Ted Okuda (born December 8, 1953) is an American non-fiction author and film historian. He has many books and magazine features to his credit, under his own name and in collaboration with others.

Career

Okuda's long-held interest in movie comedies led to his first book, ''The Columbia Comedy Shorts'' (1986, with Edward Watz), an in-depth account of

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

' short-subject department, detailing the production of two-reel comedies starring

The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

Andy Clyde Andrew Allan Clyde (March 25, 1892 – May 18, 1967), was a Scottish-born American film and television actor whose career spanned some 45 years. In 1921 he broke into silent films as a Mack Sennett comic, debuting in ''On a Summer Day''. H ...

, Charley Chase, and

Gus Schilling August "Gus" Schilling (June 20, 1908 – June 16, 1957) was an American film actor who started in burlesque comedy and usually played nervous comic roles, often unbilled. A friend of Orson Welles, he appeared in five of the director's films � ...

& Richard Lane, among many others. Since the book's first publication in 1986, Okuda has explored other areas of popular culture, including science fiction, children's television, and silent films. Okuda's other books include '' Dorothy Lee: The Life and Films of the Wheeler and Woolsey Girl'' (2013, with Jamie Brotherton), ''Stan Without Ollie: The

Stan Laurel Stan Laurel ( ; born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, director and writer who was in the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 sh ...

Solo Films'' (2012, with James L. Neibaur), ''Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows'' (2007, with Mark Yurkiw), ''The Soundies Book: A Revised and Expanded Guide'' (2007, with Scott MacGillivray), ''

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

at Keystone and Essanay'' (2005, with David Maska), ''The Golden Age of Chicago Children's Television'' (2004, with Jack Mulqueen), and ''The

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian, with a career spanning seven decades in film, stage, television and radio. Famously nicknamed as "Th ...

Films'' (1995, with Neibaur). He also contributed chapters to the books ''Science Fiction America'' (edited by David J. Hogan) and ''Guilty Pleasures of the Horror Film'' (edited by Gary and Susan Svehla), and wrote the foreword for MacGillivray's '' Castle Films: A Hobbyist's Guide''. His articles, interviews, and reviews have appeared in such publications as ''Filmfax'', '' Classic Images'', ''Cult Movies'', ''Classic Film Collector'', '' The Big Reel'', and '' Movie Collector's World''. He has also appeared on television, usually with popular movie host and Stooge expert Rich Koz.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Okuda, Ted 1953 births Living people American non-fiction writers Place of birth missing (living people)