http://www.dramaandacting.com/book-reviews-and-shop/the-hanlon-brothers-their-amazing-acrobatics-pantomimes-and-stage-spectacles Activities and Resources for Students and Teachers Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:32:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 http://www.dramaandacting.com/book-reviews-and-shop/the-hanlon-brothers-their-amazing-acrobatics-pantomimes-and-stage-spectacles/comment-page-1#comment-436 John Towsen Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:38:22 +0000 http://www.dramaandacting.com/book-reviews-and-shop/the-hanlon-brothers-their-amazing-acrobatics-pantomimes-and-stage-spectacles#comment-436 Much of 20th-century silent film comedy, especially the work of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, grew directly out of the physical comedy tradition spawned by the 19th-century theatrical troupe the Hanlon-Lees. John A. McKinven has written the first history of this troupe, and he has done a fine job. It is obviously a labor of love. The illustrations are wonderful, the story fascinating, and his understanding of stage machinery a huge asset; indeed, many of the Hanlons' spectacular special effects were a precursor to today's Broadway stage and blockbuster films. An index would have been a plus, but other than that this is a thorough piece of work and a welcome addition to one's theatrical library. --John Towsen, author: Clowns, a Panoramic History Rating: 5 / 5 Much of 20th-century silent film comedy, especially the work of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, grew directly out of the physical comedy tradition spawned by the 19th-century theatrical troupe the Hanlon-Lees. John A. McKinven has written the first history of this troupe, and he has done a fine job. It is obviously a labor of love. The illustrations are wonderful, the story fascinating, and his understanding of stage machinery a huge asset; indeed, many of the Hanlons’ spectacular special effects were a precursor to today’s Broadway stage and blockbuster films. An index would have been a plus, but other than that this is a thorough piece of work and a welcome addition to one’s theatrical library. –John Towsen, author: Clowns, a Panoramic History
Rating: 5 / 5

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