Girls Just Want to Have Funny: Female Film Comedies of the 1980’s
Short Interview with Author Dan Lalande
What first got you interested in the subject?
My previous book, Heroes of The New Hollywood: Hoffman, Hackman, Nicholson, Pacino, Duvall and De Niro in the 70’s, was about the greatest generation of male actors the screen has ever seen, covering their peak period. But while the 70’s, on screen, was a great decade for men, it was a terrible time for women. Despite the fact that feminism was nearing full stride, there were few vehicles for women. In the 80’s, though, that changed. The swing factor, interestingly, was comedy. So, looking to create gender balance, I decided to write a book about the unheralded generation of women who re-established the female imprint on commercial cinema through the art of generating laughter.
What was the most interesting thing you discovered?
I had always known that women, in Hollywood, had been given short shrift. My research let me know just how short. The long period from the introduction of sound to the 80’s marginalized five generations of versatile creatives who could have easily crafted a catalog as good, if not better, than what was produced.
What pitfalls or rewards did you find along the way?
The pitfall was that I was a man writing about women. I worried about cultural appropriation, about misrepresentation, about outdated or incorrect language, about whether or not publishers or readers would take me seriously (sure enough, 16 publishers turned the book down before BearManor Media enthusiastically signed on). As for the rewards, I knew I’d have fun reliving the 80’s and watching all of the great female-generated films produced over that time, titles like Private Benjamin and Outrageous Fortune, which are just as rewarding today.
What will readers enjoy about your book?
I’m hoping they’ll have fun, as I did, rediscovering the times and the films. They’ll also get to know the actors, auteurs, and writers behind those movies more intimately and be brought to appreciate the full breadth of their accomplishments as artists and feminists.
What do you hope to achieve with your book?
The point was to shed light on an important movement that cinematic history has ignored. With strong sales and good reviews, the book should help get those extraordinarily talented women their lasting due.