Eccentrics of Comedy examines the lives and careers of twelve
entertainers whose comedic styles were distinctly eccentric: Milton
Berle, Ed Brendel, Bobby Clark, Phyllis Diller, the Duncan Sisters,
Edward Everett Horton, Alice Howell, Franklin Pangborn, Old Mother
Riley, Margaret Rutherford, Colonel Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle, and Ernest
Thesiger. For the majority of these performers, Eccentrics of Comedy
provides the first serious, detailed discussion of their work. The
figures are from all areas of popular entertainment. Milton Berle is Mr.
Television. The Duncan Sisters and Bobby Clark were headliners in
vaudeville and musical comedy. Alice Howell was a silent screen
comedienne. Colonel Lemuel Q. Stoopnagle was a familiar figure on radio
in the 1930s. Edward Everett Horton, Franklin Pangborn, Old Mother
Riley, Margaret Rutherford, and Ernest Thesiger are primarily known for
their work on screen. The comedic styles vary widely, but Slide
highlights similarities between the entertainers. Slide writes with
enthusiasm and affection for his subjects. Both Milton Berle and Phyllis
Diller offered him first-hand accounts of their careers, and in many
cases he quotes from other film celebrities who worked with the
comedians. Slide offers a thorough understanding of the media in which
his subjects worked and brings their acts to life.
