TV Guide (October 23, 1954)

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WE ASKED THEM Should Comedy Shows Use Phony Laughter? pm Datmy Thomas, who films Make Room jor Daddy before an au¬ dience of 300: “Yes, if there’s no audience present. It enhances the listener’s pleas¬ ure. Three or four people sitting in a living room won’t re¬ spond alone. Laughter gives them the feeling they’re joining in with thou¬ sands of other people.” Lucille Ball and Desi Amaz, I Love Lucy: “We are not in favor of ‘canned’ laughter on television. A per¬ former in comedy comes across far bet¬ ter when an audience is witnessing his ef¬ forts. He comes up to opening-night tempo with a laughing, applauding audience. ‘Canned’ laughter is obviously phony.” Gale Storm, My Lit¬ tle Margie: “Our show is filmed with motion picture technique, which precludes an audience. As far as I know, sponsors ask for ‘built-in’ laughs. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but an audience sees each Margie episode and the laughs—legitimate ones—are reg¬ istered on the sound track.” George Burns, The Bums & Allen Show: “A situation comedy show should not only prompt laughter; it should also offer laughter. What view¬ ers hear on our show is an actual audience reaction of some 200 people who have previewed the same show in a screening room. We don’t insert laughs we don’t earn.” Ray Bolger, whose Ray Bolger Show has changed its policy and retains studio re¬ sponses: “ ‘Canned’ laughter spoils the viewer’s enjoyment because the mechan¬ ized sound upsets his normal reaction. A live studio audience reacts spon¬ taneously, often pointing up that what seems a straight line is a plot joke.” Joan Davis, I Mar¬ ried Joan: “We pre¬ view our program in a theater before an audience and we re¬ cord their natural laughter. We have shown the same pro¬ grams to an audience of three or four. The reaction was the same, but they kept the laughs to themselves. When peo¬ ple hear others laughing, they join in.” 7