[78-L] Live Comedy.

[Steven C. Barr]

From: "Spats" <spats47 at ntlworld.com>
> Hi!
> Though they weren't really LIVE comedy recordings...that is, in front
> of an audience during a show, I have 78s of a couple of classic
> comedy teams....Burns & Allen (recorded in London, I do believe) and
> Laurel & Hardy, also recorded in the UK. On the other hand, there are
> real live recordings on 78rpm of British comedic performers, such as
> Max Miller and, when she was being funny, Gracie Fields.
>
The important question here is: When did "standup comedy" first appear
as a valid form of entertainment...?! I was doing "standup comedy" at
local (McLean, Ill's) "talent nights" back in the late fifties; I hadn't yet
discovered I could sing fairly well...so I just got up on stage and told
jokes...since I knew that any prizes would be awarded to small female
children who were sponsored by their dancing school...!

Steven C. Barr