Hitchcock and Humor

"Hitchcock and Humor - Modes of Comedy in Twelve Defining Films" by Wes D. Gehring coming June 26th I don't want to start any blasphemous rumors, but I think Alfred Hitchcock has a sick sense of humor... Paperback, 282 pages, McFarland & Co inc "Gehring remains supreme in film comedy scholarship" - Choice

Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery has been described as "a kind of Rear Window for retirees." As this quote suggests, an analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's methodical use of comedy in his films is past due. One of Turner Classic Movies' on-screen scholars for their summer 2017 online Hitchcock class, Gehring grew tired during research of misleading throwaway references to the director's "comic relief." This book examines what should be obvious: Hitchcock systematically incorporated assorted types of comedy-black humor, parody, farce/screwball comedy and romantic comedy-in his films to entertain his audience with "comic" thrillers. And a bonus twist is a provocatively new dark comedy "reading" of the Hitchcock MacGuffin. Wes D. Gehring is a distinguished professor of film at Ball State University and associate media editor for USA Todaymagazine, for which he also writes a column "Reel World." He is the author of 39 film books.