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Carroll Pratt

March 13, 2023

Carroll Holmes Pratt (April 19, 1921 – November 11, 2010) was an American sound engineer who, along with laugh track inventor Charley Douglass, pioneered the use of prerecorded laughter.

Carroll Pratt
Pratt, 1980s
Born
Carroll Holmes Pratt

(1921-04-19)April 19, 1921
Hollywood, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 11, 2010(2010-11-11) (aged 89)
Santa Rosa, California, U.S.
Years active1947–1995
SpouseCarole

Early life

Carroll Pratt was born April 19, 1921, in Hollywood, California, to Carroll, Sr., a sound engineer during the early years of sound in films and television, and Edith Pratt (née Holmes), a housewife and homemaker.

The Pratt family relocated to Sydney, Australia, where Pratt's father worked on Australia's first film with sound, before returning to the U.S. The junior Pratt soon took an interest in sound engineering as well.[1]

After serving in the United States Air Force during World War II, Pratt began working as a sound engineer at MGM Studios.[1]

Charley Douglass and Northridge Electronics

Pratt met Charley Douglass, inventor of the laugh track while at MGM. Pratt regularly helped Douglass transport the bulky "laff box" into studios and was eventually added to the payroll of Northridge Electronics, Douglass's company.[citation needed]

Douglass trained Pratt in his methods of adding laughter to existing soundtracks. Pratt spent his first two years under Douglass' guidance, laughing up the integrated commercials that television programs used to include, in which the actors of the shows would promote the shows' products sponsors; afterwards, Pratt was assigned to laughing entire programs when Northridge Electronics worked on the Screen Gems shows Bachelor Father (CBS, 1957–59; NBC, 1959–61; ABC, 1961–62), Leave it to Beaver (CBS, 1957–58; ABC, 1958–63), and Dennis the Menace (CBS, 1959–63), among others.[citation needed]

Due to a spike in business, Douglass hired Pratt's brother, John, as well. Because different editors would react to certain jokes and situations in different ways, producers would put in bids for specific editors to laugh their shows;[2] next to Douglass, the Pratt brothers were the most prolific editors working for Northridge Electronics.[1]

Sound One

In addition to regular laugh track editing, the Pratt brothers worked in Douglass' workshop during summer hiatuses, building and rebuilding machines. "Charley was a great machinist", Carroll commented, "we were sort of the nuts-and-bolts guys."

Carroll and John worked faithfully and devotedly for Douglass, whose technology had become outdated by the mid-1970s. Pratt commented that after years of constant use, Douglass' tapes were beginning to wear out; as a result, hissing sounds were audible, and they knew a laugh was about to be heard by the increase of hissing.

Despite efforts to convince Douglass to advance his technology, Douglass himself, while not stubborn, was quite fond of his invention and felt no urge to advance. Pratt constructed a new computerized "laff box"; the innovative new machine was smaller, simpler to use, and could store recordings on cassette tapes, as opposed to Douglass' 32 magnetic tape loops.[1]

The Pratt brothers parted ways with Douglass in 1977, and formed a new company, Sound One. The new company had an immediate edge over Douglass offering stereo recordings that matched the sound quality of stereo programs. Douglass tried to convert previous mono analog recordings to stereo, with mediocre results.[1]

Producers were enthused by the ingenuity of Pratt's laugh track, that by 1978, most producers shifted from Douglass' track to Pratt's track for both utilizing and sweetening.[3]

Later years

While Douglass' laugh track had been boisterous and hearty, Pratt's laugh track was more subtle and subdued, reflecting a shift in the mindset of viewing audiences. Pratt commented, "A joke is a joke, but I've noticed that the public is more sophisticated now. They don't seem to be hand-fed as they were in the early days. Now, we take the light approach as far as trying to drive home a joke with audience reaction. I think that it's okay to back off a little bit especially on a live-audience show. Go with the show and let them tell you."[1]

Pratt carried on the audience reaction legacy pioneered by Douglass on not only sitcoms, but live programs such as award shows, game shows, sports programs, specials and pageants. Much like his mentor's company, Sound One was a mostly family business; John continued working with Carroll until 1980, while his wife, Carole, served as the company's accountant.[1]

Like Douglass, Pratt also hired additional editors, mentoring and training them on laugh machines, and how to edit laugh tracks on programs. Pratt overheard the writers whispering to one another, "Isn't he too old to understand today's humor?", which made him realize that writers and producers were getting steadily younger, and as such, the production industry as a whole was also in the hands of younger professionals; because of this, Pratt decided that it was time for him to turn Sound One over to the hands of his younger proteges. Pratt officially retired from managing Sound One in 1989, but continued to consult with other editors, and occasionally laugh up programs until 1995.[1]

Death

Pratt died of natural causes on November 11, 2010, in Santa Rosa, California at age 89.[4]

Personal life

While Pratt was working on M*A*S*H, a woman wrote in to producer Gene Reynolds, begging him to stop using a laugh track on the show. Ironically, the woman was Pratt's girlfriend, Carole. The two later married and lived in Malibu, California.[5]

Filmography

Below is a partial list of shows Pratt worked on, both while working for Douglass, for his own Sound One. Years indicate the time period Northridge Electronics and/or Sound One worked on the corresponding show.

Northridge Electronics

Transition from Northridge Electronics to Sound One

Sound One

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Carroll Pratt (June 12, 2003). Emmy TV Legends: Carroll Pratt Interview (Interview with Karen Herman). Philo, California: Archive for American Television. Retrieved May 6, 2003.
  2. ^ Hobson, Dick (July 9, 1966). "Help! I'm a Prisoner in a Laff Box". TV Guide.
  3. ^ Carroll Pratt (June 12, 2003). Emmy TV Legends: Carroll Pratt Interview (Interview with Karen Herman). Philo, California: Archive for American Television.
  4. ^ Thursby, Keith (November 17, 2010). "Carroll Pratt dies at 89; Emmy-winning sound engineer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  5. ^ Bednarski, P.J. (July 7, 1983). "Laugh man adds fake 'ha-ha-ha's to TV comedies". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 22, 2013.

External links

March 13, 2023
carroll, pratt, carroll, holmes, pratt, april, 1921, november, 2010, american, sound, engineer, along, with, laugh, track, inventor, charley, douglass, pioneered, prerecorded, laughter, pratt, 1980sborncarroll, holmes, pratt, 1921, april, 1921hollywood, califo. Carroll Holmes Pratt April 19 1921 November 11 2010 was an American sound engineer who along with laugh track inventor Charley Douglass pioneered the use of prerecorded laughter Carroll PrattPratt 1980sBornCarroll Holmes Pratt 1921 04 19 April 19 1921Hollywood California U S DiedNovember 11 2010 2010 11 11 aged 89 Santa Rosa California U S Years active1947 1995SpouseCarole Contents 1 Early life 2 Charley Douglass and Northridge Electronics 3 Sound One 4 Later years 5 Death 6 Personal life 7 Filmography 7 1 Northridge Electronics 7 2 Transition from Northridge Electronics to Sound One 7 3 Sound One 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksEarly life EditCarroll Pratt was born April 19 1921 in Hollywood California to Carroll Sr a sound engineer during the early years of sound in films and television and Edith Pratt nee Holmes a housewife and homemaker The Pratt family relocated to Sydney Australia where Pratt s father worked on Australia s first film with sound before returning to the U S The junior Pratt soon took an interest in sound engineering as well 1 After serving in the United States Air Force during World War II Pratt began working as a sound engineer at MGM Studios 1 Charley Douglass and Northridge Electronics EditPratt met Charley Douglass inventor of the laugh track while at MGM Pratt regularly helped Douglass transport the bulky laff box into studios and was eventually added to the payroll of Northridge Electronics Douglass s company citation needed Douglass trained Pratt in his methods of adding laughter to existing soundtracks Pratt spent his first two years under Douglass guidance laughing up the integrated commercials that television programs used to include in which the actors of the shows would promote the shows products sponsors afterwards Pratt was assigned to laughing entire programs when Northridge Electronics worked on the Screen Gems shows Bachelor Father CBS 1957 59 NBC 1959 61 ABC 1961 62 Leave it to Beaver CBS 1957 58 ABC 1958 63 and Dennis the Menace CBS 1959 63 among others citation needed Due to a spike in business Douglass hired Pratt s brother John as well Because different editors would react to certain jokes and situations in different ways producers would put in bids for specific editors to laugh their shows 2 next to Douglass the Pratt brothers were the most prolific editors working for Northridge Electronics 1 Sound One EditIn addition to regular laugh track editing the Pratt brothers worked in Douglass workshop during summer hiatuses building and rebuilding machines Charley was a great machinist Carroll commented we were sort of the nuts and bolts guys Carroll and John worked faithfully and devotedly for Douglass whose technology had become outdated by the mid 1970s Pratt commented that after years of constant use Douglass tapes were beginning to wear out as a result hissing sounds were audible and they knew a laugh was about to be heard by the increase of hissing Despite efforts to convince Douglass to advance his technology Douglass himself while not stubborn was quite fond of his invention and felt no urge to advance Pratt constructed a new computerized laff box the innovative new machine was smaller simpler to use and could store recordings on cassette tapes as opposed to Douglass 32 magnetic tape loops 1 The Pratt brothers parted ways with Douglass in 1977 and formed a new company Sound One The new company had an immediate edge over Douglass offering stereo recordings that matched the sound quality of stereo programs Douglass tried to convert previous mono analog recordings to stereo with mediocre results 1 Producers were enthused by the ingenuity of Pratt s laugh track that by 1978 most producers shifted from Douglass track to Pratt s track for both utilizing and sweetening 3 Later years EditWhile Douglass laugh track had been boisterous and hearty Pratt s laugh track was more subtle and subdued reflecting a shift in the mindset of viewing audiences Pratt commented A joke is a joke but I ve noticed that the public is more sophisticated now They don t seem to be hand fed as they were in the early days Now we take the light approach as far as trying to drive home a joke with audience reaction I think that it s okay to back off a little bit especially on a live audience show Go with the show and let them tell you 1 Pratt carried on the audience reaction legacy pioneered by Douglass on not only sitcoms but live programs such as award shows game shows sports programs specials and pageants Much like his mentor s company Sound One was a mostly family business John continued working with Carroll until 1980 while his wife Carole served as the company s accountant 1 Like Douglass Pratt also hired additional editors mentoring and training them on laugh machines and how to edit laugh tracks on programs Pratt overheard the writers whispering to one another Isn t he too old to understand today s humor which made him realize that writers and producers were getting steadily younger and as such the production industry as a whole was also in the hands of younger professionals because of this Pratt decided that it was time for him to turn Sound One over to the hands of his younger proteges Pratt officially retired from managing Sound One in 1989 but continued to consult with other editors and occasionally laugh up programs until 1995 1 Death EditPratt died of natural causes on November 11 2010 in Santa Rosa California at age 89 4 Personal life EditWhile Pratt was working on M A S H a woman wrote in to producer Gene Reynolds begging him to stop using a laugh track on the show Ironically the woman was Pratt s girlfriend Carole The two later married and lived in Malibu California 5 Filmography EditBelow is a partial list of shows Pratt worked on both while working for Douglass for his own Sound One Years indicate the time period Northridge Electronics and or Sound One worked on the corresponding show Northridge Electronics Edit I Love Lucy CBS 1951 57 The Steve Allen Show NBC 1956 60 ABC 1961 Syndication 1962 64 Bachelor Father CBS 1957 59 NBC 1959 61 ABC 1961 62 Leave it to Beaver CBS 1957 58 ABC 1958 63 Kraft Music Hall NBC 1958 71 Dennis the Menace CBS 1959 63 My Three Sons ABC 1960 65 CBS 1965 72 The Flintstones ABC 1960 66 The Andy Griffith Show CBS 1960 68 previously laughed by Douglass The Dick Van Dyke Show CBS 1961 66 The Jetsons ABC 1962 63 The Beverly Hillbillies CBS 1962 71 My Favorite Martian CBS 1963 65 Bewitched ABC 1964 72 Green Acres CBS 1965 71 Hogan s Heroes CBS 1965 71 I Dream of Jeannie NBC 1965 70 The Carol Burnett Show CBS 1967 1978 Writers Guild strike specials only The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour CBS 1967 69 The Banana Splits Adventure Hour NBC 1968 70 Scooby Doo Where Are You CBS 1969 71 The Brady Bunch ABC 1969 74 only when Douglass was unavailable The Mary Tyler Moore Show CBS 1970 77 Josie and the Pussycats CBS 1970 71 The Odd Couple ABC 1970 75 The Partridge Family ABC 1970 74 The Sonny amp Cher Comedy Hour CBS 1971 74 Transition from Northridge Electronics to Sound One Edit The Pink Panther Show Northridge Electronics 1969 78 Sound One 1978 80 The Bob Newhart Show CBS 1972 78 M A S H Northridge Electronics 1972 77 Sound One 1977 83 Happy Days Northridge Electronics 1974 77 Sound One 1977 84 Rhoda CBS 1974 78 The Jeffersons CBS 1975 85 Barney Miller ABC 1975 82 Laverne amp Shirley ABC 1976 1983 Alice Northridge Electronics 1976 1978 Sound One 1978 85 Eight Is Enough Northridge Electronics 1977 79 Sound One 1980 81 The Love Boat Northridge Electronics 1977 78 Sound One 1979 86 Sound One Edit What s Happening ABC 1976 79 Halloween with the New Addams Family NBC 1977 Soap Northridge Electronics 1977 1978 Sound One 1978 81 Taxi ABC 1978 82 NBC 1982 83 also collaborated with Douglass on many episodes WKRP in Cincinnati CBS 1978 82 Mork amp Mindy ABC 1978 82 Benson ABC 1979 86 You Can t Do That on Television 1979 82 not for entire run Harper Valley PTA NBC 1981 82 The Great Space Coaster syndicated 1981 86 Family Ties NBC 1982 89 Newhart CBS 1982 90 The New Odd Couple ABC 1982 83 AfterMASH CBS 1983 85 W A L T E R CBS 1983 Kate amp Allie CBS 1984 89 The Cosby Show NBC 1984 92 Who s the Boss ABC 1984 92 Mama s Family NBC 1983 84 syndicated 1986 90 ALF NBC 1986 90 Married with Children FOX 1987 97 Roseanne ABC 1988 97 Seinfeld NBC 1989 98 Home Improvement ABC 1991 99 The Red Green Show CBC Television 1991 2006 not for entire run Mad About You NBC 1992 99 Friends NBC 1994 2004 Kenan and Kel Nickelodeon 1996 2000 not for entire run See also EditLaugh track Charles DouglassReferences Edit a b c d e f g h Carroll Pratt June 12 2003 Emmy TV Legends Carroll Pratt Interview Interview with Karen Herman Philo California Archive for American Television Retrieved May 6 2003 Hobson Dick July 9 1966 Help I m a Prisoner in a Laff Box TV Guide Carroll Pratt June 12 2003 Emmy TV Legends Carroll Pratt Interview Interview with Karen Herman Philo California Archive for American Television Thursby Keith November 17 2010 Carroll Pratt dies at 89 Emmy winning sound engineer Los Angeles Times Retrieved 6 May 2013 Bednarski P J July 7 1983 Laugh man adds fake ha ha ha s to TV comedies Chicago Sun Times Retrieved July 22 2013 External links EditCarroll Pratt at IMDb Carroll Pratt at The Interviews An Oral History of Television Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Carroll Pratt amp oldid 1101231955, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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