“My tastes haven’t evolved”: The Golden Age stars who inspired Bruce Campbell’s unique approach to comedy
Is it really a schlocky, low-budget cult horror classic if Bruce Campbell isn’t involved?
From his breakout role in Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead to less successful ventures such as Mindwarp or the direct-to-video sequel to From Dusk till Dawn, the scariest genre owes a lot to the man with the biggest chin in show business, and he even hosted his own horror movie festival in the mid-2010s. But while horror might be his bread and butter, he rarely takes it seriously, because what really sets Campbell apart from other B-movie legends is his sense of humour.
He is a very funny guy, which might explain why he’s been cast in so many comedy/horror mash-ups, playing a man who has delusions of being Elvis Presley in the utterly bonkers Bubba Ho-Tep, has appeared as himself in a number of parodies and spoofs, and even left the horror behind and ventured into straight-up comedies more than a few times.
Campbell’s sense of humour feels very old-school; his sleazy charm and penchant for zingers and one-liners wouldn’t feel out of place sitting across from Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, and as he explained to Fractal Matter, this analysis is bang on the money.
“I liked vintage Bob Hope, when he was really sharp,” he revealed.
If you grew up in the United States at pretty much any point in the 20th century, then you know who Bob Hope is, for he was involved in just about every avenue of entertainment there was, from vaudeville to radio, feature film to entertaining the troops abroad. He lived to the grand old age of 100 and was active in show business for eight decades, setting a template for longevity that still inspires stars of a certain age today. He’s also one of the few people to have ever lived who could rival Bruce in the chin department.
Our boy Bruce also gave a shoutout to Danny Kaye, a much more traditional stage performer who could sing, dance, tell jokes, perform physical comedy, you name it. He was a movie star in his own right, notably appearing in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Court Jester, and White Christmas, and his performance as the titular character in the 1952 musical Hans Christian Andersen played a big role in shaping the career of a certain David Bowie.
According to Campbell, these sorts of performers bring a certain element of professionalism that has been somewhat lost from comedy today. “[I like] most of the old school actors because they were really polished in their trade,” he continued, “My tastes haven’t really evolved since, because I see a lot of slacker-like acting these days.”
Considering the state of modern comedy, Hope, Kaye, and their ilk feel like they’re from a completely different universe, but it’s also essential to remember that, without this straight-laced version of comedy, the alternative scene wouldn’t have had anything to rebel against, so while some of their routines might seem quaint or even embarrassing by modern standards, Campbell makes a great point when he mentions how dedicated they were to their craft.
