Hokum! takes a comprehensive look at short-subject slapstick comedy in the early sound era. Challenging the pervasive belief that sound de- stroyed the slapstick tradition, King, associate professor of film in the School of the Arts, explores the slap- stick short’s Depression-era devel- opment against a backdrop of chang- es in film industry practice, comedic tastes, and moviegoing culture. Each chapter is grounded in case stud- ies of comedians and comic teams, including the Three Stooges, Laure