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### Michael Ryan Norton
==The mysterious "laff box"==
Before TV, audiences often experienced comedy in the presence of other audience members. Television producers attempted to recreate this atmosphere in the early days by introducing laughter or other crowd reactions into the soundtrack of TV programs. However, live audiences could not be relied upon to laugh at the correct moment.<ref name="Kitman">Kitman, Marvin. "Don't Make Me Laugh", ''Channels of Communication'', August/September 1981</ref> Douglass noticed this problem, and decided to remedy the situation.<ref name="Levin">Levin, Eric. "Who does all that laughing?" ''[[TV Guide]]'', 8 April 1978</ref> If a joke did not get the desired chuckle, Douglass inserted additional laughter. If the live audience chuckled too long, Douglass gradually muted the laughter. This editing technique became known as "[[sweetening (show business)|sweetening]]," in which pre-recorded laughter is used to augment the response of the real studio audience if they did not react as desired.<ref name="Levin"/>


Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
At first, Douglass's technique was used sparingly on live shows like ''[[Jack Benny#Television|The Jack Benny Program]]''; as a result, its invention went unnoticed.<ref name="Iverson">Iverson, Paul: "The Advent of the Laugh Track" Hofstra University archives; February 1994.</ref> By the end of the 1950s, live comedy transitioned from film to [[videotape]], which allowed for editing during post-production. By editing a prerecorded live show, bumps and gaps were present in the soundtrack.<ref name="New Yorker">"The Talk of the Town: Laughs", ''[[The New Yorker]]'' 10 September 1984.</ref> Douglass was called upon to "bridge" or "fill" these gaps. Both performers and producers gradually began to realize the power behind prerecorded laughter. Comedian [[Milton Berle]], while witnessing a post-production editing session, once said, "as long as we are here, this joke didn't get all that we wanted." After Douglass inserted a guffaw after a failed joke, Berle reportedly commented, "See? I told you it was funny."<ref name="Kitman"/> Douglass went from enhancing soundtracks to orchestrating audience reactions.<ref name="Iverson"/>


### Startup Mojave
By the early 1960s, the recording of TV sitcoms before audiences had fallen out of fashion, and Douglass was employed to simulate audience response for entire programs. Shows like ''[[Bewitched]]'', ''[[The Munsters]]'' and ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]'' are virtually showcases of Douglass' editing work. Low-key shows, like ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'', ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'' and ''[[My Three Sons]]'', had less raucous laugh tracks, but were entirely fabricated post-production. The practice of simulating an audience reaction was controversial from the beginning, but it became standard practice and a commodity in the industry.<ref name="variety"/>


Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Douglass formed Northridge Electronics in August 1960, named after the [[Northridge, Los Angeles|Los Angeles suburb]] in the [[San Fernando Valley]] where the Douglass family resided and operated their business. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s, Douglass had a virtual monopoly on the laugh-track business.<ref name="Washpost">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A27715-2003Apr23&notFound=true Washington Post Thursday, April 24, 2003; Page B06: "Charles Douglass, 93; Gave TV Its Laugh Track"]{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In 1966, ''[[TV Guide]]'' critic Dick Hobson said the Douglass family were "the only laugh game in town."<ref name="Hobson">{{cite news |first=Dick |last=Hobson |title=The Hollywood Sphinx and his Laff Box |work=TV Guide |date=July 2, 1966}}</ref> When it came time to "lay in the laughs", the producer would direct Douglass where and when to insert the type of laugh requested.<ref name="Hobson"/> Douglass would then go to work at creating the audience, concealed from the producer (or anyone else present at the studio) to preserve the secrecy of his technique.<ref name="Hobson"/> Consequently, few in the industry witnessed Douglass using his invention.<ref name=benglenn>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090212113557/http://www.andheresthekicker.com/ex_ben_glenn.php "Canned Laughter: A History Reconstructed. Interview with Ben Glenn II, Television Historian" at andheresthekicker.com]}}</ref>


Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?
The one-of-a-kind laugh-track device—known throughout the industry as the "laff box"—was secured with padlocks, was more than two feet tall, and operated like an organ. Only immediate members of the family knew what the inside looked like.<ref name="Hobson"/> At one time, the laff box was called "the most sought after but well-concealed box in the world".<ref name="Iverson"/> A team of "Laff Boys," technicians trained to operate Douglass's Laff Box, created extremely detailed textures designed to suggest specific ethical situations.<ref>McCarthy, David. "Textured Voices and the Performance of Ethical Life in the Case of the Laff Box (1966)." Twentieth-Century Music 13, no. 1 (March 2016): 109–137.</ref>


### Startup Weekend
In 1986, Charley's son Bob began experimenting with an all-digital audio computer manufactured by CompuSonics, a Palo Alto, California company, as a replacement for the analog equipment invented by his father. By 1990, Bob was using a custom version of CompuSonics equipment that had multiple channels of digital audio samples and a laptop computer interface for control. The new Laff Box was loaded and unloaded from the trunk of Bob's Mercedes-Benz with a small crane bolted to the trunk floor.<ref>Private communications between Northridge and CompuSonics provided by David Schwartz, ex-CEO of CompuSonics.</ref>


Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
In 2003, the laff box consisted of a digital device approximately the size of a laptop computer which contains hundreds of human sounds.<ref name="Washpost"/>


Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?
Douglass' laff box was unearthed in 2010. It was later discussed in detail in a June 2010 episode of ''[[Antiques Roadshow (U.S.)|Antiques Roadshow]]'', where its historical value was appraised at $10,000.<ref>{{cite video |date=2010-06-12 |title=Antiques Roadshow: 1953 Charlie Douglass "Laff Box" |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/appraisals/1953-charlie-douglass-laff-box/ |format=mp4 |publisher=WGBH Boston |location=Boston |access-date=2024-07-02 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240630143627/https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/appraisals/1953-charlie-douglass-laff-box/ |archive-date=2024-06-30 }}</ref>

Revision as of 15:37, 27 February 2025

The mysterious "laff box"

Before TV, audiences often experienced comedy in the presence of other audience members. Television producers attempted to recreate this atmosphere in the early days by introducing laughter or other crowd reactions into the soundtrack of TV programs. However, live audiences could not be relied upon to laugh at the correct moment.[1] Douglass noticed this problem, and decided to remedy the situation.[2] If a joke did not get the desired chuckle, Douglass inserted additional laughter. If the live audience chuckled too long, Douglass gradually muted the laughter. This editing technique became known as "sweetening," in which pre-recorded laughter is used to augment the response of the real studio audience if they did not react as desired.[2]

At first, Douglass's technique was used sparingly on live shows like The Jack Benny Program; as a result, its invention went unnoticed.[3] By the end of the 1950s, live comedy transitioned from film to videotape, which allowed for editing during post-production. By editing a prerecorded live show, bumps and gaps were present in the soundtrack.[4] Douglass was called upon to "bridge" or "fill" these gaps. Both performers and producers gradually began to realize the power behind prerecorded laughter. Comedian Milton Berle, while witnessing a post-production editing session, once said, "as long as we are here, this joke didn't get all that we wanted." After Douglass inserted a guffaw after a failed joke, Berle reportedly commented, "See? I told you it was funny."[1] Douglass went from enhancing soundtracks to orchestrating audience reactions.[3]

By the early 1960s, the recording of TV sitcoms before audiences had fallen out of fashion, and Douglass was employed to simulate audience response for entire programs. Shows like Bewitched, The Munsters and The Beverly Hillbillies are virtually showcases of Douglass' editing work. Low-key shows, like The Andy Griffith Show, The Brady Bunch and My Three Sons, had less raucous laugh tracks, but were entirely fabricated post-production. The practice of simulating an audience reaction was controversial from the beginning, but it became standard practice and a commodity in the industry.[5]

Douglass formed Northridge Electronics in August 1960, named after the Los Angeles suburb in the San Fernando Valley where the Douglass family resided and operated their business. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s, Douglass had a virtual monopoly on the laugh-track business.[6] In 1966, TV Guide critic Dick Hobson said the Douglass family were "the only laugh game in town."[7] When it came time to "lay in the laughs", the producer would direct Douglass where and when to insert the type of laugh requested.[7] Douglass would then go to work at creating the audience, concealed from the producer (or anyone else present at the studio) to preserve the secrecy of his technique.[7] Consequently, few in the industry witnessed Douglass using his invention.[8]

The one-of-a-kind laugh-track device—known throughout the industry as the "laff box"—was secured with padlocks, was more than two feet tall, and operated like an organ. Only immediate members of the family knew what the inside looked like.[7] At one time, the laff box was called "the most sought after but well-concealed box in the world".[3] A team of "Laff Boys," technicians trained to operate Douglass's Laff Box, created extremely detailed textures designed to suggest specific ethical situations.[9]

In 1986, Charley's son Bob began experimenting with an all-digital audio computer manufactured by CompuSonics, a Palo Alto, California company, as a replacement for the analog equipment invented by his father. By 1990, Bob was using a custom version of CompuSonics equipment that had multiple channels of digital audio samples and a laptop computer interface for control. The new Laff Box was loaded and unloaded from the trunk of Bob's Mercedes-Benz with a small crane bolted to the trunk floor.[10]

In 2003, the laff box consisted of a digital device approximately the size of a laptop computer which contains hundreds of human sounds.[6]

Douglass' laff box was unearthed in 2010. It was later discussed in detail in a June 2010 episode of Antiques Roadshow, where its historical value was appraised at $10,000.[11]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kitman, Marvin. "Don't Make Me Laugh", Channels of Communication, August/September 1981
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Levin, Eric. "Who does all that laughing?" TV Guide, 8 April 1978
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Iverson, Paul: "The Advent of the Laugh Track" Hofstra University archives; February 1994.
  4. ↑ "The Talk of the Town: Laughs", The New Yorker 10 September 1984.
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named variety
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Washington Post Thursday, April 24, 2003; Page B06: "Charles Douglass, 93; Gave TV Its Laugh Track"Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Template:Cite news
  8. ↑ Template:Usurped
  9. ↑ McCarthy, David. "Textured Voices and the Performance of Ethical Life in the Case of the Laff Box (1966)." Twentieth-Century Music 13, no. 1 (March 2016): 109–137.
  10. ↑ Private communications between Northridge and CompuSonics provided by David Schwartz, ex-CEO of CompuSonics.
  11. ↑ Template:Cite video
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