Show Shaws Shaw's Audience Laughed At Commas Says Benchley 1 A British audience listening recently to George Bernard Dernard Sha Shaw struggled nob nobly nobly ly Jy to spike the traditional reputation that the English Intelligence Is s butter butler butterfingered fingered when hen It comes to grasping a joke In fact Shaw Shaw had had them laugh laugh- laughIng laughing ing fag at commas Robert J Bench Dench Icy Jey In Liberty Magazine this week t while ago I listened In on a speech being made In London by George Der- Der Dernard Bernard Ber Bernard nard Shaw Shaa Sha who Is ts a clever guy too writes riles Mr Ir Benchley lie He was as IntroducIng Introducing Introducing ing professor protessor at some banquet or something I couldn t hear what nhat hat Pro Protessor lessor Einstein said because Just at that time the nest of field mice which life In my radio set began their say wiy out a couple of oC beav bea beat beavers t ers rs to help them But Dut I did hear Mr Ir Shaw There Is Isan isan Isan an old superstition that the are sloat slow at getting a Joke but the En at that thit banquet ere aero In a laughing mood which bordered on ner nervous nervous h hysteria All Mr Ir Shaw had to do was to say And furthermore furthermore- and the house came down n Ot Of 0 all the push pushover pushover pushover over audiences I halo havo 0 e ever etier er heard they had h the least gag resistance Here lIre Is a sample of ot what hat set Lon London London LonIon don bv by b the cars ears that night with my myown myown own Italics to In Indicate Its effect on the listeners Mr Ir Shaw Shaa L and gentlemen ben hn hen m my mv friend Mr Ir tells ells asked me to take this duty dut I could not help bell wondering whether hether he realized the honor hes he was wis s conferring upon me Gf PROLONGED GED D LAUGHTER an and J whether bether I was nag as ablo to discharge it ita adequately a THREE fIr MINUTES UTIS OF III S STERIA TERIA I felt fett I r could on only I do my best G APPLAUSE Here Here in London wo tie v e are still a great factor but no doubt presently that will be e transferred to the United States TIlE FIRST REAL GAG IG THE TIIE PL CF TO I PA PAN PANDEMONIUM DEMO IUM c W e hae bae a n string of great financiers great diplomats and even occasionally and author INTERMISSION I W ft IIII E HALF A LISTENERS W ITH HEARTS ARE CARRIED OUT ande and e ac make pictures as we ve talk COLLAPSE 0 PROOF AS THE TIIE IRS BEAT DIAT EACH OTHER IN A FRE Y This then was as the tho opening of ot Mr Ir Shaa Eha Ehas haw s speech an and 1 I ham with my own o-n ears heard what shat It was vas doing to 10 the hand ban J picked audience In front of him There were ere two t possible explanations first that It as was o over oer er my head bead and second that the entire Lon London Jon group had bad been up in Room before the b commenced and were ere cock cod eyed drunk |