Evening star., 1935-11-24

Some of the best actors in Holly
wood today are comedians. But few
people take them seriously enough to
pay them honest tribute alongside
more serious actors. 1t is not quite
fair.
1T is surprising, too. when you
realize that people in the industry
know how much harder 1t is TO be a
comedian than a dramatic actor OF
course, the aim isn't always as high,
but often the effect is truer, more
human and more lasting.
Understand, I am not holding a
brief for any particular comedian. And
I'm not saying that the academy
should award a comedian this years
prize. But I believe comedians don't
get enough consideration when the
judging is done.
THE public is as guilty as the people
in the industry. Votes sent in from
the outside have strong influence on
the final decision"
Most of Grover Jones picture work
has been in the dramatic field, al
though recently, in preparing THE
Milky Way" for Harold Lloyd, he has
had comedians and their difficult art
brought more closely to his notice. His
observation points to noticeable lack
in academy awards, for while it is
difficult to confuse the comedians part,
in making an award for best perform
ance of the year, with the leading
mans role, it is within the province Of
the academy to give an award for the
best comedy role of the year-man or
woman-and thus fill a need which
had not occurred to many of us before.
Chaplin Example Cited.
When one realizes what Charlie
Chaplin has done for the world
when one understands the depth OF
psychology which informs even his
simplest gesture-when one realizes
that here is a script which requires
far more preparation. takes far more
shooting time and is given months
for cutting and editing as against
weeks for other type pictures-then it
seems only fair that the result of
such an expenditure of time and
money should have more serious con-
Sideration.
Harold Lloyd's scripts are as care
fully prepared as any other stars.
Even more time is given them, for
| comedy is changing in the talking
| picture field and now requires the
finest writers and gag men. Lloyd's
stardom was not reached through a
f1uke or an accident He has made
his own huge audience through years
of painstaking effort to discover what
makes the public laugh, and to keep
them laughing.
If w. c. Fields doesn't deserve a
prize for some of the roles he has
played in pictures, then nobody de-
serves one. That steamboat captain
in Mississippi" had the audience in
roars of laughter throughout the en-
tire run of the picture. Like all good
comedians, Fields works on his own
dialogue, reviewing painstakingly every
smallest comedy possibility.
The Marx brothers are artists be-
/ yond question. Their comedy effects
; SCcIIl " SpA lIiS very S11l1SSL
sort of impulses and are tried and re-
tried. In their latest picture they
took their jokes and stunts out in per-
sonal appearances on the Pacific
Coast to make sure they were good
laugh material for the average audi
ence. If there is touch of childhood
left in ycI, Groucho, Harpo and
Zeppo will bring it out. They are the
supreme clowns of our modern world
and their work deserves serious con-
sideration.
Edna May divers Work
You could 60 on indefinitely on this
fascinating subject. Edna May OIL
vers contribution to screen comedy
has been worthy of an award many
times. And Patsy Kelly in Every
Night at Eight" proves that she is a
genius of lowdown. When an arid
moment comes in a picture, Herman
Byng can always be relied upon to
carry it through with ripple of
light laughter. Henry Armetta is one
Of my prime favorites; but I'm not
0PPORTUNITY-S SINGERS
Second unit of National Opera now