KOOKABURRAS’ JOKE

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20734, 18 February 1939, Page 17 (Supplement)

KOOKABURRAS’ JOKE

LAUGH IN THE WRONG PLACE HOLLYWOOD FILM HELD UP HOLLYWOOD, February 13. If anybody in Australia knows an unfailing method for making kookaburras laugh, please communicate with United Artists before the scenario writer, Grover Jones, the director, Hal Roach, and the film stars, June Lang, Victor McLaglen and Brian Aherne, are c-arted off to a lunatic asylum. The filming of “Captain Fury,” formerly titled “Captain Midnight,” has been held up for three days liecau.se four kookaburras, rented for 200 dollars a day from Catalina Island Bird Park, perch unrelentingly on the limbs of an artificial tree and sneer at all attempts to amuse them. Grover Jones made kookaburras’ laughter an integral part of the script, but he soon admitted that he did not. know how to make them laugh. Hal Roach appealed to the Catalina Park superintendent, who worked hard but failed to produce even a chuckle. Desperate, Mr Roach brought in the superintendent’s wife, who is reputed to have a way with kookaburras. Sb<* laughed and coaxed till her voice became a croak, but it was unavailing. Mr Roach, disgusted, had the sound equipment dismantled, and then Hukookaburras, aR four, laughed long and loud but gave it up before the equipment could be remounted, and have not laughed since.