The Washington times., 1935-11-16
Movies Claim
Comedians
Scarce
BY ANDREW r. KELLEY

Page QueSLlUn dllS week, nalt
jokingly, but it's really 0 serious
problem for the amusement
world2 He asks where are the
future comedians coming from,
who will develop them now that
vaudeville is in the doldrums?
Mr.. Oakie himself Is o right
smart comedian. Some Broadway
comics, who know their stuff,
have told me that Oakie will
never have to worry about get
ting too plump or having double
chinitis when he faces the cam
era. He knows how to put over
comedy, he has the twinkling eye
and the Puck spirit, demonstrated
time and aEain when he is work
ing with deadly serious actors,
and by one Of his little Snowman
tricks contrives to walk away
with the scene. The stage can
use him.
Burlesque Hopeless
Vaudeville, Of course, has passed
the buck to the stage and radio
when 1t comes to finding new
funsterS. The radio passes the
buck back and takes only those
who have made a reputation.
Once upon a time burlesque was
the great training camp for the
laugh lads. But burlesque now
pays more attention to strip-tease
sirens, figures $75 or $10O a week
for exceptional talent is enough
for comedians.
Jack Oakie is one of the very
few comedians developed by Holly
wood. His only stage experience
was as chorus boy. All the
other comedians who get featured
attention made their reputation
on the stage first, to be later
grabbed for network hours and
then pictures.
Look 'em over. Eddie Cantor,
q scintillating star Of the Shubert
shows and the ziegfeld ace musl-
Gals.
AL Jolson, making 5000 a week
and a percentage long before ra
dio became a competitor Of the
stage. Willie Howard, up from
vaudeville to top spot in the Fol
lies.
w. C. Fields, a juggler who
found a voice and fame under
Ziegfeld.
Charlie Ruggles, who was re-
cruited from Broadway. Joe Pen
ner from the varieties.
Ed Wynn, who struck out twice
in Hollywood and Astoria. but
who I think needs only the right
story and the best Of sound at
tention, to ring the bell.
Edward Everett Horton, who
/ played everything imaginable IN
| stock, knows-svery trick in the
fun book.
Up From Stage
Lynn Overman, the best light
comedian in Hollywood, who will
click like q million when he fits
into his exact niche.
Ted Healy, a little rough for
the studios and the censors, but
a pantaloon who has everything
in a low comedy way, needs only
to drop his below-the-belt ideas to
go over big.
The Marx boys, sillieSt and fun
niest, with the best, harder-to-
tailor-for stories than a Singer
| .sl.~k &Aa noY1t
am among those who feel that
Franchot Tone could take the
place in Hollywood that Willie Col
lier once occupied on the legiti-
mate stage. His sense Of comedy
and his laugh technique is smart.
He is really one that Hollywood
could push along the comedy
paths.
Group Burns and Allen. Jack
Haley, Hugh Herbert, Frank NC
Hugh, Ken Murray, Dead-Pan Ned
Sparks, Jack Benny, Ben Bernie
Joe E. Brown, and you have an
other bunch Of laugh winners VINO
came up from the stage. :,
Singularly enough, the two-reel
comics such as Laurel and Hardy
(the only strictly Hollywood prod
uct), Edgar Kennedy and others.
are comedians who have nothing
that resembles subtlety. They get
their laughs by violent methods
BY q kick in the pants. or q club
over the head and all the antique
formulas that have endured Tor
a1es Some like 'em. Not for me.
Where, then, are the new come
dians coming from? The one big
hope is the radio, If it will pay
more attention to fun beginners:
Another is Hollywood, If 1t will
encourage those who have a fa-
cility for getting laughs and re-
ouire but experience. Another is
the night clubs. which have kept
a great many entertainers out OF
the bread line while vaudeville
was gradually disappearing.
Radio Could Help
If only those who feel they have
what it takes to amuse the world
could only reach Hollywood and
suffer the same hardshipS wait
ing for q chance that the pretty
girls do, then the screen might
uncover q future JolSon or a
Cantor.
Let the amateurs hang up
special prize each week for the
embryo comedians and give them
the preference over the out'of-
rrnrlr unnanSks II nrnilld make