In 1946 the series began using live sound recording, and the addition of dialogue gave the films a new dimension. Now the action was being played strictly for laughs, with many familiar character actors adding to the fun. Fritz Feld, Ralph Sanford, Philip Van Zandt, Fred Kelsey, and Leo White made frequent appearances; semi-regulars were Clifton Young and later Del Moore as Joe's loudmouthed pal Homer, Rodney Bell as dumb-bell "helper" Marvin, and Ted Stanhope as an all-purpose authority figure (desk clerk, salesman, businessman, etc.). Many of the shorts are domestic comedies, with "the original hard-luck kid" McDoakes insisting on carrying a project through, with often disastrous consequences. "So You Want to Build a Model Railroad" has Joe so engrossed in the hobby that it overruns his entire apartment; "So You Want to Be a Cowboy" has Joe going to a movie, and creating a disturbance when he envisions himself as a cowboy hero; "So You're Going on a Vacation" has Joe struggling with a camping outfit.