Slapstick
Slapstick
!A slapstick scene from the 1915 [Charlie Chaplin film His New Job. Chaplin started his film career as a physical comedian, and his later work continued to contain elements of slapstick.](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Chaplin%2CCharlie%28HisNewJob%2903.jpg/250px-Chaplin%2CCharlie%28HisNewJob%2903.jpg)
Slapstick
The term arises from a device developed for use in the broad, physical comedy style known as commedia dell'arte in 16th-century Italy. The "slap stick)" consists of two thin slats of wood, which makes a "slap" when striking another actor, with little force needed to make a loud—and comical—sound. The physical slap stick remains a key component of the plot in the traditional and popular Punch and Judy puppet show. More contemporary examples of slapstick humor include The Three Stooges, The Naked Gun and Mr. Bean).
Origins
!A slap stick
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