Charles Douglass
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Charles Rolland Douglass was a Mexican-born American sound engineer, credited as the inventor of the laugh track.
Douglass in the University of Nevada, Reno yearbook, 1933
Milton Berle
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Milton Berle was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over eight decades, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and television. As
Charles Douglass
…called upon to "bridge" or "fill" these gaps. Both performers and producers gradually began to realize the power behind prerecorded laughter. Comedian Milton Berle, while witnessing a post-production editing session, once said, "as long as we are here, this joke didn't get all that we wanted." After Douglass…
Berle in a publicity photo, 1953
Berle in 1943
A poster of Berle's film Always Leave Them Laughing
Berle at the 41st Primetime Emmy Awards in 1989