The Economy of Humor

It was interesting to see what lines in "Anything Goes" (music and lyrics: Cole Porter/book: Guy Bolton, P. G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsey, and Russell Crouse) generated big laughs, and which didn't. They say the key to humor is timing, but it always seems something else must be required too. Four vignettes help illustrate the mystery.

Interestingly, after all these years, the audience really seemed to appreciate the paradox of a cursing clergyman. Myself, it's just not that funny, but the audience disagreed:

(Moonface Martin, dressed as a preacher, thanks Billy for helping him hide amongst the crowd. Billy replies:)

Billy: I know, I can't say goodbyes myself. I couldn't say goodbye to a girl. Now I'm in a hell of a mess. Oh, pardon me, Doctor.

Moon: Oh, I don't give a damn.

What's so damned funny? Beats me. But the audience liked it.....

Later, there were two perfectly witty exchanges that I thought deserved big laughs, but the laughs tended to be a bit tepid:

(Billy, in bearded disguise, chats up Mrs. Harcourt:)

Billy: Yes. The French have been so kind to my poor exiled family since the revolution.

Mrs. Harcourt: Really? You have to take your hat off to the French.

Billy: That's not all you have to take off for the French.

Damned funny! Ryan played around with Billy's timing: a fast delivery (or a slow delivery) seemed to work better than an even-paced, moderate delivery, for some crazy reason. Plus...

(Moonface Martin loses at craps to two Chinese men. The Purser had brought the men to Martin for him to explain the illegality of gambling:)

Moon: And may the Lord watch over you ... and make you better men ... although you're pretty damn good already.

Purser: Thank you for your help! (to Sailor) Take them below.

Moon: Boys, before you go, give me back my pair of dice.

Ching: Third class need pair of dice.

Purser: That's the spirit, make the third class a paradise.

Very witty! Very funny! And yet, in my opinion, the laughs weren't as robust as the joke deserved. The delivery was flawless, and the timing keen: what gives?

Strangely enough, the line of the show the audience seemed to appreciate most was right at the end. Interestingly, Arthur added the word "oh" (highlighted below in italics - it's not in the script), and that small change seemed to heighten even more the comic tension already established by Mary's (Mrs. Harcourt's) elliptical set-up:

(Rich and important Elijah J. Whitney charms Mrs. Harcourt:)

Whitney: Madam, may I tempt you with a little drink?

Mrs. Harcourt: Sir, liquor has never touched my lips.

Whitney: Oh, You know a short cut.

It was almost as if the audience had to laugh at that point, like a dam breaking at the very end of the show, to release the pent-up comic tension. Any satisfactory joke would do, even a fairly lame joke. Arthur innovated well, well within the spirit of the script.

The economy of humor is truly a mystery!