The Washington times., 1915-03-22
Use Laugh Barometer
To Make Comedy
In the Film
Dramas.

One of the most important things
that the pictures have done during
the past year is to prove that there
can be such thing as real comedy.
In the early days Of the pictures the
statement was made that the only
way 10 get laugh was by slapstick
methods. There are many produc-
ers of film plays who still think they
cannot produce comedy without slap
stick methods.
But there have been produced some
comedies within the past year which
did not depend on horseplay. Real
laughs have been secured without
resor:ing to anything but the most
careful of comedy methods. One of
the most successful of the photo
players in this kind of comedy has
been Adele Harrington of the Bos-
worth company. Miss Harrington
hac proved herself TO be a real COM
edienne.
How do you know when You are
putting sufficient force Into a scene
mental force that is-to arouse
laughter when you have no audience
TO gauge by" Miss Harrington re-
peated when the question was asked
her Long ago l had formulated a
scheme whereby ! could gauge my
auditors in theater, by working on
the feelings OF some one man or
woman in the audience. l would
usually select some srouchy looking
individual in the front row and work
10 him as though he was my sole
auditor. Then, when my work began
10 reap its reward in laughs. | knew
l had my audience.
When l entered upon the protes-
sion OF photoplayer I felt that ! had
lost this opportunity to gauge my
work. But it occurred to me that
there must be someone about the
studios that | could use as n laugh
barometer. And so began to search
for a mournful man OF woman |
could use for this purpose.
THE best person in the world to
work a funny story on is sad man
or woman Tor when they 40 laugh
1t Is whole-hearted and responsive. /
found, in the property room of the
studio, what | consider the saddest
man It has ever been my misfortune
COR was 1t good fortune for mel to
encounter
"He had lost all his money in a
gold mining scheme; was suspended
from his lodge for non-payment of
dues: his sweetheart. when she
learned of his financial difficulties.
tossed him over, and, owing to the
terrible conditions caused by the
ton for 325 a week. He was sad
and gloomy.
Il confided in my director. ] told
her of my former success with the
human barometer and she bore
with me. Surely she replied, use
him II you think il will do you any
good. So, unbcknown to my sad
and gloomy friend. I had the prop
erty man approach him and tell him
that for the forthcoming week he
would receive s. additional in salary.
and that as soon as his work in the
property room was finished he
should report TO the director. He
did, and was seated right where I
could watch him throughout the
most OF my scenes.
AT first my barometer refused
absolutely to rise or fall His mind
was evidently on his lost money,
tickle flancee. or waning influence,
for he sat as though petrified. We
were in the MIDST Of my first picture
venture, a Country Mouse, and
had reached the scene where |, AZ
the wife of the new senator, Jealous
of other women's fineries. secure a
host OF manicurists, dressmakers,
hair dressers, shoemakers. and dane
ing masters. and go through the
evoiutions from a typical country
mouse to a wonderfully dressed city
woman. | put into this scene every
ounce of energy ! could muster. and
10, and behold! my barometer let
out a whoop. lie simply roared.
and they say he hadn't laughed for
months before.
Il was content, had GauSed my
comedy propensities IN pantomime
and had won. was satisfied the
same rule of iaughmaking maintain
- in photoplay as on the stage"