Introduced by Eric Rittatore

“Audiovisual comedy is now in its iron age, but this does not detract from the fact that laughing remains a serious and intellectually sophisticated matter. Until we receive ethological proof to the contrary, human beings remain the only animals whose brains are sufficiently developed that they can laugh – and for a variety of different reasons and in subtly different ways.” (Giannalberto Bendazzi)

In Lisbon in 2019 the film critic and historian Giannalberto Bendazzi received the first honorary degree ever assigned to a scholar of animation. While much of his interest was dedicated to this topic, he never stopped pursuing his first love: actualities. He immersed himself in the study of Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Laurel and Hardy, and the Marx Brothers – In other words, slapstick films and their specifically cinematic character. His hero in this field was Buster Keaton, and he edited the Italian edition of Robert Benayoun’s classic The Look of Buster Keaton (1982). He wrote several books on Woody Allen, including The Films of Woody Allen which was published in 14 editions and seven languages. In 1977 came Mel Brooks. L’ultima follia di Hollywood, which was also translated into French. Among his many essays, we would like to recall one dedicated to female comedy (“Cineforum”, January-February 1982).
The programme we are presenting includes examples of comedy and humour from a wide range of genres: from slapstick to caricature, from the silent to sound era, from light comedy to commedia dell’arte, from tragic comedy to nonsense. As Roger Rabbit reminds us timing, above all, is the most important element in both comedy and animation: “Nobody can take punches like Goofy! What timing! What a light touch! What a genius!”
Kooky Goofy, an artist who this year will celebrate his 90th birthday, is certainly capable of bridging the generations through the innate and uncontrollable human instinct of laughter.

Eric Rittatore

Red Hot Riding Hood
(Cappuccetto Rosso a Hollywood, USA/1943)
R.: Tex Avery. D.: 7’

Le Moine et le poisson
(Il monaco e il pesce, Francia/1994)
R.: Michael Dudok de Wit. D.: 6’

Goofy Gymnastics
(Le esercitazioni di Pippo, USA/1949)
R.: Jack Kinney. D.: 7’

Gerald McBoingBoing
(USA/1950)
R.: Robert Cannon. D.: 7’

Pulcinella
(Italia/1973)
R.: Giulio Gianini, Emanuele Luzzati. D.: 11’

Flip the Frog – Soda Squirt
(USA/1933)
R.: Ub Iwerks. D.: 6’