Why did Harpo Marx stop talking? How did Hollywood manage to derail Buster Keaton's career? And why was one of radio's biggest stars a ventriloquist?
Comedy historian Garry Berman joins Comedy History 101 to discuss his new book, 100 Years of Laughter: American Comedy in the Twentieth Century. We get into Charlie Chaplin's fear of talking pictures, the Marx Brothers' chaotic vaudeville years, the connection between Abbott and Costello's legendary “Who's on First?” routine and Nathan Fielder's latest documentary, plus how Ellen DeGeneres' Tonight Show debut drew on a routine that stretched back decades.