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18
No Hidden Sorrows for Syd
On the contrary, Syd Chaplin manages to find hidden humor in even the most serious of subjects.
By Grace Kingsley
IT'S a treat, in these days of serious-minded comedians, to find one who is thoroughly merry, off the screen as well as on. Namely, Syd Chaplin. Though Heaven knows how he has managed to keep merry, what with making funny pictures all the time, and spending his days racking his brain for new gags. Syd has by now so thoroughly exhausted all the funny situations in the world that there's nothing funny left for him except serious things, you might say.
Take history, for instance. Syd adores history, but he converts it, with everything else, into terms of comedy. He thinks intimate historical comedies would be a scream.
"I do hope," says Syd, "that Charlie will make the life of Napoleon. There are lots of funny things about Napoleon's intimate life."
Syd is studying bacteriology and botany in his spare hours — and he'd adore to make a comedy of microbes ! He has a great big microscope. I found him in his dressing room, peeking through it.
"I've got an idea," said Syd. "I've got an idea for a comedy. It's going to be based on the lives of germs. I would show a hypochondriac, and the lives and tragedies of various germs he is harboring, or thinks he is harboring "
"Wait a minute," I interrupted. "Where are you going to get an actor who will be willing to play a
"Well," Syd reflected, "there was a play, 'The World We Live In,' that was all about insects, wasn't there?"
"Right," I admitted. "Go on."
"All right," Syd proceeded. "The little germs would be talking about going up on their next vacation to see the ungs. 'I went to see the heart last year,' says one germ, 'and it was wonderful! You should see that gigantic pump. There isn't another thing like it in the human body!' Other little germs would be taking joy rides on the blood streams. Then there would be a terrific battle between the bad germs and the
good,
healthful germs
"With a happy ending?" I asked.
"Certainly with a happy ending," said Syd.
But I must stop and get a little atmosphere into this interview. And Syd's dressing room is just full of atmosphere. Probably you think of a comedian's dressing room — if you think of it at all— as being a barren place except for hangings of comic garments. Not so, Syd's. His dressing room is much more Syd Chaplin is one omate even comedian who does not than Pola take himself seriously Negri's — oh, — he is quite as merry much ! off the screen as on. He has a