The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Straight Lady
Chris Enss, author
Howard Kazanjian, author
The Lyons Press
www.lyonspress.com
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
246 Goose Lane, Suite 200, Guilford, CT 06437
www.globepequot.com
9781493060405, $30.00, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Straight-Lady-Margaret-Dumont-Brother/dp/1493060406

Synopsis: Margaret Dumont (born Daisy Juliette Baker; October 20, 1882 - Ma= rch 6, 1965) was a Broadway acting regular by the 1920s. But it was when sh=
e started appearing in film with the Marx Brothers that Dumont found lastin=
g fame.

Tall and regal in bearing, her character provided the perfect foil to the w= isecracking Groucho Marx in a series of films including A Night at the Oper=
a and Duck Soup. Her character's seemingly obliviousness to insult led to t=
he widespread belief, encouraged by Groucho himself, that Dumont was a humo= rless person who never got the joke. a belief she contradicted in a 1942 in= terview. "I'm not a stooge," she said. "I'm a straight lady. There's an art=
to playing straight. You must build up your man but never top him and neve=
r steal the laughs from him.

Straight Lady: The Life and Times of Margaret Dumont, "The Fifth Marx Broth= er" by the team of authors and cinema historians Chris Enss and Howard Kaza= njian focuses on the Dumont and her role in the production of the comedy te= ams' most successful films. Several books have been previously written abou=
t the Marx Brothers as a comedy family and about their individual lives, bu=
t there haven't been any cinematic histories written about the contribution=
of Margaret Dumont to their success -- until now!

Critique: Informed and informative, Straight Lady: The Life and Times of Ma= rgaret Dumont, "The Fifth Marx Brother" must for the personal reading lists=
of motion picture enthusiasts, cinematic film historians, and the legions =
of Marx Brothers' fans. While unreservedly recommended for personal, profes= sional, community, college, and university library 20th Century Cinematic H= istory & Biography collections, it should be noted that "Straight Lady: The=
Life and Times of Margaret Dumont, "The Fifth Marx Brother" is also availa= ble in a digital book format (Kindle, $21.49).

Editorial Note: Chris Enss and Howard Kazanjian have written a number of aw= ard-winning books including "The Young Duke: The Early Life of John Wayne" = and "Cowboys, Creatures and Classics: The Story of Republic Pictures".

Horror Films of 2000-2009
John Kenneth Muir
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476678054, $75.00, HC, 699pp

https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Films-2000s-John-Kenneth/dp/1476678057

Synopsis: Horror films have always reflected their audiences' fears and anx= ieties. In the United States, the 2000s were a decade full of change in res= ponse to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the contested presidential election of=
2000, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. These social and political cha= nges, as well as the influences of Japanese horror and New French extremism=
, had a profound effect on American horror filmmaking during the 2000s.

"Horror Films of 2000-2009" by cinema historian John Kenneth Muir is a film= ography that covers more than 300 horror films released in America from 200=
0 through 2009, including such popular forms as found footage, torture porn=
, and remakes. Each entry covers a single film and includes credits, a syno= psis, and a lengthy critical commentary. The appendices include common horr=
or conventions, a performer hall of fame, and memorable ad lines.

Critique: Featuring black/white illustrations, and organized chronologicall=
y by year, "Horror Films of 2000-2009" is a massive coffee-table style volu=
me (8.5 x 1.4 x 11 inches, 4.18 pounds) that is an comprehensive, extraordi= nary, essential, and critically important addition to personal, professiona=
l, community, and academic library 21st Century Cinematic History collectio= ns.

Editorial Note: John Kenneth Muir (http://johnkennethmuir.com) is an Americ=
an literary critic and award-winning author. As of 2022, he has written 30 = reference books in the fields of film and television, with a particular foc=
us on the horror and science fiction genres.

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