REAL COMEDY

cliffie | 02/05/2006 - 14:05

Australia | Actor | Comedy | Green Room Gossip

I would like to know who wrote this wonderful quote...

“Never, never try to be funny! The actors must be serious. Only the situation must be absurd. Funny is in the writing, not in the performing. The more serious the situation, the funnier the comedy can be. The greatest comedy plays against the greatest tragedy...if you throw it against a soft, funny wall, it will not come back. But if you throw it against the hard wall of ultimate reality, it will bounce back and be very lively. Very, very few people understand this” [M.T.P]

For an unknown reason I have "MTP" as the author, but it seems more Mel Brooks to me. Anyone know?

Clifford Ellen [cliffie]

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Brooks it is

Author: Labrug
Date: 02/05/2006 - 14:44

Apparently Brooks made the quote in an interview with Playboy Magazine Feb 1975. Here's the full quote.

BROOKS: There's one thing you've got to understand before you can direct comedy. Comedy is serious - deadly serious. Never, never try to be funny! The actors must be serious. Only the situation must be absurd. Funny is in the writing, not in the performing. If the situation isn't absurd, no amount of hoke will help. And another thing, the more serious the situation, the funnier the comedy can be. The greatest comedy plays against the greatest tragedy. Comedy is a red-rubber ball and if you throw it against a soft, funny wall, it will not come back. But if you throw it against the hard wall of ultimate reality, it will bounce back and be very lively, Vershteh, goy bastard? No offense. Very, very few people understand this

Dixi

Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
Fight/Sword Choreographer

http://au.geocities.com/labrug

REAL COMEDY

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