Parody as Film Genre: Never Give a Saga an Even Break (review)

Book Reviews | Regular Feature son provides a comparison ofthe two major Lincoln films which ended the decade of the 30's—Abe Lincoln in Illinois and Young Mr. Lincoln. The text concludes with three exhaustive lists chronologically detailing the names and credits associated with Lincoln in films, on television, and in assorted venues. If, like Terry O'Quinn in his lead role in the movie The Stepfather, you are obsessively looking for "a little order," you won't find it here. Thompson's loose knit structure and chapter contents virtually defy description. The chapter dealing with the "great Lincoln impersonators" fails to mention Henry Fonda, despite the author's opinion that Young Mr. Lincoln "must be considered among the greatest of Lincoln films" and that not only was Fonda "perfectly cast," but "his performance is flawless." Similarly, onewonders whythe authorchoseto do aseparatechapter on D. W. Griffith and not John Ford, whom he describes as "the cinema's greatest poet," especially when he clearly is astoundedby the critics' acclaim ofGriffith's only true Lincoln film, Abraham Lincoln. The apparent haphazard organization of the book makes specific information more difficult to find and contributes to a certain level of redundancy—as when Thompson repeats almost verbatim the story of Henry Fonda's reluctance to accept the proffered role of Lincoln in Young Mr. Lincoln. Despite the apparent lack of "order," Thompson manages to be deceptively thorough in his coverage ofthe subject, and to do so in an entertaining fashion. Perhaps it is just this low key sense of organization which makes the book as impressive as it is; like a tour guide who seems to be lost, Thompson seems to be leading aimlessly all over the map but somehow he manages to get you to your destination with the added benefits of seeing a few unexpected scenic wonders which were not in the brochure. It is only in looking back that you realize he knew what he was doing all along. Like a Monet painting, if you look at it too closely it appears to be a mass ofconfusion; it is only when you look at itfrom across theroomthat you can appreciate the method in the madness. Frank Thompson clearly favors the poetic over the historical interpretations of Lincoln. William Paquette Tidewater Community College TCPAQUW@tc.cc.va.us Wes D. Gehring. Parody as Film Genre: Never Give a Saga an Even Break. Greenwood Press, 1999. 223 pages; $60.00. Why Don't You Come Up and Read Me Sometime? Space is not the final frontier. Film is! That is exactly how I felt after reading Wes Gehring's Parody as Film Genre. Each chapter was a trip at warp speed to a moon surrounding planet Parody in a galaxy far, far away where Gehring beamed me down to Star Wars space bars of familiars and aliens from Hollywood's past. The knowledge imparted was like a meteor, shower-brilliant, but at times overwhelming. Beam me up, Wes, my circuits are on overload! Wes Gehring, a Ball State University film professor, brings a deep love ofmotion pictures and extensive writing on the subject and some of its stars to this project. In what could have been a literary quagmire by a less skilled author, Gehring, writes a logical, sequential guided tour through the seven characteristics of parody, the distinctions between parody and satire, and the cultural movements that have shaped filmmaking. However , as well as the subject is covered, the reader benefits if he comes to this bookwith a goodknowledge ofthe titles discussed or rents some of the titles reviewed before continuing a chapter or going on to the next. What I really liked about this book was Gehring's inclusion of contemporary film reviews, detailed footnotes with references , and the extensive bibliography. I was comforted by the knowledge that movie critics sometimes missed the multifaceted meanings ofa screenplay's parody when it was released. In fact, some photodramas and actors went unappreciated for decades only to be rediscovered as cultural icons by later generations . A case in point is Bob Hope. I had always perceived Hope, Dorothy Lamour, and Bing Crosby as nothing more than a comedie 1930s edition of Mod...