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Presentation vs* Film Comedy
/■iW^^ of the points brought out at last week's dinner to launch the next National ilrj Laugh Month campaign was a complaint that the current craze for more or less VlJx massive presentations had pushed the short subjects into the background.
The point is well taken, but it is looked at from the wrong angle. The objection is that the overlong presentation cuts down the shorts, the average bill is deprived of comedy angles.
That is the real objection to a prologue so long as to necessitate cutting the program in other directions.
Were it merely a question as to whether or not the presentation crowded out the short, the matter would be unimportant. It would then interest only the bookers of short subjects and the presentation men might, with equal justification, complain that the shorts interfered with the presentations.
And the public and the managers would be interested in neither phase of the matter. It would be merely a question of commercial advantage.
But comedy is essential to entertainment. And presentations seldom ofifer comedy. If they do, they bring it forward at the wrong time, for almost invariably the presentation is a prelude to the feature. Comedy in advance of a serious subject might — in fact, generally is, ill-timed. The prosper place for comedy is at the end of the program, following the feature.
This rule does not alwa3^s hold good. There are some strongly dramatic features I which would be hurt by a comedy tag, but in a majority of instances it is excellent man ' agerial practise to send the patrons to the street still smiling at the antics of the com i edians. More than one weak drama has been redeemed b}^ a better than usual comedy. It is the last impression which counts the most, and this last impression should be a comedy.
Even where the presentation contains comedy, it is manifestly impossible to hire comedians of note, even when they are procurable, which is not often. Even a weak film is apt to be better than a presentation comedian, and the average funmaker "in person'" cannot compare with the better class of screen comedians.
It would be far more effective did the proponents of the short subjects confine their objections to the long presentations on entertainment values rather than booking opportunities.
At present they seem to have the right idea, but the wrong argument.
To comply with Post Of fice regulations this issue of Moving Picture World is dated Nov. 29. The next issue will he dated Dec. 4 and thereafter all numbers wtll he dated on the day of publication in order to comply with requirements of the postal department.