Charles Douglass
Encyclopedia
Charles "Charley" Douglass (January 2, 1910 – April 8, 2003), born Charles Rolland Douglass, was an American sound engineer, credited as the inventor of the laugh track
.
in 1910 to an American family. His father was an engineer on assignment there, and eventually relocated the family to Nevada
. Douglass graduated from the University of Nevada
with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering
, and eventually found work as a sound engineer with CBS Radio
in Los Angeles
. During World War II
, Douglass served in the Navy
and worked in Washington with engineers developing shipboard radar systems.
, in which pre-recorded laughter is used to augment the response of the real studio audience if they did not react as strongly as desired. Douglass eventually spent countless hours extracting laughter, applause, and other reactions from live soundtracks he had recorded (mainly from the dialogue-less The Red Skelton Show
), Douglass then placed his recorded guffaws into a huge tape machine, dubbed the "laff box."
At first, the laugh track was used sparingly on live shows like The Jack Benny Program; as a result, its invention essentially went by unnoticed. By the end of the 1950s, live comedy transitioned from film to videotape
, which allowed for editing during post-production. However, by editing a prerecorded live show, bumps and gaps were present in the soundtrack. Douglass was again called upon to "bridge or fill" these gaps. Eventually, both performers and producers began to get greedy when they realized the power behind these prerecorded chuckles. 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? It was funny." Douglass went from enhancing a soundtrack to literally reorchestrating audience reactions.
An item that purports to be the original "laff box" can be seen on an episode of 'Antiques Roadshow'.
By the early 1960s, live television sitcoms became cost prohibitive, and Douglass was brought in to simulate an entire audience. Shows like Bewitched
, The Munsters
and The Beverly Hillbillies
are virtually showcases of Douglass' editing skill; the more outlandish the show, the more invasive Douglass made the audience reaction. Conversely, low-key shows, like The Andy Griffith Show
, The Brady Bunch
and My Three Sons
, allowed Douglass to keep the audience responses at a minimum, and resulted in quicker and simpler editing jobs.
The practice of simulating an audience reaction was controversial from the very beginning. Douglass was well aware that his "laff box" was despised and maligned by critics and writers, but he also knew that the utilization of a laugh track became standard practice and as a result, a commodity in the industry. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s, Douglass had a monopoly on the expensive and painstaking "laff" business. As TV Guide
critic Dick Hobson put it in 1966, Douglass was "the only laugh game in town."
Very few in the industry ever witnessed Douglass using his mysterious "laff box", and he was notoriously secretive about his work. The one-of-a-kind device was tightly secured with padlocks, stood more than two feet tall, and operated like an organ, with a keyboard to select the style, gender and age of the laugh as well as a foot pedal to time the length of the reaction. Production studios became accustomed to seeing Douglass shuttling from studio to studio to mix in his manufactured laughs during post-production.
The modern "laff box" consists of a digital device approximately the size of a laptop computer and contains hundreds of human sounds.
on April 8, 2003 in Templeton, California
.
Laugh track
A laugh track is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into television programming of comedy shows and sitcoms.The term "laugh track" does not apply to the genuine audience laughter on shows that shoot in...
.
Early years
Douglass was born in Guadalajara, MexicoGuadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
in 1910 to an American family. His father was an engineer on assignment there, and eventually relocated the family to Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. Douglass graduated from the University of Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, and eventually found work as a sound engineer with CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Douglass served in the Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
and worked in Washington with engineers developing shipboard radar systems.
The "laff box"
Before television, audiences often experienced comedy, whether performed live on stage, on radio, or in a movie, in the presence of other audience members. Television producers attempted to recreate this atmosphere in its early days by introducing the sound of laughter or other crowd reactions into the soundtrack of television programs. However, live audiences could not be counted on to laugh at the correct moment. Other times, the audiences could laugh too long or too loud, sounding unnatural and forced. Douglass noticed these, as he put it, "God-awful" responses, and took it upon himself to remedy the situation. If a joke did not get the desired chuckle, Douglass inserted additional laughter. If the live audience chuckled for too long, Douglass gradually muted the guffaws. This editing technique became known as sweeteningSweetening
In sound design sweetening refers to "juicing up" the video portion of a film, play, computer game software or any other multimedia project...
, in which pre-recorded laughter is used to augment the response of the real studio audience if they did not react as strongly as desired. Douglass eventually spent countless hours extracting laughter, applause, and other reactions from live soundtracks he had recorded (mainly from the dialogue-less The Red Skelton Show
The Red Skelton Show
The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third to The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings during that time. Skelton, who had previously been a radio star, had appeared in several motion pictures as...
), Douglass then placed his recorded guffaws into a huge tape machine, dubbed the "laff box."
At first, the laugh track was used sparingly on live shows like The Jack Benny Program; as a result, its invention essentially went by unnoticed. By the end of the 1950s, live comedy transitioned from film to videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
, which allowed for editing during post-production. However, by editing a prerecorded live show, bumps and gaps were present in the soundtrack. Douglass was again called upon to "bridge or fill" these gaps. Eventually, both performers and producers began to get greedy when they realized the power behind these prerecorded chuckles. Comedian Milton Berle
Milton Berle
Milton Berlinger , better known as Milton Berle, was an American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , in 1948 he was the first major star of U.S. television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
, 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? It was funny." Douglass went from enhancing a soundtrack to literally reorchestrating audience reactions.
An item that purports to be the original "laff box" can be seen on an episode of 'Antiques Roadshow'.
By the early 1960s, live television sitcoms became cost prohibitive, and Douglass was brought in to simulate an entire audience. Shows like Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
, The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
and The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
are virtually showcases of Douglass' editing skill; the more outlandish the show, the more invasive Douglass made the audience reaction. Conversely, low-key shows, like The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised by CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays a widowed sheriff in the fictional small community of Mayberry, North Carolina...
, The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
and My Three Sons
My Three Sons
My Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
, allowed Douglass to keep the audience responses at a minimum, and resulted in quicker and simpler editing jobs.
The practice of simulating an audience reaction was controversial from the very beginning. Douglass was well aware that his "laff box" was despised and maligned by critics and writers, but he also knew that the utilization of a laugh track became standard practice and as a result, a commodity in the industry. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s, Douglass had a monopoly on the expensive and painstaking "laff" business. As TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
critic Dick Hobson put it in 1966, Douglass was "the only laugh game in town."
Very few in the industry ever witnessed Douglass using his mysterious "laff box", and he was notoriously secretive about his work. The one-of-a-kind device was tightly secured with padlocks, stood more than two feet tall, and operated like an organ, with a keyboard to select the style, gender and age of the laugh as well as a foot pedal to time the length of the reaction. Production studios became accustomed to seeing Douglass shuttling from studio to studio to mix in his manufactured laughs during post-production.
The modern "laff box" consists of a digital device approximately the size of a laptop computer and contains hundreds of human sounds.
Personal life
Douglass was married for 62 years to Dorothy Dunn Douglass. They had two sons, one of whom (Bob) currently operates Northridge Electronics.Later years
Douglass quietly retired in 1980. He died of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on April 8, 2003 in Templeton, California
Templeton, California
Templeton is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California. The population was 7,674 at the 2010 census, up from 4,687 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
.