- The comedy skits were written by the men and women of vaudeville. Some of the dialogue has been slightly updated for today's audience, but most of the material is being presented as it was originally performed by vaudeville comics over a century ago.—Charles McDonald
- Vaudeville comedy began in Europe, and was first performed in beer saloons and pubs as drinking entertainment. It became wildly popular, and its concept was brought to the United States in the 1880s, where more organized Vaudeville Shows were presented in a formal theatre setting. Tickets were sold to men and women, young and old, and you didn't need to be drunk to enjoy the entertainment. Each 2-hour show consisted of 12 to 15 individual acts, which consisted of magicians, acrobats, singers, musicians, dancers, comics, or anyone else who could hold an audience for a few minutes. Vaudeville Comedy, Then and Now concentrates on the comedians of that era, whose comedy has been performed thousands and thousands of times on stage, in movies, and incorporated into many sitcoms of today. The performers have changed over the years, but their comedy routines have been handed down from generation to generation. Vaudeville Comedy, Then and Now includes vintage film clips of comedians whose work was greatly influenced by vaudeville...Bob Hope, Jack Benny, W.C.Fields, Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen, Martin and Lewis, and Milton Berle, to name a few. The film also includes old comedy routines performed by present day actors. There are 18 skits, many of them in the ever popular husband vs wife format, and each is about 5 minutes long. The movie was shot in black and white, and even includes a laugh track. So in many ways, with its 2 hour run time, Vaudeville Comedy, Then and Now is like watching an old fashioned vaudeville show from a bygone era, especially with the old film clips.
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