Sober Sue, who sat on the stage with a face so straight it could break a comedian’s heart. The theater had a standing offer of $1,000 to anyone who made her laugh. The public came to watch the efforts and comedians improved their acts trying for the jackpot. None ever succeeded. There is a touch of tragedy to the secret only Hammerstein knew. Sober Sue’s facial muscles were completely paralyzed.

I wonder if she's related to Debbie Downer?

of course, these days anyone can do this, thanks to the medical miracle that is Botox!

Medical science - poisoning parts of you for profit since ancient times.

Maybe she just didnt understand english.

I know a song about this girl....

hey, hey, oh oh oh ohhhh, hey hey...

Or maybe she was deaf.

I was thinking like Ric. It would be easy to find multiple deaf women, but probably not multiple women with facial paralysis.

The deaf thing is a good theory at first glance, but there are also non-verbal ways of trying to make people laugh. For example, I'm sure someone cavorting around like a monkey, making silly faces, could make most people laugh eventually, if not Sober Sue.

No. I've known enough deaf people to know they do have to know what's going on for physical stuff to get funny.

This story has a lot of interesting aspects.

1. Why do some of the citations call the theater manager "Willie Hammerstein" while others call him "Oscar Hammerstein." Were the Hammerstein brothers in business together? Was Willie's middle name Oscar? Is it a mistake due to confusing this theater empresario with the composer and songwriter Oscar Hammerstein?

2. Facial paralysis is not so rare that you couldn't find several women who have it if you tried. It doesn't seem likely all of them would be named Sue or Susan, but changing one's name in show business is not unheard of.

3. However, I don't think it would be necessary to be paralyzed in order to perform this act. With some practice, I think most people would be able to keep a straight face through comedy routines. And just having paralyzed facial muscles wouldn't stop someone from laughing; just from smiling. So I think practice is a more likely method than some medical disorder.

4. Many of the deaf people I've known are, in fact, jolly people who will laugh at practically anything mildly amusing. Also, some of the news clippings refer to Sober Sue talking. Some deaf people can speak pretty normally, but some can't speak at all or not very clearly. At least we know that if Sue was deaf, she wasn't mute.

5. I'm trying to imagine what would be so funny about somebody sitting around with a blank expression. If that's entertaining, I see people at the bus stop every day who could be superstars. Maybe I'd have to see the act itself to really get it.

Big Gary, it wasn't her that was funny, it was the comedians trying to get her to laugh. All the wasted jokes and comedy routines had to get the audience to laugh even if Sober Sue didn't.

I've done shows for about a hundred of her.

I think Willie Hammerstein was the son of Oscar Hammerstein. The older Hammerstein owned the theater, but it was his son Willie who managed it. At least, that was the situation, as far as I can make it out.

Sober Sue worked for several years under the alternate pseudonym of "Sniveling Rat-faced Git", while in the Busty Bloomers Follies of 1906, enjoying a two-month run in Saliva Run, New York at the historic Theatre' Toilette... true story

There are some toxins that will cause paralysis (temporary or permanent) where they were applied. I suppose it is possible that she used something like that to keep a straight face, and then she'd just have to concentrate on not laughing.

I wonder if she was that "good" in the sack...

I wonder if Sober Sue was related to Runaround Sue.

That's probably why Sue didn't smile.
She was tired from all that running around.

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