IT’S A JOKE, PEOPLE!

 

The Happy Hooligan Comedy Series began on January 21, 2019, as an experiment to learn how to use a gifted, small, inexpensive digital camera, in a hands-on, back-to-basics methodology.  Prior to that, dating back to the late 1980’s, films were produced under the Roadkill Productions and Narcissus International labels on crude VHS home cameras (and edited on a even more crude system of two sound channels and two visual channels).  Then expensive three-chip mini DV tape cameras were used, which were “state of the art” (Broadcast quality) at that time, and, finally, the current digital MP4 format with surround sound (no actual film or tape involved whatsoever) is used. The recent films are edited on a system with up to 100 sound and visual tracks. Rudimentary CGI currently augments the films such as adding greenery to exterior scenes or hiding the microphone booms in interior shots.  The experiment proved worthy of the time, energy, and resources involved…

 

WE’LL MAKE ANOTHER AND ANOTHER…

 

Intriguism Moving Pictures (IMP) is an independent (meaning self-financed), underground (meaning no advertising or distribution), multimedia (meaning writing, films, still images, internet and more) company (meaning paying contributors directly a flat fee or compensated by owning part of the intellectual property rights), located in Palm Springs, California (meaning a profound lack of resources or show business savvy).  Producing the glue-and-glitter-on-cardboard films in monstrous heat a large part of the year was the main topic of conversation and decision-making -- a make-do, if not sweaty -- company created as an off-shoot of an retro-futuristic art methodology and art movement, similar to Lady Gaga’s creative process and how AI now works. Imagination and patience covered a lot of ground.

 

The IMP library includes, not only the Hooligan Comedy Series, but also feature films, shorts, educational and experimental films, interviews, and music videos.  IMP has a stock of over 400 mostly-vintage costumes pieces including hats, gloves, shoes, walking sticks, plus jewelry.  Wigs and makeup supplies are on the ready. Props such as telephones, typewriters, radio microphones are also in stock.  The Professor’s spittoon is always at hand.

 

At the beginning of the Hooligan series, IMP didn’t own a professional-level microphone, having been rectified with a shot gun microphone and hand-held digital sound recording devise provided by generous donors which helped usher in the “Talkies” era of Hooligan episodes.

 

ALWAYS STEAL FROM THE BEST!

 

With that background in mind and taking in to consideration numerous limitations such as location availability, the awful weather, and no-budget budgets constraints, while concentrating on what was achievable, the Hooligan Comedy Series follows the invention of the motion pictures industry, initially producing silent, black-and-white films set in the 1910s and 1920s, then tracing the progress of movies between the World Wars and culminating with the advent of the major Hollywood studios in the 1940s, particularly focusing on the style of the on-screen great comedians and their career arc before television arrived.  The influences also came from circuses, vaudeville, the Borscht Belt, and old radio programs.  The first 11 Hooligan episodes were “silent” with music and title cards.  The first Hooligan “talkie” was “The Happy Hooligans Meet The Spooks!” Halloween episode.

 

The Happy Hooligan 1900s cartoon strip was known to the filmmaker behind the IMP comedy shorts but not really referenced directly in large part because of it’s not-funny racist, anti-Semitism troupes, where the context of the comedy has lost something in translation along the way.  But the name “Hooligan” was just the right nuance. Direct influences were “The Andy Griffith Show” and “I Love Lucy”.  Hooligans emulate “Lucy’s” timeless strong story structure, absurdist circumstances, and twist endings. Whereas, “Andy Griffith’s” slow, deliberate delivery and pacing and character-centered, less plot-driven motivations were used as a template for the Hooligans.

 

Add to the mix Emmett Kelly, Jack Benny, W. C. Fields, Mae West, The Marx Brothers, Judy Canova, Judy Holiday, The Three Stooges and the enduring comedy team of Laurel and Hardy.  Each of these performers developed a recognizable personae character and varied little from the start to the end of their careers.  Kelly wore the exact same costume for decades.

 

Shortly after the first dozen or so Hooligan episodes came a few color films in the series but the films mainly remained black-and-white for lighting considerations, post-production color correction issues, pre-production production design, plus keeping within the early film era motif.  For instance, The Professor’s Office walls were originally golden yellow curtain fabric stapled to 8 x 10 sheets of ply wood. Subsequently, the fabric was died pink for a non-Hooligan surreal feature film project, reverting back to the Hooligan set afterwards.  The pink fabric became medium gray in looks on black-and-white film, which was good for contrasts, especially with actors wearing black wardrobe of that time period.  Had the Hooligan films been shot in color, the pink walls would have been horribly distracting, almost psychedelic in aesthetic. Most Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, and The Marx Brothers were shot in black-and-white, despite available technological advances in color, even into the 1960s. Color was cost-prohibitive at the time, black-and-white inexpensive, and now, it’s the opposite.

 

The comedy series covered a variety of subject matter such as fairies, witches, ghosts, aliens, angels, leprechauns, clowns, invisible friends, a talking dog, time travel, homelessness, nudism, prostitution, abortion, racism, a guy disguised as Hitler, and a man who thought he was a monkey. Although The Professor is allegedly a medical doctor and psychologist, the series is sensitive to the portrayal of people with mental health issues.

 

Hooligan disasters the Professor has endured: Struck by lightning, various fires, electrical shocks, fist fights, slapped, punched, robbed, hit in head with a hammer, passed out, gassed, attacked by demons and ghosts, cursed at…

 

During the entirety of the series, The Professor never took off his top hat, gloves, tie or shoes -- even when he slept or took a bath.  The Professor never ate anything -- ever.  Drinking is another story, almost the entire story.

 

ACTORS ARE LIKE CATTLE!

 

The challenges for the Hooligan productions were: be “funny” under any circumstances (despite the constant unbearable heat while wearing layers of costumes -- air conditioners are turned off because of making noise on the sound track), maintain as high standard of production values as possible within time and budget restraints, actors learning film acting techniques while concentrating on eliminating bad habits, actors gathering materials such as photo stills, increase resumes, gain “star” billing, and have finished films to use as possible “acting reels” -- all the while having an educational/overall pleasant experience along the way.

 

ACTION!

 

The Hooligan films were designed to be made as quickly as possible, including post production editing and posting onto social media.  One day per production was dedicated to writing and printing a 10 pages or more script, writing and printing 8 page contracts, writing and printing cue cards, pre-production of gathering/making/buying props, buying, washing and ironing costumes, building sets, water, snacks, toilet paper…

 

A full day was scheduled per episode of shooting with makeup, hair, costumes, watching playbacks of scenes on a monitor, waiting for planes and cars and gardener blowers to go by, and the actual blocking and acting of the scenes with the camera running, going to lunch… Add a couple of more hours to the process for packing, unpacking, and travel time if the location was in a park, someone’s back yard or historical museum.  Post-production editing and posting on the internet typically took less than forty-eight hours, including cleaning up the sets and locations.

 

Sometimes, two episodes would be shot simultaneously in a single day.  Sometimes, two or more episodes would be shot within a week.  Being that there was no crew to deal with in IMP’s one-man-band approach, discussion wasn’t needed with others (which wastes time and energy) or unnecessary problems arriving, as well as sped-up decision-making -- just the single writer, executive producer, director operating the lights, camera, and sound with the individual actor (or actors).

 

There were no story boards, no auditions, no table readings, no screen tests, no rehearsals, no script breakdowns, and no costume fittings for the entire length of Hooligan episodes produced.  There were plenty of cue cards.

 

The films were intended to give mostly local actors opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise, especially training in film acting techniques -- actors who were limited to stage work as the only performance opportunities in Coachella Valley.   Over 45 actors appear in the Hooligan series, with the youngest being 8 years old and the oldest being 97 years old.  Despite experience levels, actors were suggested by other actors, actors were found on the internet through acting websites and county film commission websites, actors were friends who volunteered whether they liked it or not.  Actors are mostly non-union, paid a flat minimum day rate, plus food and gas.

 

From “making their screen debut” novice actors to award-winning actors to legendary career actors such as Scream Queen Debbie Dutch who has been in dozens upon dozens of movies…  Actress Phylicia Mason starred in the most episodes, playing characters from an often-pregnant woman, a French teacher, a sexy vixen, to a nerd with bucked teeth.  The frequently-seen character, “Mrs. Dumont” (Rosemary Flaherty) was inspired by actress, Margret Dumont, who appeared in many Marx Brothers movies…

 

Several actors are also theatrical directors such as Jason Hull (who is a writer and directed Hooligan episodes), Phylicia Mason (who directed Hooligan episodes), and professional actor/director Stan Jenson.  Actress Cari Sudmeier is also a film producer, film director and writer. Many actors served as producers or associate producers on the films to learn those aspects of film-making and gain credits.  

 

In several episodes, the actors are nude.

 

THE WORLD IS WATCHING!

 

The first youtube channel, created in 2012, with over 1,000 followers, was taken down due to “violations of community standards” and many IMP films were lost in the process.  The second youtube channel, IMP Movie Channel, began in 2022.  From 2019 to 2023, the Hooligan Comedy Series was, and continues to be, primarily watched in several countries: India, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, plus more.  The first Hooligan film was translated into Japanese, Spanish, and French subtitles.

 

Average Cost Per Episode: $120 to $200…

Approximately 2 Hrs to write 10 -12 Page Script…

Approximately 4 Hrs. to shoot each episode…

Approximately 16 Hrs. to edit…

Average Cost Per Costume: $40 to $100…

 

The most time-consuming aspect?  Casting/Scheduling…

 

When not using a location, sets were often built in a room in a residential home.  The same bedroom became a Chinese restaurant, dance studio, movie theater, speakeasy, laboratory, doctor’s office, doctor’s examining room, Fitzgerald's living room at Christmas, Professor’s living room, two different Professor’s bedrooms, Mrs. Dumont’s dinning room, Dick Yankman’s dinning room, two different theater stages, an auditorium, and more.  And that’s just one of the rooms in the house…

 

THE END…?

 

Is there more?  Yes…and no…  IMP is considering a Hooligan feature film, something well within the realm of possibility…some day.  The success of those who contributed to the Hooligans series lies in the process of doing, not the outcome, not in seeking approval or applause or financial gain.  They each had invaluable experiences that only hands-on, first person, trail-and-error can provide. Artists need a safe place to break boundaries, grow, and fail, because otherwise, we’re all stuck.  Performers HAVE to perform as a need as much as food, water, and shelter.  The results speak for themselves.

 

The Hooligans Comedy Series is FREE to watch and, hopefully, will always be so.

 

The future of the Hooligans may lay within the fantastical creations of Artificial Intelligence, where The Professor may interact with generations of Hooligans who are not born at present.

 

Intriguism Moving Pictures -- Expect The Unexpected