The Hal Roach Comedy Shorts of Thelma Todd, ZaSu Pitts and Patsy Kelly - by James L Neibaur (Paperback)

About the Book

"Hoping to follow his success with Laurel and Hardy with a female comedy team, producer Hal Roach paired Thelma Todd with ZaSu Pitts in a 1931 series of two-reel shorts that were quickly successful. This book takes the first film-by-film look at each of the comedies these women made"--

Book Synopsis

Hoping to follow his Laurel and Hardy success with a female comedy team, producer Hal Roach paired Thelma Todd with ZaSu Pitts in a 1931 series of two-reel shorts. Pitts left the studio for other pursuits, was replaced by Patsy Kelly and the series continued to be successful. Todd died under mysterious circumstances in 1935 and Kelly tried to carry on, first with Pert Kelton, then with Lyda Roberti. When Roberti died in 1938, the series ended.

This book takes the first film-by-film look at each of the comedies these women made, how they responded to different directors and how production adapted to changes along the way. Credits, production information, period reviews, and critical assessments are included.

Review Quotes

"Neibaur's book is the first to examine the short comedies of these frequently overlooked comediennes"-Silent-ology.

About the Author

James L. Neibaur is a film historian and scholar with more than 30 books and hundreds of articles appearing in Cineaste, Classic Images, Film Quarterly, Films in Review, Filmfax, and Encyclopædia Britannica.