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CHAPTER LVII 283 the thing happens and not a moment or two afterward. It is possi- ble to fill a scene so full of business that none of it will be funny. 10. To take a concrete example: A slapstick farce was written around a policeman discovered in a saloon by his superior officer. The Chief did not get a good look at the patrolman, but he did land his fist on the man's eye and told the bartender he would identify him by the eye whe^ the men came off beat. The officer tells his wife and with ready wit she blacks the eyes of the entire platoon. When they come off duty identification is not possible. In an effort to speed up the story, the scenes were played so rapidly and with such a dearth of business that they passed too quickly. The wife would swing into a scene, black an eye and pass on before the spectator could mentally remark that here was another victim and that presently he would get his share. Before the spectator had time to start to think the scene was over. As a result, the story failed because there was no time permitted the spectator in which to let the idea sink in. 11. This is true of all farcical and slapstick work. If a blow is given or a fall executed without due warning, then there is danger that it will pass unnoticed or be noticed so late that the spectator is not yet prepared to laugh. The interval of preparation may some- times be measured in fractional parts of a second, but the author should provide this warning, however brief it may be. 12. Perhaps you have seen in the vaudeville theatres some illus- tration of this. Two comedians are on the stage. An effeminate young man comes in. If one comedian immediately grabs him and throws hirn off the stage again there is a laugh and the audience is ready for the next happening. Instead of this the comedians work the scene up. One man wants to tear the dude to pieces. The other seeks to prevent him. Half a dozen times the comedian may make a lunge, to be caught and held back by the other. When the attack does come it is far more striking through this preparation. 13. Much laughter is based upon shock, as has been said above. In some forms the appeal may fall, but in others shock may carry the laughter because of the audacity or unexpectedness of the act. This is in harmony with the fact that if you lead an audience to expect one denouement and provide another the surprise will increase the laugh- ter. A small man attacks a larger and seemingly more powerful per- son. We expect to see him badly thrashed. Instead he proves the victor and puts his burly antagonist to flight. The audacity of the action and the unexpectedness of the result make the scene far more amusing than did it run to the anticipated end. We know better than to strike a man our physical superior. We are amused at the effrontery of this foolish person who does what we know we would not do. When he carries off the honors of the field surprise intensi- fies an existing laugh. It does not have to overcome inertia and start a laugh. The momentum is there and all the force of the new factor is applied to increasing the power. It is comparatively easy for the average man to draw, unaided, a fairly heavy wagon once it is put in