the. In the two man act, the straight man became a specialty unto itself. Comedy partnerships have been a part of film, theatre and television life for more than a century. The ability to maintain a serious demeanor in the face of even the most preposterous comedy is crucial to a successful straight man. Here are some famous duos that have stuck around in our memories. The hallowed halls of moo university, a midwestern agricultural institution aka cow college, are rife with devious plots, mischievous intrigue, lusty liaisons, and academic oneupsmanship. While the rush hour movies are not spectacularly made, the chemistry shared by jackie chan and chris tucker. He rarely gets the funny lines, but has to have impeccable timing and delivery so that the comic the other half of a comedy duo can hit it out of the park.
Books similar to straight man goodreads share book. It is a midlife crisis tale told in the first person by william henry devereaux jr. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. The 10 best buddy cop movie duos, ranked screenrant.