Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

February 9, 1918. MOTOGRAPHY 267 Comedies Become a Hard Problem Fans No Longer Laugh at Usual Stunts and Producers Face Task of Finding New Situations BY LLOYD (HAM) HAMILTON Of "Ham and Bud" Fame. MAKING COMEDIES today is one of the hardest problems that a person ever tackled. It isn't like in the old days ; and by this I mean only a year or two ago, which we call the old days because a comedy taken during that time seems decidedly old fashioned now, due to the rapid rise in comedy production. There is not one phase in the production of motion picture comedies today that isn't a great improvement over the fun film of the past. Of course everyone has his opinion as to the cause of the great improvement. The biggest reason is the public or fans themselves. They have become tired of the old hokum comedy, the poor sets, hideous make-ups and other stuff such as throwing pies. A year or two ago an audience would scream if someone was hit in the face with a pie — but today the kids are the only ones who seem to enjoy it. In other words, it is getting harder to make the people laugh. They want to laugh bad enough ; but they have seen the old hokum so much that it no longer appears humorous to them. Just like a joke, the more you hear it, the less you like it, and finally it doesn't even bring a smile. The big problem of the comedy producer and comedian today is, "What can we do to make them laugh?" Something new, which hasn't been shown to them until it has become tiresome, must be found and this is where the hard part comes in. About two years ago when I was doing my present character of Ham in the "Ham and Bud" comedies it was easy to get the people to laugh. Any time that the director wanted to break up a situation he would cut to me making all kinds of falls and tumbles for no reason at all, and this would get screams from an audience, but today it is doubtful if they would smile at this. If anyone takes a fall in a comedy now they want a reason for it, some logical situation that causes the comedian to fall. If not, they won't laugh at it. The question has resolved itself therefore into getting new situations, new ways of doing things, and new forces to produce laughs. This all takes time, and explains why it now takes from ten to fourteen weeks to make a good comedy where we used to make them in four days. They cost thousands and thousands of dollars now, where they used to cost only hundreds. In my first Sunshine Comedy for the Fox program we were quite a while getting a new angle to work on, but finally it was hit upon to make a comedy and use real lions to help make the situations humorous. Few persons, I suppose, can see anything funny about a lion, but I am sure that all those who saw "Roaring Lions and Wedding Belles" will agree with me that the lions certainly helped make the situations screamingly funny. Of course, it wasn't funny at all to work with the lions roaming around with me at large in the sets, but it was very funny to look at on the screen. Some of the funniest things on the screen which get the biggest laughs are not in the least bit funny to do, but if they are sure to get the laughs in a theater that is all we care about. The thing to do is to get the film fans laughing and to do this some new and original "gags" and situations must be manufactured. An automobile tearing through a shack was a riot a year or so ago, but to get a good laugh now the car would have to tear through a mansion, so you can see with the rapid progress that comedy films are making it is just a question of "What Can We Do to Make Them Laugh?" I tell you it's getting harder to get a laugh every day, and yet the public want to laugh more than ever. "One More American," Is Beban's Next Picture Following the release of "Jules of the Strong Heart," in which George Beban makes his current re-appearance in Paramount pictures, after an absence of several months, the distinguished character actor will be seen next month in "One More American," picturized by Olga Printzlau from the stage play, "The Land of the Free," by William C. DeMille, presented in New York several seasons ago with signal success. While it was merely a short play — a "slice of life" — it received much praise from the press and in its developed screen form, with a happier ending than that originally appended, will prove, it is believed, one of the most pleasing vehicles ever chosen for Beban. The fact that it is located in New York — Ellis Island — and the colorful precincts of "Little Italy," gives it an added interest to metropolitan audiences, while its extremely human qualities, the pathos and humor combined, will make it equally entertaining to every variety of audience. Song Dedicated to "Kiddie" Star A war-time ballad, called "Bring Back My Daddy to Me," is dedicated to Madge Evans, "the World's kiddie star," whose real daddy, by the way, went off to war in Uncle Sam's service months ago. The new ballad, which is published by Leo Feist, carries little Madge's portrait, with a very serious expression, upon the cover. Darrell Foss and Teddy Sampson in "Her American Husband." Texas Guinan in a scene from "The Gun Woman. plays are released on the Triangle program. Both of these