Description
Book SynopsisA look at the camp cult appeal of MGM musicals of the 1940s and 50s to gay men today, along with an historical analysis of the films' production histories
Trade Review“Steven Cohan’s
Incongruous Entertainment brings together two fascinating subjects—camp and the musical—that are often casually linked but have never been explored as carefully and usefully as they are here.”—Pamela Robertson Wojcik, author of
Guilty Pleasures: Feminist Camp from Mae West to Madonna“Steven Cohan’s scholarship is impeccable and his writing elegant and witty. He pulls together all the previous approaches to camp and uses them to explore the mgm musical and its stars from every angle I could think of—and a few I would never have thought of.”—Alexander Doty, author of
Flaming Classics: Queering the Film Canon“Cohan meticulously supports his argument with detailed examples while eloquently and often humorously bringing the musicals and their stars to life. Both fans and novices are invited to rethink the political import of the MGM musicals from the studio era through the present. . . . Because of Cohan's revisionist scholarship, this book is also an essential read for anyone who studies camp and musicals.” -- Leah Perry * Journal of Popular Culture *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
1. Improbable Stuff: Camp and the MGM House Style 41
2. The Lady is a Camp: Glamour, Star Turns, and the Boys in the Chorus 88
3. Dancing with Balls: Sissies, Sailors, and the Camp Masculinity of Gene Kelly 149
4. What a Glorious Classic:
Singin’ in the Rain and Mass-Camp Recycling 200
5. Hollywood’s Most Precious Jewels: The MGM Musical’s Return As a Camp Commodity 246
6. Judy on the Net: Garland, Camp, and Contemporary Fandom 287
Conclusion 337
Notes 343
Works Cited 353
Index 361
