THE FIRST COMICS ACADEMIC IN FILM? SORRELL BOOKE IN "BYE BYE BRAVERMAN"

by BK MUNN

Is this the first comics academic in film? Sorrell Booke as Holly Levine in "Bye Bye Braverman" (1968, d. Sidney Lumet). In the film, about four writers trying to find their friend's funeral in Brooklyn, Holly announces that he will soon be teaching a course on pop culture, called "From Little Nemo to L'il Abner". This news invites incredulity from his fellow intellectuals, who proceed to quiz him on his comic strip knowledge, asking trivia questions about Little Annie Rooney, Winnie Winkle, The Gumps, Orphan Annie, and Don Winslow of the Navy. Holly passes with flying colours, only getting hung up on the name of the dunce character in The Rinkydinks gang (Denny Dimwit). The film has many other comics references, including mentions of Dick Tracy, Skeezix, Blondie, and Bringing Up Father. Holly has a pop art painting of The Phantom in his apartment, and a Sunday of Irwin Hasen's Dondi is glimpsed at one point. It's a charming comedy in the form of a Joycean odyssey, based on the book "To An Early Grave" by Wallace Markfield (aka "The James Joyce of Brighton Beach").

In real life, Sorrell Booke (1930-1994) was a multilingual polymath, known for his character roles in hundreds of films and television shows. Ironically, he is best known for playing the villainous Boss Hogg on "The Dukes of Hazzard" tv series from 1979 to 1985.

I can't think of many other comics academics in film. Although the study of comic books is mentioned in the novel White Noise, I don't think this was carried over to the recent adaptation. Are there any others?