Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-16
BY HARRY o. HoYT
Head Of the Metro Scenario sta6

TT YoU have a gift for writing comedy
i situations you should encourage II. but
II Is not we'll 70 attempt comedy seriously
until you have learned the photoplay re-
ourements OF the serious drama, You must
learn first what will reDtster, what VIII
get oper on the screen, Having learned
this, about four out of every five Ideas that
you have for comedies will be discarded
at once
So many writer's have the idea that COM
edy consists In the leading man kicking
another man In the face, or In having
neshy woman sit on the professors high
silk hat. or somebody else getting custard
pie In the face Even in slap-stick this
does not go, unless there is a reason for IL.
1t requires just as much logic TO write a
comedy as II does to construct drama.
Sometimes II demands even more.
well-known company. which speolalizes
In farce comedies, plays all other characters
In the comedy straight, except the comedian
or comedians, as the case may be- They
realize the Importance OF balance. Among
number Of logical characters they place
the illogical one
1t has been said Of o. Henry that in
writing his famous short stories, he made
everything logical, natural, consistent and
human with the exception of one chBrac.
ter or idea. He relied for his punch"
upon the illogical streak In all of us,
In writing farce comedy there must be
Ing very funny in seeing man knock
another man down, even II he does II in n
comedy way. IL there is no reason for his
doing so. The, situation becomes repulsivc
II II In a woman who is Knocked down.
II the comedian attempts to knock man
down, and the man for whom the blow
Is intended avoids II, with the result that
the woman is knocked down. It may bring
laugh providing the whole scene is
played in true comedy vein.
IL nnalyze the situation two rensOna
appear and explain the humor to be found
in the last example One s surprise and
the other is lack OF intention. The come
dian never meant to knock the woman
down and the man for whom the blow
was intended in ducking merely did so
to save himself If the comedian had in
tended to knock the woman down, sub
| consciously we would have revolted at the
| thought. AS Il is, she is the innocent by
| stander and when the innocent bystander
| gets 1t we usually laugh
The surprise takes us unawares and we
| find ourselves laughing in spite OF our
| selves. An air of probability must pervade
the slap-stick comedy even as 1t does the
| serious drama.
| II you make all your characters come
| dians you 1ose not alone in contrast but
| also in probability, II your characters run
around as though they had just escaped
| from an asylum there Is very little comedy
| The force OF the situations is lost and the
| audience finds the play altogether dull.
| Subconsciously the audience realizes that
| one or two OF your characters are abnormal
| and eccentric. but they are inclined to over
| look the eccentricities of your comedian
| Contrast is absolutely necessary to influence
| the audience to bear with you until the close
| of your farce. II is the Straight" charac'
ters that carry the play they tell your
| story.
1t is almost impossible to write a full
scenario for farce comedy unless you are
| connected with a studio staff Write com
prehensive synopsis of your slapstick ant
weave into it all the comedy business thai
| you can think of that seems to be original
| You can give these touches In detail but d,
not attempt to put It in scene or scenario
| form.
Little bits of incidental business will b'
conceived by the director when he comes
to take the scene and an entire new trent
| of the story may be developed. one com