We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
registers a double-take, he uses the same device.) As in the first case, three jokes are created out of one by the simple device of cutting away from the action at the crucial moment. Incidentally, Mrs. Topper's remark at this point gives the situation a new twist. We know that she did not see Eddie falling the first time and expect her, now that she does see him, to show some concern. What we hear instead is the remark : " But that's a silly way to leave the room ..."
It is interesting to note that exactly the same comic situation and indeed exactly the same cycle of events has been shown twice, with only a minor variation. An even greater laugh follows the second showing. Repeating a joke in this way is, of course, a standard comedy device : if it was funny once, then it will be funny again. The second showing makes the victim look even more ridiculous and therefore produces an even bigger laugh.
Another striking instance of the humorous effect achieved by repetition is provided by shot 6. In a previous sequence, Eddie has already once found himself struggling in the water. On this occasion, we saw him repeatedly trying to climb on to the landing-stage ; every time he got a foothold, a seal waddled forward, with great glee applied his snout to Eddie's forehead and pushed him back into the sea. This episode took place some time earlier in the film and has since been briefly shown again every few minutes. Before Eddie finally manages to climb on to the bank, we have the impression that the game has been going on for a very long time. Later on, when we get the brief glimpse of the seal in shot 6, this is enough to suggest that the whole struggle is going to start all over again. There is no need to show the whole business in full : the seal is barking and happily clapping his flippers in anticipation of the game : the spectator can imagine the rest. The humorous effect is here created solely through the editing. By simply cutting in the shot of the seal at this particular point, it suddenly acquires a humorous meaning.
An incident akin to the above occurs in Naked City. There is a long scene towards the end of the film in which a number of cops are combing a quarter of New York in search of a murderer. Wearily they go into every house and shop, even stopping people in the street, asking everyone to identify a photograph of the wanted man. Then one of the men finds the criminal and the chase starts. In the midst of the excitement, we are suddenly shown an unexpected shot : an extremely weary looking policeman, still conscientiously questioning passers-by : " Lady, ever seen a man looks like this ? "
108