The Laugh Maker

Gleason as Jerry Giles, 1953

The Laugh Maker is a 1953 television drama starring Jackie Gleason as an unsympathetic comedian and Art Carney as a writer. The show, an episode of the anthology series Studio One, was written by A. J. Russell and directed by Paul Nickell. It originally aired on May 18, 1953 on CBS.

Plot

A magazine writer, Bill Berkson, arrives in the dressing room of comedian Jerry Giles to introduce himself, assigned to write an article on the rising star. Giles, constantly joking on or off stage, is about to be given his own national television series.

Berkson discovers that Giles is willing to do almost anything to get his own way. Giles toys with the affections of a young singer, Flo Stevens, and tricks her into breaking off an engagement with another man. In so doing he offends Peggy Trent, a friend of Flo's who by coincidence was once in a romantic relationship with Berkson.

Giles lives with his sensible sister Belle, who gives him career advice and attempts to curb his impulses. Belle tries to prevent Giles from seducing Peggy, who is the assistant director of his new television show and extremely ambitious to advance her career.

Making a grand gesture to impress the others, Giles arranges for his show to hire Flo as a singer. He succeeds in winning Peggy's affection away from Berkson, who wants to marry her and believes she is deluding herself professionally. Berkson writes an article exposing Giles's offensive behavior, then reneges on a promise to Belle to reconsider the objectivity of his reporting before letting her brother or anyone else see it.

Peggy acknowledges that she is interested in Giles only for personal gain and tells Berkson she is willing to give up show business and become his wife. Giles, too, sees the error of his ways and realizes he is in love with Flo. But he also can't help but be himself, mugging for the audience and doing anything for a laugh.

Cast

Jackie Gleason ... Jerry Giles
Art Carney ... Bill Berkson
Supporting cast in alphabetical order:
Mischa Auer ... Cosmo
Robert Claborne ... Writer
Carl Frank ... Tom Warner
Tom Gorman ... 1st Man
Sally Gracie ... Flo Stevens
Joe Graham ... 2nd Man
Jerry Hackady ... Electrician
Rita Morley ... Peggy Trent
Victor Rendina ... Harry Gold
Charles Reynolds ... Director
Joseph Roman ... Floor Manager
Marian Seldes ... Belle Giles
Marie Stacy ... Hatcheck Girl
Justice Watson ... Headwaiter (as Rudulph Watson)


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