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Mel Gordon
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Theatre of Fear & Horror: Expanded Edition: The Grisly Spectacle of the Grand Guignol of Paris, 1897-1962 Paperback – August 9, 2016

by Mel Gordon (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 60
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"Bloodcurdling shrieks, fiendish schemes, deeds of darkness, mayhem and mutilation—we all have a rough idea of what Grand Guignol stands for. But until now it has been hard to find out much more about it than that. According to the American theater historian Mel Gordon, no major history of the theater so much as mentions it, although it is a form of entertainment that held its own on the Paris stage for more than half a century. But Mr. Gordon has made a thorough job of filling the gap."—John Gross, The New York Times

Here is the expanded edition of classic outré book, The Grand Guignol, first published in 1988 and now long out of print.

Like the original anthology, it includes an illustrated introduction to the theater of Paris and abroad, a breakdown of its stage tricks, a summary of one hundred plots, extensive photo documentation, André de Lord's essay, "Fear in Literature," and two originally produced Grand Guignol scripts.

The expanded edition also contains additional graphic and textual material including a color insert of Grand Guignol posters; the 1938 autobiographical account of Maxa, the company's leading female performer entitled "I Am the Maddest Woman in the World"; and the controversial playscript Orgy in the Lighthouse.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    220 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Feral House
  4. Publication date
    August 9, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    7 x 0.75 x 10 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1627310312
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1627310314
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Feral House; Second edition (August 9, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1627310312
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1627310314
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.19 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.75 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 60

About the author

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Mel Gordon

Mel Gordon

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Ph.D., Theater, New York University. Directing, Acting, History of Theater. Author of Dada Performance; Erik Jan Hanussen; Expressionist Texts; The Grand Guignol: The Theatre of Horror and Terror; Lazzi: The Comic Routines of the Commedia dell’Arte; Mikhoels the Wise; The Seven Addictions and Five Professions of Anita Berber; The Stanislavsky Technique in America; The Stanislavsky Technique: Russia; Voluptuous Panic: The Erotic World of Weimar Berlin; and co-writer of Meyerhold, Eisenstein and Biomechanics: Actor Training in Revolutionary Russia as well as one hundred and thirty articles and entries on American, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Yiddish theater and cinema. Director of over twenty productions in Frankfurt, Houston, New York City, Paris, and Zurich. Former Associate Editor of The Drama Review. Taught at Lee Strasberg Institute, Michael Chekhov Studio, New York University, and Yale University.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
60 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Paul Creasy
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2018
Verified Purchase
For those who have heard of the Gran Guignol, opportunities for finding details are scarce. This book delivers such details. With amazing production stills, full plotlines and plays revealed and an incredibly detailed history, all curiosities have been answered. Give this tiny theatre's outsized influence on the culture of not only France, but all of Europe and the US, the history of the Gran Guignol should be better known. This book rectified that. I highly recommend!
3 people found this helpful
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A. Cruz
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book on little known subject
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2021
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Great book. Good price. Just do it.
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Charlie Messing
4.0 out of 5 stars Best book on the history of the Grand Guignol of Paris
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
Really good, but half of it is simply the plotlines of 100 plays. So it's not as in-depth as one might like, but I have no idea where anyone could find out more. I'm very happy to have it - it was a pivotal point in entertainment - the link between Grimm's tales and modern horror movies.
RIP both the author and the publisher.
5 people found this helpful
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david g
5.0 out of 5 stars heard about the Guinol for years and was wonderful to actually read some of the plays
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2017
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heard about the Guinol for years and was wonderful to actually read some of the plays. wow, some of em are knockouts! I wish I could have seen Maxa. I'd have gone to see her every night, like Peter Lorre in 'Mad Love'!
5 people found this helpful
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Rich Moreland
5.0 out of 5 stars Gore, Terror, and Sex
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2016
Mel Gordon’s The Theatre of Fear and Horror: The Grisly Spectacle of the Grand Guignol of Paris,1897-1962, updates the original version published in 1988. This new edition is replete with pages of color plates displaying old theater posters. A host of photos, sketches, and the cartoon as social commentary, add visual interest to a narrative that walks the reader through the history of the bizarre Parisian entertainment space.

For novices who know little about the Grand Guignol, Gordon’s book is a superb primer. For stage and film historians, it is a must-have addition to their libraries.

The author breaks the text into two major parts.

The first is a brief chronological account of the theater beginning with its birth as an 18th century chapel. By 1897 the Grand Guignol found its place in the cultural landscape of Paris, albeit off the beaten track.

As stage artist Maxa, who was known as the “High Priestess of the Temple of Horror,” explains, the Grand Guignol was “situated in a dark, narrow street . . . No one would suspect a theater in such a sordid, dingy neighborhood.”

Taking much of its material from the police blotter, gore, terror, and sex were served up nightly in short plays combined with a sprinkling of comedies to ease audience tension.

The psychologist Alfred Binet was among a handful playwrights who found an audience at the Grand Guignol. Patrons ran the gamut of European royalty to a lesser sort whose fame was in progress. The pastry chef Ho Chi Minh and female erotic author Anais Nin were followers of the Guignol stage.

The theater contributed to the early success of the horror films of German Expressionism, most notably The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. But in time, Hollywood films like Dracula and Frankenstein were using the Grand Guignol formula, hastening changes that ate into its popularity, Gordon tells us.

The second part of the book contains a brief autobiography of Paula Maxa that is a must read and two complete play scripts one which is co-authored by Binet. Also, Gordon gives the reader brief plot summaries of scores of plays performed in the theater’s sixty-five year history.

Lastly, the book reprints an essay by playwright, Andre de Lorde, who is the co-author with Alfred Binet of "A Crime in the Madhouse," one of the two plays included in the book’s final pages.

Overall, The Theatre of Fear and Horror is a concise history and a delightful collection of anecdotes. There is a downside, however. Gordon includes photos of people associated with the theater but does not identify them by name, leaving the reader to do some guesswork. Similarly there are many unidentified scenes that pique our interest but we have no way of knowing their connections to the plays in the text.

Nevertheless, The Theatre of Fear and Horror is a smooth read that moves with a lively pace. I highly recommend it.
13 people found this helpful
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Zube
3.0 out of 5 stars A bit too much filler.
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2018
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There's a lot of filler here (original scripts, story outlines, etc.) and I have to say that the author does not go at enough length about the history of the GG to meet my taste. Still, it is a fascinating look at an unusual phenomenon.
One person found this helpful
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Kevin J Wetmore, Jr.
4.0 out of 5 stars Third edition of the book has some great additions (I own and use the first two editions ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2017
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Third edition of the book has some great additions (I own and use the first two editions in my teaching), although I'm not sure the addition of "Orgy in the Lighthouse" improves the volume - the plays in the first two editions seemed like better choices. Having said that, this is a great, user-friendly introduction to the Grand Guignol and an excellence reference tool for the people, plays and history of that remarkable theatre.
3 people found this helpful
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Ken B.
4.0 out of 5 stars ... probably the only book on this subject and it's good too. If you like Sweeney Todd
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2016
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Here's probably the only book on this subject and it's good too. If you like Sweeney Todd, this is where it all came from.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Michael R. Eaton
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 30, 2016
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A handsome expanded edition with many fine colour reproductions. Excellent.
One person found this helpful
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Keith
4.0 out of 5 stars Great BOok
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2018
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Great book.well illustrated. Includes plays in genre. Recommended reading for grand guineas. Authorities text.american spelling and punctuation .useful synopses inclyd3d
One person found this helpful
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