Fred Karno - Pioneer in slapstick comedy
influential English music hall comedian and theatre impresario Fred Karno developed a form of sketch comedy without dialogue in the 1890s, and Chaplin and Laurel were among the young comedians who worked for him as part of “Fred Karno’s Army”
features
emphasis on physical comedy
exaggerated
visual gags
for example, pie in the face
sound effects to amplify effect
universal; transcends boundaries of language
appeals to everyone