	Cheeky authority-defying playlets such as "Jail Mum" (1896) in which prisoners play tricks on warders and "Early Birds" (1903), where a small man defeats a large ruffian in London's East End, can be seen as precursors of movie silent comedy. Film producer Hal Roach stated: "Fred Karno is not only a genius, he is the man who originated slapstick comedy. We in Hollywood owe much to him."