Physical comedy

2025-05-27T03:50:11Z

2600:1700:BD20:77B0:9820:5D49:DC54:EE0D: /* Examples */

{{short description|Comedy genre}}
[[File:Chaplin - Modern Times.jpg|thumb|An example of physical comedy as [[Charlie Chaplin]] wrestles with factory controls in his 1936 comedy ''[[Modern Times (film)|Modern Times]]'']]

'''Physical comedy''' is a form of [[comedy]] focused on manipulation of the body for a humorous effect. It can include [[slapstick]], [[clown]]ing, [[Mime artist|mime]], physical stunts, or making funny faces.<ref>{{cite web |title=Get Funny! Tips on Directing Physical Comedy |url=http://www.videomaker.com/article/c18/15703-get-funny-tips-on-directing-physical-comedy |website=Videomaker.com |date=19 September 2013 |access-date=2015-11-29}}</ref>

Physical comedy originated as part of the [[Commedia dell'arte]].<ref>{{cite web |title = History of Physical Comedy – Roundabout Theatre Company Official Blog |url = http://blog.roundabouttheatre.org/2014/07/16/history-of-physical-comedy/ |website = blog.roundabouttheatre.org |access-date = 2015-11-29}}</ref> It is now sometimes incorporated into [[sitcom]]s; for example, in the sitcom ''[[Three's Company]]'', actor [[John Ritter]] frequently performed ''pratfalls''. Cartoons, particularly film shorts, also commonly depict an exaggerated form of physical comedy (incorporating [[cartoon physics]]), such as in ''[[Tom and Jerry]]'' and [[Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner]].<ref>{{cite web |title = What is Physical Comedy? (with pictures) |url = http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-physical-comedy.htm |website = wiseGEEK |access-date = 2015-11-29}}</ref>

==Examples==
{{Multiple issues|
{{prose|section|date=October 2022}}
{{Excessive examples|section|date=May 2024}}
}}

[[Charlie Chaplin]] started his film career as a physical comedian; although he developed additional means of comic expression, Chaplin's mature works continued to contain elements of slapstick.

In the movies, physical comedy is used by, for example,
* [[Buster Keaton]] as the eponymous character in [[Steamboat Bill, Jr.]],
* [[Jacques Tati]] as [[Monsieur Hulot]],
* [[Peter Sellers]] as [[Chief Inspector Clouseau]] in ''[[The Pink Panther (film series)|The Pink Panther]]'' film series,
* [[Jackie Chan]] in many of his [[Hong Kong action]] comedy films,<ref name="Utah">{{cite news |last=Meyers |first=Chris |title=Jackie Chan Rumbles in the U.S.A. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/430300278/ |access-date=18 April 2022 |work=[[The Daily Utah Chronicle]] |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |date=29 February 1996 |page=14 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
* [[Zero Mostel]]'s character Max Bialystock in ''[[The Producers (1967 film)|The Producers]]'',
* [[Bette Midler]]'s, [[Goldie Hawn]]'s and [[Diane Keaton]]'s characters in ''[[The First Wives Club]]'',
* [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]'s and [[Danny DeVito]]'s characters in ''[[Twins (1988 film)|Twins]]'',
* [[Will Ferrell]]'s and [[John C. Reilly]]'s characters in ''[[Step Brothers (film)|Step Brothers]]'',
* [[Zac Efron]]'s and [[Adam DeVine]]'s characters in ''[[Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates]]''.
* [[Sacha Baron Cohen]]'s characters [[Borat Sagdiyev]] and [[Brüno Gehard]] in ''[[Borat]]'' (and its sequel ''[[Borat Subsequent Moviefilm]]'') and ''[[Brüno]]''.
* [[Chris Farley]]'s and [[David Spade]]'s characters in [[Tommy Boy]].

In television sitcoms, the use of physical comedy was seen in, for example,
*[[Dick Van Dyke]]'s character Rob Petrie in ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'',
*[[Lucille Ball]]'s character [[Lucy and Ricky Ricardo|Lucy Ricardo]] in ''[[I Love Lucy]]'',
*[[Martin Lawrence]]'s character Martin Payne in ''[[Martin (TV series)|Martin]]'',
*[[Larry Hagman]]'s character Major Anthony Nelson in ''[[I Dream of Jeannie]]'',
*[[John Ritter]]'s character [[Jack Tripper]] in ''[[Three's Company]]'',
*The two main characters of [[Mark Linn-Baker]] and [[Bronson Pinchot]] in ''[[Perfect Strangers (TV series)|Perfect Strangers]]'',
*[[Michael Richards]]'s character [[Cosmo Kramer]] in ''[[Seinfeld]]'',
*[[Penny Marshall]]'s character [[Laverne DeFazio]] and [[Cindy Williams]]' character [[Shirley Feeney]] in ''[[Laverne & Shirley]]'',
*[[Jennifer Saunders]]' character [[Edina Monsoon]] and [[Joanna Lumley]]'s character [[Patsy Stone]] in ''[[Absolutely Fabulous]]'',
*[[Nicholas Lyndhurst]]'s character [[Rodney Trotter]] in ''[[Only Fools and Horses]]'',
*[[Neil Morrissey]]'s character Tony Smart in ''[[Men Behaving Badly]]'',
*[[Jennifer Aniston]]'s character [[Rachel Green]] in ''[[Friends]]'',
*[[Rowan Atkinson]]'s character [[Mr. Bean]] and [[Man vs. Bee]],
*[[Jaleel White]]'s character [[Steve Urkel]] in ''[[Family Matters]]'',
*[[Rik Mayall]]'s and [[Adrian Edmondson]]'s characters Richard Richard and Eddie Hitler in ''[[Bottom (TV series)|Bottom]]'',
*[[James Corden]]'s character Neil Smith in ''[[Gavin & Stacey]]'',
*[[Jim Belushi]] and [[Larry Joe Campbell]]'s characters Jim and Andy in ''[[According to Jim]]''

==See also==
*[[Slapstick]]
*[[Comedy]]
*[[Physical theatre]]
*[[Funny Business (TV series)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Comedy footer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Physical Comedy}}
[[Category:Comedy genres]]
[[Category:Slapstick comedy]]

Vero - Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Physical comedy