Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-14
BY HARRY o. HOYT
Head of the Metro Srennrio StaT

THERE was time when we never used
i comedy in a melodramatic photoplay. II
comedy was used at all people would laugh
at the melodrama. All this has changed
now, however. The reason why formerly
we did not use comedy was that in the
shorter subjects we had no time to bring
comedy in. Then there has come about a
change in the public's taste They have
been educated by the pictures The
movies" were taken as more or less of
joke at first, and If there was a chance to
laugh at them 1t was about all the public
wanted. With the advent of the feature
picture, however. there Is time to develop
not only tho story and the drama, but to
round 1t c<It and make II fuller and stronger
with cUnedy relief
If you wri.> a slngle-reel drama even
now YOU '~:;l find little space in which to
tell your story and develop comedy at the
same time without giving the appearance
of dragging 1t in. Comedy requires the
same care in development as drama. You
must first lay your ground work and es-
tablish your premises.
IL you have single-reel drama or even
a two-reel drama, you have not the space
necessary for comedy. II you have the
space, nine times out of ten you have a
drama that is thin and nnocuous. with
none OF the qualities which make a strong
story.
in feature subjects 1t is as necessary as
the drama. 1t gives your story a balance
that is otherwise lacking. In recent pic
ture n young child is seen playing in a
locked room with the house on fire. We
get the suspense and II heightens. Just at
the time when the audience feels that there
must be some action, some rescue attempted,
we are shown what she is playing with.
1t is curious and assorted collection OF
puppies and kittens
laH FIR dy h1Ia
here. One of the dogs gets his head
caught in small pitcher. First the fire
raging is flashed and then the child and
then the dogs attempts to get free. one
OF the puppies catches the imprisoned dogs
tail in his mouth and starts to drag him
away.
The audience was held breathess in sus-
pense one moment and the next second
was laughing. But each time the fire was
flashed 1t was larger and the sudden shock
of this discovery was intensified by the
comedy that preceded it, The suspense
was increased by the comedy.
As the drama falls the comedy should
rise You do not lose your suspense II
this rule is followed. Imagine two lines
starting at given point, one drama, the
other comedy. Let the drama rise If II is
a dramatic story 1t should rise first. Then
as your comedy is introduced it will rise.
When your drama comes TO a halt pre-
paratory to taking some new angle or in
trs-+leing some new situations, the comedy
line should rise and cross II. AS your
drama falls your comedy rises. The illus
tration ON this page win make this clear
As you will notice in the illustration the
comedy is greatest In the middle of your
story, and has died out at the finish This
is natural You are writing a drama 1t
has Its episodes and 1t Is at the close of
the episodes that the comedy rises
When you near the climax the suspense is
increasing You have laid your premises
and now the story Is coming N ifs close
The punch is at hand, There is little room
for comedy here, although touches OF COM
edy may be used
Do not confuse a comedy touch with the
vein OF comedy under discussion. Comedy
touches are used for intensifying the sus-