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Jimmy Durante, Famous
Comedian of Stage
and Screen, Here Tells
You What Gets the
Most Guffaws Fun
Must Be Clean,
He Declares
.When stage "boob" gets familiar
with a i society dowager on i lha
atage, of courie the audience al
ways roara
By Carol Bird
WHAT are aome of the things that'
"hand people a laft" today? The
"wlaecrack"? The rldloulous quip! The
riaque gag? The humorous situation?
On the other hand, la It possible that
folks have turned laugh-proof In a
wholly muddled world?
The question was put to Jimmy Du
rante, comedian, the tunny man with
the big nose that has helped to make
him famous.
"People are more anxious to laugh
than they've ever been before, bless
their hearts," said Durante. "Goodness
knows, they need aome laughs I How
ever, Just because they are eager to have
their risibilities tickled doesn't mean
that they've grown . less critical than
heretofore. A comedian has to have the
right material or he won't make 'em
loosen up and show that they're amused.
I don't think the writers who furnish
comedians with material have ever re
ceived the proper credit. After all, a
comedian la no funnier than his stuff.
If his lines and business aren't clever,
he Just won't get the laughs.
"A good gag? Yea, It will get a laugh,
bug to use It la like building a house of
card!. At soon as you've used that gag,
plop I It'a over, like a card home that
has toppled. You've got to come quick
with another, It'a Ilka keeping a chain
letter going.
"And a gag put an audience on the
qui vlve. They expeot rapld-flre tunny
stuff from then oa It Is like serving an
appetiser. It Just tends to make the
guesta hungrier tor more food. But the
sltuatlon-gag la different. That la more
satisfying. It laits a bit longer and lint
forgotten so easily, either. Comparing
a gag and a sltuatlon-gag Is like putting
a canape beside a steak. The second
la good, solid food.
"Give you an example? Right. Here's
one I had In a picture not so very long
ago. I played the part of a man who
was a pal to another carnival fellow.
Tills chap had a new baby, but they
wouldn't give It to him at the hospital
iierauae he was In the carnival business
and they dldnt think him a proper par
ent to raise the kid. The baby was
born In the hospital and Tracy, the car
nival man, and I, his friend, sneak Into
the place one night to steal the kid.
The scene cuts away from us and
showa a nurse making a date with a
doctor on the atari, He says: 'Meet me
la five minutes In such-and-such a room
and wall arrange a time of meeting
when we're off duly,' or something to
that effect Meanwhile, Tracy has ar
rived at the hospital to steal the baby.
Ha stations me right Inside the room to
stand guard and warn him of the ar
rival of any one as he takes the baby
out of the crib. Tin room Is dimly
lighted. The nurse, In love with the
doctor, comes Into the room, mistakes
me, In the dim light, lor her sweellteait,
flings her anna around my neck and
kuuwj me again and again with great
fervor.
"I manage to disentangle myself from
her entwining arms, pull myself up In
dignantly and ask: 'Bay, what kind of a
Mint la this?' That situation got the
biggest laugh of any In the picture."
DVJUNT then recalled another hu
morous altuatlon in legitimate
anew vfaleh "brought down the house "
"I eome on the stage. In one scene,
and announce that Al Jolson la 111 and
I'm to take his place). Then t aw aaea
th? number, I get down en one knee
LAUGHS!
From Jimmy Purante
A UNHAPPY husband
says, woefully, while
complaining of his wife's
treatment of him,. "She
wants me to play second
fiddle." His mother-in-law,
overhearing the remark,
says contemptuously:
"Humph! Second fiddle,
Indeed I wouldn't let you
play in the orchestra at
all."
A. MAN, in a silk hat
climbs out of a town
car of a well-known and
cheap make. He is going
to enter a building, but
before he does so he care
fully places a blanket over
the hood. A roughneck kid
standing at the curb cries
out, derisively: "Mister,
you don't have to hide Ul
I saw what It was!"
A MAN goes limping
, along the street. He
meets a friend. The friend
asks him the trouble, "My
shoes are two sites too
small,- he replies. "Well,
why In blaxes don't you
buy shoes that fit you?"
The first man grows angry.
"I've lost my money. My
wife has left me. My sons
have lost their jobs. The
only pleasure I get out of
life these days Is when I
get home and take off
these shoes."
V'-- 'j"'?ln Jt'
...... .. : 'r-r l r' i
w . , . a, MM!
The world la laughing attain, says Jimmy Durante, atage,
radio and screen comedian, but only clean Jokea go over.
Audiences are not interested in salaciousncss, nor in jukes
that point to the Infirmities of others, he aaya
song, 'I know darn well I can do It on
Broadway, but can Broadway do It
on mil' That got the laughs In New
York, but I don't know whether It
would have gone over so big else
where." All comedians are said to be psy
ciiulDOisU. Durante proved this
theory by his next observation:
"I think that the comedian who is
iwPA 111
One of the biggest laugha Durante evoked from an audience was
when he carried a small houae ento a stage that had been piled
high with wood of all dcacripliona and In all forma
and sing his 'Mammy' song. T!u.s li
thunderous applause. A voice which I
supiwseU to belong to a well-known
theatrical producer la overheard back
stage saying: 'Bend both knees, Jimmy,
and the Job Is yours for good ' That
was a bit of good-natured kiduing of a
popular comedian, and Broadvgy, know
ing all his numbers and hi way ot ren
dering them, couldn't heir but laugh.
"There are. by the way, two distinct
brands of humor: the kind that Broad
way laughs al and (he kind that goes
orar on the road. Broadway audiences
Itute a cert f fraternity of their
Yean aro, for example, I eang a
'js'.y.S sb'.iit'd, the underdog sort of
(hap. who Is always getting the worst
of It. has a better chance to get the
lauglu than the wisecracking comedian
who la always pulling a lot of smooth,
slick, anappy lines.
"People Identify themselves with the
chap who hasnt the lucky star. They
knew that life Is that was They're
often been kicked In the seat of the
trousers by Life's events themselves. So
when a goofy, nnt-ao-ainart. slightly
pathetic funny fellow la on the etace,
doing a lot of foolhardy things, people
laugh-not AT him but WITH him.
They like him. They're tor bus. He
amuses them, but they want him to get
the best of the situation, too. They're
on his side of the fence.
"That's why people laugh at the come
dian who plays the rr.ie of an unhappy
husband and says woefully In one stage
scene, while complaining of his wife's
treatment of him: 'She wants me to
play second Addle,' and his mother-in-law,
ovorh.ep.rlng the remark, snorts
contemptuously and says: 'Humph I Sec
ond fiddle-, Indeed I I wouldn't let you
play In the orchestra at all I '
"People are also amused by the down
fall of the haughty. Just put a silk hat
or, a man and let him act pompous, and
then have him slip on a banana peel, or
have something drop on his silk hat
and crush It and you'll hear the audi
ence howl with glee. It's the old Idea
of 'Pride cometh before a fall,' and
everybody likes the Idea of this se
quence of events.
arpAKE, for example, the stage spec-
-- tacle of a. haughty society woman.
8he Is very snobbish and looks disdain
fully and with a feeiing ot superiority
upon her fellow human beings. She uses
a lorgnette, and her gaze Is cold and
haughty, in walks the comedian. His
clotheu arc baggy. He is unkempt. He
is a 'boob.' He's such a boob. In fact,
Uiat he doesnt recognise this lady as
his superior. He feels sociable and
friendly. He approaches the queenly
lady in her Immaculate attire and
whacks her rhummlly on the back. He
Brnsps her hand and pumis It up and
down In chummy fashion. He gaics with
puzzlement at her lorgnette and asks
her what It Is.
"All of this business mukti an audi
ence roar with delight. It la Just too
fumiy, tlila spectacle of contrast, this
Idea of a hobo sort of fellow getting
familiar with an Iceberg lady."
The "beauty and the beast" motif Is
also a laugh-getter, according to
Durante, who explains It thus:
"Just give an audience scene wherein
a lovely looking girl la courted by the
homely comedian. Moat comedians are
supposed to be ugly loosing, you know,
at any rate not handsome "hero' types.
Have Die comedian so Insulated by un
anareneai of his own shortcomings when
It comes to looks that be will court ttila
.WBJt til- '
' N ....
young beauty with no thought that she
might turn him down. Tills situation
occurred In a recent show In which I
appeared. I had a scene with Hope
Williams, in which I sing to her, 'Let's
Call It a Day.' I warble on and on, with
lovesick manner, 'Come, let's run away,
fly with me.' The very suggestion that
this charming lady. might favor me with
even so much as a pleasant look is
laughable. And so people laugh I
"It Is the consummate ego ot a
funny-looking fellow who doesn't seem
to realize he's a Joke that amuses
people. The combination of humor and
pathos In the poor boob's make-up.
For example, I remember one scene In
a show where a guy suddenly, without
provocation, walks up to me and ppkes
me in the nose. I look at him in hurt
surprise and ask: 'Why did you do
that? Is U becaube I have curly hair?
Because my teeth are pearly? Is that
why you socked me?'
"The audience laughs. The comedian
is quite the opposite, of course. His
hair Is straight, his teeth are NOT
pearly. His blind vanity sets the audi
ence off Into peals of laughter."
IT IS Jimmy Durante's opinion that
the risque comedy material Is dyna
mite, unless it is very subtle and put
over In extremely delicate fashion.
"I think the cleaner the comedian la
the mute ihance he has for getting
over," said Durante. "Smut will surely
drown him In the end. It all depends,
of course, on how adroitly the material
or situation Is broucht in or built up.
I appeared In a number called 'Wood'
some time ago. and one little occurrence
In that brought down the house, in
tact. It got a nne-mimite-and-a-half
laugh.
This sketch was one showing the
uses to which wood csn b put. It
waa a mixture of ridiculous situations.
The stage, first of all, was plied with
wood. Wood. Wood. Wood of every
ImsgmabU kind, from slacks of tooth
picks to huge piece of lumber. We
carry hi more and more wood, of every
shape and variety. Then very seriously
we carry In a little wooden house, the
kind made famous In that masterpiece,
'The Specialist.' There was no sign, no
word, nothing on the little house, and
we didn't even refer to It. It was Just
there. But, somehow, the mere sight
of It made people laugh. There really
wasn't any vulgarity about the way the
scene was handled."
Durante again spoke of the scenes
wherein dignified people are pulled
down from a high place and why tiicy
get the laughs.
"People like to see 'high-hatters'
razzed a bit," he said. And he paid a
tribute here to the "red-hended brother"
of the Marx Brothers, comedians. "He
got plenty of laughs In a scene he had
with some haughty society girls. He
comes In and breezily holds converse
with them, while all the time tin spoons
are dropping out of his pockets, with
a clatter, to the floor.
"Every one likes to see a 'snooty guy'
made to look like a sap. There is the
funny scene In one show where a man
In a silk hat climbs out of a town car
of a well-known and cheap make. He
Is going to enter a building, and before
he does so he carefully places a blanket
dver the hood. It Is a cold day and, of
course, he doesn't want the engine to
free sc. But the tender, careful gesture
reminds one ot a mother covering up
her baby or of some one concealing
something of which he is ashamed. A
roughneck kid standing at the curb
makes this clear by a cute gag line
He cries out derisively, In his high
pitched little voice:
"Mister, you don't have to hide it!
I saw what it wasl'H
The cruel quip, the Joke ahtch pokes
fun at any ones infirmities, whether
It be at gtutterlDl, palsy, deafness,
lameness or so on, Just Isn't funny,
according to Durante, and If coine
r.lan wants to be successful he nvi
not Include such material in hit
repertoire.
PAQK TWO