New-York tribune., 1920-02-29
How the Rooster Lost
His Tail and How 1t
Affected His Value

where did you get the inspiration
to blow off the ROSTERS tail ?" l asked.
Henry Lehrman looked at me serious
ly, almost with frown, puffed at his
cigarette and after moments thought
answered.:
''It's one Of those things you can
work out with mathematics and psy-
chology."
"You are the Henry Lehrman that
makes comedies?" l asked. l thought
for moment might have wandered
into the wrong room at the Claridge.
He smilingly assured me that he was.
"Then maybe did not make myself
clear. What ! asked was: Where did
you get tho idea that it would be
funny to blow off the rooster's tail and
that the crowds would laugh at it,"
For three weeks I had been waiting
to ask that question. Lehrman was out
in California the day sat in the Rialto
Theater and in company with thou
sands Of others laughed myself almost
sick when in "a Twilight Baby" d
Lehrman comedy, bomb had blown
the tail of the proud cock OF the walk.
the look on the rooster's face as he
turned around and saw that his glory
was gone had sent the audience into
Mysteries.
"That," said the director, looking at
me owl-eyed and speaking as if he
weighed every word, "was natural
thing to do. The rooster was king of
his domain; he was vain and his great
vanity lay in the beautiful tail feath-
ers. I hit him-or, in this case, fate
or the bomb hit HMM his vainest
spot, and the crowd laughed. 1t always
has been so. The fall of q vain person
always amuses the public"
The very serious creator of mirth
thought for moment.
"Did you notice." he went on, chow
the laugh at this point was kept up?
1t wasn't q mere flash, was it ?"
When assured that it wasn't he re-
vealed one Of the secrets Of the bust
ness. II was afraid the laughter
would die down-and that was the one
place where / wanted it to be continu
GUS. So l threw the amputated feath
ers into the air and had them fall as
the rooster gazed sadly at the missing
part. I felt certain that the public
would howl at the slowly departing
glory"
81 like to use animals in my pic
tures," said Mr.. Lehrman, "and birds
end fowl Somehow the public is hap
piest when it can get laugh out of a
cat or dog or bird. There is never
any danger that the humor will be un-
savory. I understand that is one of the
reasons why Hugo Riesenfeld bought
"A Twilight Baby to run at the
Rialto He felt that children could see
it with pleasure-and it was still funny
enough for the grown-ups.
"No, l never use trained animals in
my comedies. The only dog | use is
the one you saw come out of the pound.
study my dogs and cats and birds
Just as I study my human actors and
fit the work to their characteristics.
can always find some way to make
animals do what has to be done for
the pictures. And / find there is more
spontaneity, more pep in the NUT than
you can ever find in the trained dog"
"How do you ever get your human
beings, dogs, cats, cows, goats. birds
and fowl to work together in your
rather complicated plots?'
~ don't" he answered. smiling. 81
have never written out scenario.
begin something and leave it to my
wits, chance and the actors and ami
mails to finish it. am sometimes in
the position Of the housewife who
starts out to make an omelet and finds
she has perfectly good custard"
When did you start making the
world laugh? Were you a comedian
or cartoonist?"
Again the young mamie can't be
over thirty-two-looked at me with
that owl-like look
II don't believe I ever cracked an
original joke in my life. and know |
never told q funny story," he said.
"The fares comedy Of the movies, to be
successful, must be humor, not wit.
Good titles can't save bad comedy.
There Is always something funny in
every situation in life. and that's what
! seek"
Didn't the loss Of his tail spoil the
roosterw | asked.
Mr.. Lehrman spoke slowly and with
emphasis. 1.-THE loss Of the ROSTERS
tail feather did not in the least affect
his value az chicken stew"
r Other Amusement Features