Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-01-06
THE ART OF BEING
A REAL COMEDIAN
CBy HARRY LAUDER)


can be told In on. word, sincerity.
mean that a comedian 10 be funny
must laugh with his audience n lac
wbuld have the audience laugh with
HIM Many haze held otherwise. IL
has been put forth that art, not hear,
In the element upon the stage. ! have
found Il the reverse.
You have here , In America, one
great character OF the stage. lie cA-
empliflcs more fuzzy than any other
tho truth OF my theory. lie Is George
NJ. Cohan. TO know and study him
off the stage is to understand his
| never go wrong appeal on u nnd IN
everything he touches OF H. Cohi-s
| Is. us you sny IN America. "on the
| level"
The day may be rainy. but George
Cotan mas ia his memory the sunshine
/ OF yesterday and an his heart th9
sunshine ot tomorrow. Mind YOU, lac
doesn't pretend the sun rs SHINING to-
day But ne knows the sun win shine
tomorrow, and because he Knows II
he makes you believe II, That's WIZ
/ say Georrle Cohan Is the greateH
comedian In America ~one OF the
greatest Of them al.
lie is Rluare with himself his nu-
dience, and his own ideals The rea-
son no cfh deliver patriotism thrills
where another mdu cannot is not be
cause ne KNOWS petttI now 10, hht
bctuu se-4le feels that patriotism more.
lie can mako you laugh because he
Wouid laugh at the same thing. lie
can make YOU weep because ne huN-
lself is touched That Is the essential
Iuf stage greatness.
This g not 50 IN other Sallings. A
| writer muy he crouch Or u crab ~
his shrit eied soul, yet Wit on papcc.
/ \ painter may ne a rascal, yet draw
Ian ideal conception But he does not
face the public. lie does. not have
TO satisfy the studying. questioning
eye OF his fellow man, which diviucs
and discerus beyond any make-u up, be-
yound any grolnslue Transformation
OF chAlk-liuo OF grease paint, and
reading. feels.
Must Have Soul
Material is the least = a stage
workers asset. II the soul be there
| Il can color and mold any suitable
tunes steps or words HuthuS and
comedy ARE twins to such a onc-so
nearly do they resemble one another
that sometimes Their own creator can
scarcely tell which Is which. when one
enters and the other departs
i George Cohan Is known a. a pro
fe's lonai Amerir1n ! am known, as
a professional scot ~lt it, not Co
hans Nmoricanism and my highland
birth that specialize MS. No nation
has a monopoly q lowing a lassie. |
think / can do u as well tn any lan-
Euage And the star and Striper are
| no better for romantic or dramatic
purposes than the Russian eagle or
Erin's harp, rs the unseen and no
teutial force OF putI1otc sincerity
that gave Cohan f'ghter grip on
your Flag than Patrick Henry or a
president
The heart Is in'ernatlonal-uli. II ersal.
Emotions are common to w All. En-
tertSinment IS good bad or ,nGiffcr
Cnt, Il mean entertainment delivered
without tricks) IN proportion TO the
degree In which the entertainer can
carry his audience with hln IN the
spirit and atmosphere of his theme.
II one feels his stuff he has no limi-
tatiuns. Art has little 10 dc with a.
Some Of our creates; artists are hope
less as actors. II one feels his stuff
he Is Ike a lawyer arguing for a
client that he knows Is Innocent He
does not need TO make ,up an abb.
lie let's the truth run Gut the man
who feels and thinks black and talks
and sings white must he superhrmln
tc convince others, who are human
and normal OF that of which he cam
not convince himself.
/ sang as wel~nd entertained as
well when ] was mule boy In a
mine as / have ever done since, eN-
Ccpt that ! have acquired lrencr
discrimination and a mahirCd, eN-
perlenced series OF Viewpoints.
made my fellow miserablos laugh
then, just like Georgie Cohan they
tell me- kept everyone about him en-
tertaiued before he tooH to the stage
AZ all Footlights cnnn)t draw from
within one that which rs not there.
They are more likely TO work like
A-rays ana reveal what IS.
Must Feel Reel SS1ipn'hy.
They Hly ] portray The Safest o.
the Family" well / should say It's
a study In pity for half-wittsd youth
the butt of every one, do pity such
lads Just how | pity him l show
whom I cnmmisetpte with him on the
stage II my inclination I'M life was
TO Kick him aside, couldn't ply him
while you, looked on--you who might
have o heart FOR pity--aud win YOU.
l wouldn't know how. ! wuulu have
TO imagine or initiate. You would
konw. How could guess better than
lypu know
when ! sing. 80 Love q Iaasle." it is
10 bc seen that / have loved a lassie.
As Won would gay, she VAS some lnssie,
too I'm tclln' We, When I sing "A
Wee Drop an Doria" / think OF
Lm1uy night ] hosteued frum the