Jiggs' hat boxes, the bottoms of which
have been knocked out. When Mrs. Jiggs declares "Pack your things and
get out immediately--you are fired!" the valet answers gloomily: "I
have nothing to pack, Madam!"
This, although merely an idea drawn out into a dozen pictures, is the
sort that might easily be made the foundation for a laughable short
comedy. Barring the fact that one or two of the scenes are played (so
to speak) in the same setting, with no leader or other scene
separating them--as would be the case in photoplay--this newspaper
"funny" is much better put together, much more logical, and is just
about the same number of scenes as were many of the split-reel
comedies of a few years ago. Almost all of the more popular comic
series in the newspapers, in fact, may be studied with profit by the
would-be writer of screen comedies. There is action, and often very
funny action, in every picture, and the plot moves quickly, logically,
and without the slightest sign of unnecessary detail or irrelevant
action, to an extremely funny climax, which, best of all, is usually a
surprise to the reader.
Apply the same working-principle to the writing of humorous
photoplays, especially the plan of having a surprise climax followed
by a quick denouement, and you can hardly fail to produce a comedy
that will cause the editor to notify you favorably.
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