About this episode

Paul Gagliardi discusses the comedy shorts of 1913 and their connections to the political climate of the time.

Paul Gagliardi, Teaching Associate Professor of English at Marquette University, selects almost entirely comedy shorts for his 1913 highlights, although they connect with his proto-expressionist feature pick in that they all contain morbid underbellies. And diving into the comic commentary of these works, intended or not, reflects a few things about audience reception to movies and politics of the time. Paul is the author of All Play and No Work: The Comic Plays of the Federal Theatre Project . His website is paul-gagliardi.com . Visit the5bestfilmsofeveryyearever.com/list to submit your own top five for 1913! Films and resources mentioned: A House Divided (1913) - Alice Guy-Blaché The Student of Prague (1913) - Stellan Rye Fatty Joins the Force (1913) - George Nichols Cohen Saves the Flag (1913) - Mack Sennett Mabel’s Dramatic Career (1913) - Mack Sennett The Brutalist (2024) - Brady Corbet The Jazz Singer (1927) - Alan Crosland Sherlock Jr. (1924) - Buster Keaton The Battle of Gettysburg (1913) - Charles Giblyn and Thomas Ince My Dinner with Andre (1981) - Louis Malle By the Sea (1915) - Charlie Chaplin The Cook (1918) - Roscoe Arbuckle Mabel and Fatty Viewing the World's Fair…

More episodes of The 5 Best Films of Every Year Ever

• 1913 E6 - Charlie Keil · July 15, 2026 · 1h 0m
• 1913 E4 - Michael Gebert · July 1, 2026 · 59 min
• 1913 E3 - Julie K Allen · June 24, 2026 · 47 min
• 1913 E2 - Shelley Stamp · June 17, 2026 · 50 min

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