Stan crying
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A LITTLE CHILD TAUGHT HIM
It seems improbable that one could capitalise on what might be learned from a two year old baby. But it’s possible.
Stan Laurel, the undersized partner of Oliver Hardy in the Hal Roach feature comedy “Jailbirds” admits he has learned much from babies. And he makes money with the knowledge.
Famous among other things for his “crying baby face,” Stan frankly admits having learned it from a crying babe.
“Making funny faces is an art in itself when they are used in the spasmodic business of making a motion picture,” said the comedian. “It’s easy enough to make a funny face once or twice for the amusement of friends, but when it comes to making the same face over a dozen times before a camera you have to start studying the actual business of making the face to make it appear natural.
“It took me several months to get even a semblance of a ‘cry-baby’ face. I used to stand before a mirror, close my eyes a little, pucker up my mouth and try to look like a squalling baby. Believe me, it was anything but funny trying to get it down pat.
“The first three or four weeks I worked on it the muscles in my jaws were so sore I had to use liniment on them when I ate my meals. I tried holding a baby before the mirror with me but I guess my efforts to cry made the baby laugh for I got very little help from the youngster when he saw me working.
“I used to watch a baby cry and then try to get the same expression on my own face. It might entertain movie audiences now but when I pull a ‘cry-baby’ face around home my daughter embarrasses me. She makes a better one than I do with all the rehearsing I’ve done and she’s only three years old."