King of Comedy: The Lively Arts

This is the story of Mack Sennett, one the world’s most influential entertainers. Based on interviews with Mr. Sennett and persons associated with the master comedian, King of Comedy begins with Sennett’s birth on January 17, 1880 in a province of Quebec. The story invites the reader to follow Sennett through his childhood, his many entertainment experiences, his personal life highlighted by his relationship with Mabel Normand, his creation of masterpieces such as Keystone Cops and his discoveries of unforgettable entertainers such as Charlie Chaplin. As he states in his final chapter, Mack Sennett strives to, “…tell about the comedies and how we made them, and about the funny fellows and the pretty girls who acted in them. They are a lost breed. Their like may never, walk, tumble, or pratt-fall again.” And the same holds true for the likes of a man such as Mack Sennett.