And hopefully not a 'slow burn.'
Vaudeville is the name given to a genre of variety entertainment that flourished in North America from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Programs could include singers, dancers, actors performing Shakespeare, magicians and the form of entertainment remembered most from the period, comedy.
The Three Stooges clown with model Barbara Bradford Mann in Atlantic City in 1938. Acts like the Marx Brothers, Ritz Brothers and George Burns and Gracie Allen got their start in vaudeville, as did the Three Stooges, who would epitomize the genre known as 'slapstick' comedy
Slapstick: split a long stick or strip of wood down the middle but not all the way; when hitting another performer with it, a loud striking sound is made without causing (too much) pain to the strike. (source: seattleshakespeare.org)
MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey
Because the comedians were performing to a large audience that might not be maintaining respectful silence, their volume was loud and motions were exaggerated. One of the most well-known comedic motions would be the double-take:
Double-take: looking at something or someone, coming to sudden realization, then looking at it again in surprise. (source: goodmagic.com)
Hopefully, some of these photos might also make you come to a realization and look again in surprise. And below are links to some other galleries you'll enjoy.
Vintage photos from N.J. that might make you do a double-take
Vintage photos of 'sketchy' N.J. activities
Vintage N.J. photos that deserve a second look
Greg Hatala may be reached at greghatalagalleries@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.