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I am a professor of communication at a midwest university, who has expertise on subjects related to film. I can answer general questions on U.S. film comedy (especially satires of the 1960s and 1970s) and comic theory. I also could answer questions related to specific comic genres, such as comedian comedies, screwball comedies, "stupid" comedies, and so forth. The more specific you can make your question, the better (e.g. main plot details, main characters, possible character names, possible actors, how you viewed the show, etc.). I also need to have a release date (or range of dates, or at least the year you viewed the film). Plesase do not just provide a set of links to someplace else (e.g. imdb discussion threads). I am less able to answer questions about comedies from other countries, made-for-TV movies, and recent comic films and actors (although I would do my best to find out). I cannot answer questions about specific TV shows or series, "Our Gang" episodes, anime/magna or about film collectables. I generally cannot provide movie recommendations, since what I find funny others may not. Nor will I answer obvious homework (although I will point you to resources to help answer the question, if asked). I also can't help you find movie stars, or where to buy movie memorabilia, or tell you how to break into the business.
Course work in comedy films along with teaching about comedy films for several years; I've also conducted research into comedy films.
Ph.D. in Communication, emphasis in film and rhetoric
A dissertation award from a national organization plus various paper awards
My students
Being able to laugh is wonderful--laughter eases tense situations, brings us closer together, and helps us live healthier, longer lives. And movies are our fantasies made manifest.
To continue to do research into comedy films and television shows, especially more current films (but also ones from the past).
Comedies donīt actually have to be funny to be comedies; what defines a comedy is actually hard to determine.
Black comedies deal with taboo subjects like death, sexual deviance, criminal actions, etc. Other comedies push the boundaries of good (or even bad) taste.
| User | Date | K | C | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johanna | 01/03/12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | That was wonderful research-thank you. I actually ..... |
| Ricky | 12/29/11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | That's the one! I didn't even realise ..... |
| Linda | 08/25/10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thank you very much for your help ..... |
| tezza | 08/04/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Dr. Baker, you're a genius!! I would ..... |
| Gabe | 08/04/09 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Micky, I'm pretty sure the actor you are thinking of is the versatile, energetic, multi-talented Danny Kaye, a comedian who acted/starred in many movies during this time period, many of theme comedies
Johanna, I'm pretty sure the film you recall is the 1944 version of "The Canterville Ghost" starring Charles Laughton as the ghost. I do have two hestitations, however. First is that the reason for the
Ricky, I've not seen this film, nor did I locate one with exactly this description. However, a title I located that came closest to your description was a 1990 movie called "Almost An Angel," starring
Shannon, I've gone looking for this title at the TCM/TBS website, Wikipedia, and the Internet Movie Data Base (imdb.com), using the limited keywords provided, and I believe I might have an answer for you
George, this is the 1989 movie, "How to Get Ahead in Adverising" starring Richard Grant as the ad executive, and it is available on DVD. You can read more about it on the Internet Movie Data Base via

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