Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-10
The GenealOgy of Jokes.

The general morgue where all the
comedians and librettists go for their
jokes has beep discovered and is about
to be made the subject of a book by
William Norris, the clever Gordon
blue comedian. who is one of the
features of the Winter Garden produc-
ton, "A World of Pleasure" the at
traction of the Palace Music hall,
Chicago. Mr.. Norris has spent CON
siderable time and research in tracing
the genealogy of jokes, and his discov-
cries will undoubtedly please the
Smith brothers, Harry and Robert;
Harold Atteridge, Glen McDonough
and other compendiums of laughs, as
we'll as numerous comedians.
In his book Mr.. Norris tells the
origin of most of the jokes used by
comedians of today, and in it the
future comedians of our stage will find
many good tip and helpful hint for
the making of success. For any man
with sense of humOr and a copy of
Norris Compendium of Comedy
may approach the footlights assured
that his stuff is going to get" EN-
One of the most interesting features
in Norris work is his discovery that
the jokes utilized by every comedian
may be traced to less than twenty-five
subjects, and" adds Mr. Norris, IF
the average theatre-goer takes the
trouble to dissect every Joke hurled at
him over the footlights he will find its
derivation in my book, and nine times
out of ten it will be one of these
twenty-five original subjects. 1t is i'm
possible for a comedian to invent any
thing new. Since the days of the
strolling players in England Until the
present time our funny men have been
getting their laughs out of the same
Identical subjects"
From the advance sheets of Mr..
Norris book it can be seen from the
classifications of the sources of hui
NOR that the author first goes to the
vegetable kingdom, and under this
heading you will find:
Spinach.
Tomatoes.
Peas.
Mr.. Norris illustrates this group by
reprinting the typical vaudeville Joke:
What's the NATTER"
Il was hit with tomato"
How did it do SO much damage?"
This one had can around it"
AS a subhead Mr.. Norris has Sc
lected fruits; prunes, grapefruit and
Il am sure" says Mr.. Norris. "the
most witless person would be able
to recall joke about any of these.
For example, Il don't eat watermelon
because it muses. my ears" or Il
am wearing goggles to keep the
grapefruit from flying into my eyes"
Under the subjects of persons Mr.
Norris finds that the comedian was
iigging in this rich vein over a hun
ired years ago. He includes:
sweetheart. wife
;horus girl, waitress. fat woman and
,ouse
Illuminating this group, Mr. Norris ;
-ecalls this chestnut:
Chorus girls have a hard time,
lon't they"
Yes, they have to bare a great
leal"
Without a mother-in-law Joke I
Vaudeville theatre and minstrel ,
shows would be compelled TO discon- ,
lnue business. says the author. I
The wife joke and the souse Joke ;
un close second to the mother-in- I
aw"
Under another group Mr. Norris in !
dudes: :
Twins, marriage, divorce, infdelity :
md love" ,
Nothing is funnier," says the come {
Ian, than that a comedian should i
'oke fun at the most sacred relations I
'etween man and wife, and he cannot i
ften be blamed, because the audi c
nee always laughs at the misfortune
f othera."