Studio One 5.34

The Laugh Maker

starring Jackie Gleason, Art Carney

directed by Paul Nickell

Reporter Bill Berkson (Art Carney) is sent to Hollywood to write a profile of a rising star, comedian Jerry Giles (Jackie Gleason). Berkson and Giles don't exactly click. Berkson sees how things go for Giles on and off camera. He's there when Giles gets his big break and sees how he treats people. Giles loves to be loved and it annoys him when Berkson doesn't laugh at his jokes.

Berkson continues to follow Giles around as he starts to work on his television show. The assistant director on the show is Peggy Trent, who used to be in a relationship with Bill. He tries to renew that relationship but she is more interested in her career. She doesn't care for Giles at first but once she sees him do something nice for a friend of hers she changes her attitude toward Jerry.

Berkson finishes writing his profile. He shows it to Belle Giles, Jerry's sister. Belle can see what he thinks about her brother even though he doesn't put all the negative things he could in the article. She tries to convince him to change it but he won't budge. Bill confronts Peggy and Jerry later that night. He gets her to admit in front of Jerry that she's coming on to him in order to further her career. Jerry has already seen the manuscript by then.

Peggy decides to leave Jerry and return to New York with Bill. Jerry decides to do what Belle recommends and try something (in front of the camera) other than try to make people.

Thoughts

This episode was originally broadcast on May 18, 1953.

I enjoyed this very much. All the performances of the five main actors are very good. Despite the title it is a drama. The jokes Jerry Giles cracks aren't very funny. His character tries too hard and is too used to getting the laughs to really be funny. It isn't until he tries not being funny that Jerry Giles shines on stage.

Notes

This is the first of three episodes of this show in which Jackie Gleason appeared. I watched several episodes of the Honeymooners when I was much younger, probably in my teens. I've seen a few of the movies in which he has appeared but none recently.

This is the first of four episodes of this show in which Art Carney appeared. He also starred in the Honeymooners with Jackie Gleason. This is the only episode of Studio One in which he appeared with Jackie Gleason. He also appeared in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) and The Twilight Zone (1959).

Marian Seldes played the part of Belle Giles. This is one of five episodes of this show in which she appeared. She also appeared in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955).

Justice Watson had a small part in this episode. He was also in a couple episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents that I watched recently. The first of those two episodes was 1.10 The Case of Mr. Pelham.

This is one of 140 episodes of Studio One that Paul Nickell directed.