European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                 -n1990 Milestone the Laff track is 40 years old Scon Williams associated press an has been called the Only Anima that laughs television the Only machine. And 1990 was the year that a canned laughter a the use of pc recorded hilarity in the to comedy sound track turned 40 years old like Many 40-year-Olds, the laugh track did no to need or want to be reminded of its age or that u first appeared on the Han Mccune show an unremembered filmed sitcom that made its debut on Abc on sept. 9,1950. The Hank Mccune show was about an amiable Bumble who created chaos wherever he went. Its Home audience seated at the electronic Hearth heard the unmistakable sound of an audiences laughter if they noticed it at All. All was not w hat it seemed. The show noted the Trade newspaper variety Quot has an innovation in a sound track that contains audience laughter. Although the show is lenses on film without a studio audience there arc chuckles and Yocks dubbed  Quot whether this induces a Jovial mood in Home viewers is still to be determined but the practice May. Have unlimited possibilities if a s spread to include canned peals of hilarity thunderous ovations and gasps ,�?� variety said. And spread it has. To the Early producers the laugh track seemed As reasonable As the Quot plaque a paid appt audess who pack a theater to heat up an audiences response to the show. Producing filmed comedy for the hungry new medium meant using sound stages where audiences could not fit. The laugh track synthesized audience reaction and cued the audience a however in gently a when something was funny. The laugh track was predicated on the psychological fact that people arc More inclined to laugh when they arc Quot among people who Are laughing said Pat Weaver then president of Abc. Quot not that 1 was in favor of laugh tracks a Weaver added. Quot i was in favor of a laugh track that was intelligently used. Thai was the Way it started and the Way it should have  it did no to. Technology evolved to the Post product Joii Quot laugh machine a where a technician could mix. The audible Range of human reactions from snort chuckle and Giggle to Guffaw belly laugh and Roar into an audience s silence. A skilled technician could play the laugh no Chine like a musician exhorting the Quot canned peals of hilarity thunderous ovations and gasps  Quot into a symphony of synthetic response a the machine will love it and a a we la fix it in Post became Stock excuses for a gag that fell Shorter worse an unfunny script. Even i love Lucy which Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz virtually invented As the first sitcom filmed before a live audience Quot sweetened its laugh track with canned Yocks when the audience got cold. A a a Quot there Sho quest Ion that we have been conditioned to the sound of laughter a said George Schlatter executive producer of the comedy series laugh in which premiered in 1968. Quot its now a science. You can to Tell when its a track. Whether that a improving the Quality of television is the real question a and i done to think  this from a Mart who once took a collection of political speeches arid dubbed laughs music and applause under it. Quot it was wonderful. I was going to Market it but my lawyers said they would throw themselves under the  laugh in was a blisteringly paced blackout comedy series that redefined television comedy. It was filmed for the most part before a studio a die Nee and it was the laugh tracks finest hour Quot on ,1 electronic editing was perfected because the cuts were made so fast that we no longer could make physical splices a he said. Quot and me with my perverse sense of humor i d put in laughs where there were  James Comuck executive producer of the hit Simeoni Welcome Back Kotler and Many others made sure each of his shows had a different laugh a track. A a. Quot with the courtship of eddies father it was a very Light track almost like music Quot Komasek said. With a Chico and the Man and Welcome Back Rotter both filmed before a studio audience most of the time what you heard was the laughter of the audience a. A a. Kotnyek also cited his experience us an actor and writer in the three year rim of Jackie Coop Eros series i Ennessy which began in 1959. In its third year on the air Cooper decided to a the laugh track. A a it was a Brave artistic very Clever very Crea Tive marvelous show a and it got cancelled a to Mack said. The critical question these Days is whether a. Quality series can survive without canned laughter critics loved re cent laugh track-1 Ess shows like the slap Maxwell Story and Franks place but the shows did no to last. Quot apparently we americans tend to get nervous if we sit alone with the to laughing in the dark. As Sci att r put it a a g enu Ine wit Doe snot re a 1 by Nee d the machine the audience does.contentsare Barbara Bush and Book Quot among the Bright stars or the faded lights of 1991? the ins and outs of the Pew year Are on Page 15.there was something funny about 1990. Just ask Dave Barry. Vage 24.cover. Vav. /. 1990�?Ts top grossing hit Quot ghost Quot reaches the cafes movie circuit. Page 9.the year in review. 3-7 the Best and the worst on film and tv1990 at the movies 4-5 a very subjective top. And Bottom 10. List /1990 on television 6-7 the Best of the year and coming attraction this weeks films. 8-9 a thin shadowy a a ghost of a movie Complete a4fps circuit listings on video 10 new from Steve Martin and the gremlins television listings. 11-14 local Cable and satellite schedules. Books it turning the Bright Light on Friday night football fames j. Kilpatrick on a singular problem observations .18 merry glasnost and a Happy new world h7jere would you like to be a year from now Odds amp ends 19 songs for a saudi Holty Day miss manners and Horoscope last laugh 24 pave Barry directs the past year newsman and author Charles Kuralt loves Bitting the Road and seeing Small town America. Page 16.tv plus is a weekly supplement of the stars and Stripe editors John Taylor Sarah Bottorff Art director Sharon kurday production Lisa Williams Denise Adams editorial assistance Louis Pierce Marian Hamilton Page 2 to plus sunday december 30,1990