The New York herald., 1922-04-30
BE Pathetic Is
Eddie Cant0r's
Rule for Comedy
Comedian Says Hard Luck
Situation Is the Most Laugh
able One-On the Stage.

into being funny. The star of make It
Snappy" said in his dressing room at
the Winter Garden the other night that
when he was youngster selling news
papers In New York he Lad TO adopt
comedy as means Of self-defense.
"Toughs would come around" he said.
"who were bigger than was. and try
to make it look sad world for me. 1t
was a case of either fight or be knocked
out of business. Instead I chose to turn
them off with a laugh-it was cheaper.
Presently was clowning at homo or
wherever happened to be standing still
for a moment, so / could hardly help
getting on the stage finally.
There is no better way OF finding out
life and making 1t eat out Of your hand
than as a newsboy. The wealthy fathers
Of many young men who frequent Broad
way would do well to set them at selling
papers or some similar occupation for
year, then they might learn to think
of something besides taking out chorus
girl and seeing If they can beat the
cops in a speeding race. My two sons
are going to be given every opportunity
for Improvement In his respect. AFTER
they've learned all they want from books
they're going to be allowed to learn
from life itself, which after all is the
most liberal education. I'm going to
help them on their education as far as
they want to go, but shan't hitch them
to a college course unless they're WILL
ling"
To hear Cantor talk In this King
Solomon fashion about children you al
most believe for moment the earnest
solemnity Of his eyes. Like the best
comedians. he throws you off your guard
by those tragic orbs preparatory to
springing some joke that throws you out
of control. His eyes have the same
enigmatic wistfulness that reside In
Charlie Chaplin's pupils, and you'd swear
he was a poet until you hear him imi-
tate two travelling statesmen Cantor
himself Is inclined to think chat It's
q great asset to comedian to look
dreadfully serious, for humor might be
described in the terms Of bull-iSs
funniest when 1t doesn't look funny.
Pathos at the Bottom of 1t.
srThe basis Of the most laughable sit
uations," said Cantor, "is pathos, and
the more pathetic the situation the more
you're likely TO laugh. Look at an old
man hobbling down the street, and you
feel sorry for him-oh. terribly. Then
he slips on q banana peel. No matter
how much you'll want to kick yourself
for 1t afterward, you let go with roar.
You say, I know ought to be shot for
laughing. but l can't help 1t
However, the extreme sadness OF his
large eyes had little opportunity to be
distinctive until the last few years, for
since his initial appearance he has been
continuously in blackface, and the pathos
of his eyes hardly stood out when the
lrest of his face was In mourning. He
appeared first with Jean Bedini as one
of his two assistants in comedy Jug
Cling act, and Bedini decided that as he
had all the trouble of Juggling the balls
he deserved the honor of being the only
one in white face in the troupe. But
this wasn't professional jealousy
simply business-and Cantor cher'shes
the most friendly recollections OF the
partnership. for Bedini. he says. was SO
generous you'd hardly believe he was on
the stage.
while he juggled." explained the
comedian, "it was my business princf-
pally to annoy him with remarks. After
time he told me that was to come
on the stage and make impromptu COM
ments whenever felt one coming on.
He said he had given instructions to
the orchestra leader that he was to muf-
file the music whenever / seemed about
to break out In speech, so the audience
could get the full benefit of the 1oko
without an effort
AS Cantor acknowledges he never at
tempted to reproduce the negro dialect,
changing from burnt cork to his own
complexion meant little for him but
washing UP. 1t simply offered him more
scope to change. Gradually he intends to
work away from the usual revues and
appear In more Of q straight play, with
Just a dash of blackface In 1t, so the
shock won't be too drastic for the
public.
DfmcuIt Playing I'm Revues.
Playing in revues." he said. 'ts quite
difficult, though 1t doesn't wear me out
any more than eating does. Acting on
the stage for me is labor of love, fur
nishing an outlet for my energies-they
simply have to escape somehow. Ii
weren't playing I'd be cutting up at
! the ball game or acting wild with my
kids In the park. The only difference
between the skylarking / used to do
before started a theatrical career and
my present clowning Is that now get
paid for it. No wonder took up a
| profession that was as easy as that!
But the difficulty In a revue is that
| each time you come out you start a
new scene, a new story all by your
| self--you have to work yourself by
main strength to get the laughs. In
regular show the company works for
you. While you're In your dressing
room making up every one on the stage
is talking about what a bashful fell
low you are. and then when you appear
on the stage with about eight girls on
your arm the audience simply has to
| laugh.
80 I've passed around word to sew
eral playwrights know that in a sea-
son or so / want to appear in a straight
comedy, with a story and some songs.
and then at the finish trot around for
few minutes In burnt cork"
Gives Knffee KIatch.
Miss Amelia Knief of 112 st. Marks
avenue, Brooklyn, gave a 'kaffee klatch"
last Wednesday afternoon for a number
OF her friends. Among those present
were Mrs. George III. Childs, retiring
president of the Woman's Democratic
Club of New York city, Mr.. John Enos
Quinn, the newly elected pres.1;=.- sf