The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1917-01-18
The film producing companies say
they uOiN let you write your ouOn figures
on the pay check. One famous laugh
maker tells how he composes his
screen comedies. It's hard work

that go into the making of one laugh?"
1t would be a revelation to those
who never have considered the source
of their fun to watch the maker of
certain brand of well-knOWn comedies
in action. Hat down almost to his eyes.
shirtsIeeves rolled above his elbows.
and perspiratiOn pouring from his face,
he rushes about the studio, the per-
SOnifcatiOn of dynamic. untiring ener-
gy. At his side there is always q Ste
nOgrapher, to whom he is saying re-
peatedly, MAKE a note of this. make
a note of that; want to change it,
as he shouts orders.
Don't make that expression of dis
may quite so pronounced, Miss, Nor
mand,' or "Exaggerate that gesture of
mock Difference a little more, please.
Mr.. Arbuckle." In short, he handles
his company as musician does his
notes, blending their actions into what
on the screen will be a symphony of
laughter
Comedy" the miracle man of mer-
riment told writer for the New York
Sun between the rehearsal of two
scenes, sis the hardest thing in the
world to get over successfully. and
film laugh plays are twice as hard to
make as those of the stage. In the
first place, the movie director is hanCli-
capped because it is impossible for
him to use two of the great elements
of comedy upon which the stage direc-
%nOO 10n 90
players and the funny lines. What
use would Harry LADDERS infectious
laugh or Oscar Wilde's brilliant cpl
grams be ito me? ]. have to juggle with
action where the playwright juggles
with words. Then to make comedy
successful, you must have a climax
every minute. / always must be build
ing up, making each climax funnier
than the last, and the last funniest of
all. If a film play is too funny at the
beginning, it kills the latter part.
'"There are three things that make
a picture comedy successful. About
One-half depends upon the scenario. I
write all my own scenarios, because
Il find it almost impossible to buy good
Jones. The man who can write one
; comic scenario week for me that is
up to our standard can make out his
! own checks. The rest depends upon
fthe actors and the director. The di-
, rector's part is the selection of the
proper cast-and that is very impor-
+ tant-the working out with infinite
rcare of the proper details regarding
scenery, costumes and action and the
= handling of each scene so that when
it is shown it will appear that every
turn of the actors hand, every widen
ing or narrowing of his eyes, every
breath he draws, is absolutely spOnta-
-necus.
: "From the point of view of the actor.
too" continued the creator of canned
hmirth as he warmed to the subject that
fills his every thought, comedy. is the
hardest kind of acting to do we'll. To
begin with, the comedian has to ring
sthe bell every time. Either he makes
mis- audience laugh or he falls fiat. A
serious picture play done only indif-
J, ferently well may get by but there
sis no such thing as halfway success
for the movie comedian.
y ana let me take In1S opportunity
to say right here to those people who
are forever referring contemptuously
Ito 'slapstick' comedy, that to do So
called low comedy successfully is,
in my opinion, the highest accomplish
ment possible to the histrionic artist.
"Burlesque is taking a serious char
acter and tipping the scales of his ac-
tons just enough to make him appear
laughable, dropping him by an exag-
gerated gesture or a facial expression
from the sublime to the ridiculous
To burlesque a character the actor
must first be able to play that part
straight before he can attempt a trav-
esty on it. Before a man can kid
with notes and chords he must be a
good musician. To turn out good satire
a writer first must be able to write
serious stuff. That's just the way it
is with the actor who tries burlesque.
Zone of the attributes that film
comedian needs particularly is cour-
age. He must be an acrobat or at least
an athlete. Any man who can be a
successful comedian on the screen
would be sure to succeed on the stage,
but the rule does not necessarily work
the other way. The film comedian
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