FLM 167 — Seriously Funny: Diane Keaton and the Tradition of Carole Lombard
Quarter: Spring
Instructor(s): Mick LaSalle
Date(s): Apr 2—Jun 4
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Thursdays
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Tuition: $500
Refund Deadline: Apr 4
Unit(s): 2
Status: Open
Quarter: Spring
Day: Thursdays
Duration: 10 weeks
Time: 7:00—8:50 pm (PT)
Date(s): Apr 2—Jun 4
Unit(s): 2
Tuition: $500
Refund Deadline: Apr 4
Instructor(s): Mick LaSalle
Grade Restriction: No letter grade
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Open
The name Diane Keaton brings a flood of images to mind: her stumbling shyness in Annie Hall, sitting on a park bench in Manhattan, searching for Warren Beatty in Reds, strolling the beach with Jack Nicholson in Something’s Gotta Give. She brought truth and depth to both broad comedy and intense drama, and when she died in October 2025, the loss felt unexpectedly personal to many people.
Carole Lombard, similarly beloved, also had a range spanning comedy to drama and, in many ways, paved the way for Keaton. The course begins with a three-night introduction to Lombard, featuring her most important films (My Man Godfrey, To Be or Not to Be). Then we’ll dive into Keaton’s 50-year career—from The Godfather to Book Club—with nights devoted to Annie Hall, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Reds, and The First Wives Club, among others.
The course will explore Keaton’s career as a continuation, expansion, and realization of what Lombard brought to the screen in the 1930s and ’40s.
Carole Lombard, similarly beloved, also had a range spanning comedy to drama and, in many ways, paved the way for Keaton. The course begins with a three-night introduction to Lombard, featuring her most important films (My Man Godfrey, To Be or Not to Be). Then we’ll dive into Keaton’s 50-year career—from The Godfather to Book Club—with nights devoted to Annie Hall, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Reds, and The First Wives Club, among others.
The course will explore Keaton’s career as a continuation, expansion, and realization of what Lombard brought to the screen in the 1930s and ’40s.
All films can be rented or streamed through Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play, or other online platforms.
MICK LASALLE
Film Critic Emeritus, San Francisco Chronicle
Mick LaSalle is an internationally recognized thought leader on the pre-Code era, the author of two books on the subject, and of the Turner Classic Movies documentary Complicated Women, narrated by Jane Fonda. He is the author of two other books on cinema, The Beauty of the Real and Dream State, and is the film critic emeritus for the San Francisco Chronicle.Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.