The blue book of the screen (1923)

THE DRAMATIC SIDE OF COMEDY ers, Betty Compson, Marie Prevost, Jane and Eva Novak, the Talmadge sisters and countless others had early starts with small comedy organizations. They laid the foundation of their brilliant careers on "just a comedy 'lot'." Some one once said, and wisely, too, that comedy is the "university of acting," and this is true without a single doubt. The hard hours, the long grind, the tedious performing to get the needed laughs — for it is far harder to get one to laugh than to sob — the weary rehearsing, all build up an education for work yet to come. Only the long, endless road of hard and conscientious performing leads to dramatic fame. Even comedy directors have produced excellent dramatic vehicles when they turned their early training toward the more serious art. The same training the actor has received stands the director in good stead when he needs it. But not all schooled on the comedy "lot" have left it. Many have remained to win undying fame, knowing only to well that comedy is a dramatic undertaking. Could you see behind the camera, you would see a director fuming because the many times of taking this scene have not been just exactly right and another "take" is necessary. two-reel comedy could step into the same office of a great feature-producing company and handle their product. He must be fitted for this type of work, and to him it makes little difference whether it be comedy or tragedy. It is serious business to him — and he performs it. How few of us really know what comedy has done to our dramatic field? Many of our bestknown actors and actresses now appearing in lengthy pictures of a dramatic nature received their early training behind the four walls of a comedy studio. Gloria Swanson, Carmel My There is love interest tn most comedies, and not being difficult, they form the fadeout scene. 356