Early British Comedy

The Final Curtain

By the 1920’s the British market was being flooded by American material which was generally superior to the home grown product although comparable shorts were still being made well into the twenties by the likes of Fred Evans. Some continued in the slapstick vein, others developed along the more gentile and sophisticated lines. It is sad and telling to note that a 1920 publication ‘Cinema Stars’ boasted ‘More than 200 photographs of the most famous film players in the world’, the only British comedians noted were Will and Fred Evans and Lupino Lane. Both Sid and Charlie Chaplin were included but their careers were solely American based.