The Gift of Laughter - Dialogues With the Great Comedians
Now Available on CD!
| The Gift of Laughter - Dialogues With the Great Comedians Now Available on CD! |
|
Patricia Fripp |
 "Patricia
Fripp and Larry Wilde have put together, not a treasure trove, but a national
treasure of the whys and hows of American humor. It's the 'mother lode'
that any writer, amateur or professional speaker simply must have. --Danny Cox, CSP, CPAE "The greatest information
I've ever heard since I became a professional speaker. Every speaker should
have this album. It's invaluable.
In a conversation with my friend, Larry Wilde (New York Times says he is America's best selling funny man) he said, "Making people laugh is the most specialized and respected talent in the arts. It does not matter how successful or famous or rich a comic becomes -- each time he faces an audience he has got to be funny. That agonizing, persistent pressure, that constant challenge keeps the comedian honest -- there is no let-up. In my I attempt to shed some light on the serious business of making people laugh; an effort to comprehend the inscrutable; an endeavor to gain some insight into the mechanics and craft of comedy I invested 3 years interviewing The Great Comedians and wrote my book of that name." I was so fascinated with his stories of conversations with The Great Comedians, I convinced him to let me research his research and interview him on tape about the insights he gained, and life long lessons learned, as a young comedian fighting for interview opportunities talking to household names. The result is "The Gift of Laughter; Dialogues with The Great Comedians." Larry also told me, some sociologists believe a phenomenon of our times is that the love of laughter was inherent in most cultures of early history. Today's laugh makers are the direct descendants of harlequins, clowns and court jesters. And like their historic counterparts the current crop of comics is irreverent, inventive and uncommonly gifted. They are blessed with stiletto-sharp insight as well as the colossal courage to joke about people, places and events that most persons hold sacred. As a professional speaker and executive speech coach, I know even the most serious message delivered on the wings of humor can have a profound effect on the audience, and often enhances learning. I was curious to ask Larry: How did they evoke
laughter? These are some of
the insights Larry learned: Woody Allen's view on achieving stardom is that "it isn't the jokes...it's the individual himself. It's the funny-character emergence that does it. The best material in the world in the hands of a guy who is a hack or doesn't know how to deliver jokes is not going to mean anything." Danny Thomas put it another way: "For the younger people coming up...it's what you say and how you say it that gets you to where you become a who ... and when you become a who your material doesn't have to be as good." Although each comedian Larry interviewed represents a different area of the comedy spectrum, he said they all shared certain basic common characteristics: endless enthusiasm, enormous energy and extraordinary self-awareness. What may come as a surprise to you as you listen to the interviews and Larry's observations, and 20 excerpts of conversations, is the enormous intelligence, remarkable sensitivity and astonishing demand for perfectionism exhibited by those interviewed. I was in awe of how thoughtfully The Great Comedians answered Larry's questions....they enjoyed talking to someone who's life was seeped in comedy....which goes to prove my theory, that the quality of the information you receive depends on the quality of your questions. As I listened to the entire conversations in preparation for my part of the project, I heard Johnny Carson walk over to the telephone and tell his assistant, "Hold all calls," and Maurice Chevalier say "I have never talked to anyone for so long." If you want to hear my interviews with Larry Wilde the album is ready: THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER: Dialogues with The Great Comedians "...all you'll ever need to know about the enjoyment, appreciation and art of performance humor" ... and the actual voices of ... WOODY ALLEN, MILTON BERLE, SHELLEY BERMAN, JACK BENNY, JOEY BISHOP, GEORGE BURNS, JOHNNY CARSON, MAURICE CHEVALIER, PHYLLIS DILLER, JIMMY DURANTE, DICK GREGORY, BOB HOPE, GEORGE JESSEL, JERRY LEWIS, DANNY THOMAS, ED WYNN . What People are Saying about The Gift of Laughter The Gift of Laughter is a KNOCKOUT, HOME RUN, FIRST RATE production. Thanks for creating it, Patricia and Larry. The ideas will be a positive influence on my speaking, but more importantly the "gestalt" of it all will make my life better. I have listened to the tapes once, and will start round two today. I am struck by the sense of immediacy and intimacy that you and Fripp captured, warm and funny, personal and vulnerable, insightful and candid. What a remarkably inspired piece of work from its original inception as an idea within you to the contemporary extrapolation. I loved having you in my car and in my living room sharing ideas about a generation of comedians that I remember very well. You are welcome anytime. With admiration
and appreciation, Your interview of Larry Wilde was expertly crafted, extremely informative as well as entertaining. --Laura Lagana RN, ONC Thank you for your interviews with Larry Wilde. It was very useful (as well as funny) to listen to the tape. I started doing standup comedy in the fall (on top of being a speaker) and it has been a great, valuable skill to learn. Your interviews had a lot of excellent points and examples that will be helpful to me along the way. I admire your commitment to the speaking profession itself, as well as your high standards of preparation and program delivery. Thank you for those as well. --Pavla Michaela Polcarova, CPR Coaching Services "What an awesome job you and Larry Wilde did with The Gift of Laughter album. Those tapes and the way that the two of you presented the material is not just a 'gift,' it should be considered a 'national treasure to everyone interested in humor and speaking.' Thanks for an incredible gift of laughter preserved for all of us. Please pass on my sincere and heartfelt thanks to Mr. Wilde." -- Ersell Liles
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"Funny, informative,
inspirational. An eye-opening look into the minds and hearts of the
great laughmakers." Click here for more about the book, Great Comedians Talk About Comedy! 527 Hugo Street — San Francisco, California 94122 U.S.: 800-634-3035 Phone: (415) 753-6556 — Fax: (415) 753-0914 Email: PFripp@Fripp.com — Web |
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