Crazy Stunts for Comedy Occasions

There is a constant demand for comedy in the entertainment field, and stunts of a humorous nature are readily welcomed. To get the right sort of a stunt for the proper moment is not an easy matter unless one is familiar with the professional show world. There is a species of comedy acts commonly known among show people as hokum stunts. While they appear on the surface to he of a crazy or senseless nature, yet deep analysis shows them to be carefully constructed so as to evoke laughter. Whether a stunt plays one minute or ten minutes, it should contain enough plot to stand out by itself and gain the interest of the audience.
Many of the hokum stunts in this collection have been handed down for years from one generation to another, or have been transmitted by hearsay or through contact with the stage. Very little has been written about them, possibly for the reason that the actors of all generations have usually preferred to keep their stunts as much of a secret as possible from other actors in order to prevent encroachment and imitation.
It would be difficult to trace most of the stunts back to their origin. Many have expanded and outgrown the original versions, and present an entirely new aspect, but the nucleus of the basic idea is still there.
The purpose of "Crazy Stunts" is to present a good selection of comedy stunts that may be used in almost any kind of an entertainment from a house party to a minstrel show or revue. Here and there an original stunt is used which the author has found of much service in some of his own programs.
This ebook should appeal strongly to those who are called upon to stage entertainments in which novelty and comedy are required. Such a collection of stunts will save amateur directors many a restless night spent in trying to devise a stunt for a slow spot in the program — something to speed up the proceedings and inject punch into the show—something just crazy enough to be good. Many of the stunts can be presented as described or will serve as suggestions which the performer may work out to suit himself; for those who have that inborn instinct of showmanship, "a word to the wise is sufficient."
EATING THE GOLDFISH
Here is a good stunt for the endman in a minstrel show or for anyone impersonating a nut character. If used in a minstrel show, it may well be presented by the endman who sits on the extreme right side of the stage. On the stage, directions are determined as the actor faces the audience, and not from the audience's point of view.
A large bowl of water is placed near the endman. In the water are a number of imitation goldfish which have been cut out of pieces of carrots to resemble fish. The carrots should be cooked until they are soft enough to be readily chewed and swallowed at the proper time. From a short distance the pieces of carrots easily pass for goldfish. Plate 1 shows a piece of carrot cut to resemble a fish. At the psychological moment during the performance, the endman reaches down into the bowl of water and after making a couple of grabs with his right hand catches an imitation fish, brings it out of the water and holds it up by the tail, wiggling it enough to imitate a real fish. Plate 1 shows an ideal position to produce a comic effect. He then lets the imitation fish down into his mouth and eats it.

A FISH DINNER
Later in the performance, he may catch another "fish" and eat it. The idea of eating live goldfish always strikes an audience as ridiculous and is unusual enough to create much merriment. A comic variation of this stunt is as follows: After another endman has given a pleasing song number, the endman at the right catches a "fish" and feeds it to the singer just as a trainer feeds a seal after it has performed well. If the stunt is used by a nut comedian, the bowl of goldfish may be placed on a pedestal, and when no one else on the stage is looking, he may reach into the bowl, catch a "fish," and eat it. This act may be repeated from time to time.
To the magician who has a comedy assistant, the stunt of eating goldfish will prove especially useful. The bowl of water with imitation fish may first be produced by some magical means. Then the assistant sneaks a goldfish out of the bowl from time to time and eats it.
A POWERFUL BLOW
Here is another stunt especially adapted to a minstrel show.
Tambo, sitting at left side of stage, has a large jug sitting at his left. He picks it up, uncorks it, and apparently takes a big drink, then corks up the jug again. Bones, sitting at right of stage, has not noticed.
Blown off the Stage
Tambo take the drink, as he has been looking at the audience.
BONES (sniffing). What's that I smell? (Looks about, up in the air, under his chair, and continues sniffing.) That's the strongest smell I ever did smell. (Suddenly spies TAMBO with the jug, so gives a sudden jerk and sits bolt upright. Turns to TAMBO.) What is that you have in that jug? Is that what I smell?
TAMBO. Mebbe so, mebbe so. There's gin in that jug. That is, the gin that ain't in me is in the jug.
BONES. Let me see that gin. (Rises and goes to center of stage. As he does so, TAMBO uncorks the jug and points the mouth of jug toward BONES.
BONES, apparently overcome by the odor from the jug, stops and holds left hand to pinch nostrils shut while he fans the air with his right hand.) Whew! I can't get any farther. (The odor apparently forces him backwards to his seat.) Man, that is the strongest odor what am! (To TAMBO.) Cork up that jug. For heaven's sake, what kind of gin is that?
TAMBO. That is Italian gin.
BONES. Eye-talian gin. What kind of gin is that? TAMBO. Half and half. Half gin and half garlic.
BONES. But hustlin' hoboes! Don't that give you a strong breath ?
TAMBO. Well, so-so. (Turns to BONES and blows hard.)
The result is that Bones is blown off the stage, chair and all. This effect is easily secured by having Bones' chair on castors and having a wire or strong cord attached to the right side of the chair seat at front and back.
Plate 2 shows this arrangement in detail. When the assistant off stage at right gives the wire or cord a strong pull, the chair with Bones in it is rapidly pulled off the stage and back of the scenes. The stunt should be well practiced so as to get the effect of Bones' being blown off the stage.

An added humorous effect may be obtained by having an electric flashlight apparatus concealed in the trough of the footlights with flashlight powder in position and wires running off stage to an assistant, who holds the electric switch that will set off the powder. After Bones has disappeared, Tambo takes another drink from the jug and then apparently spits it on the floor in the direction of the flash powder. Simultaneously, the assistant off stage producing a puff of smoke. Only a small amount of powder should be used, in order not to fill the hall with smoke.

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