Judge, 1917-10-20 · page 17 of 28
Judge — October 20, 1917 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents theatrical excerpts from contemporary Broadway productions, arranged as humorous "smart" dialogue. Each caption pairs a witty quote with a scene photo and character names. The content reflects early 20th-century theatrical humor: a woman manipulating an artist through emotional trauma ("Business Before Pleasure"); a young woman marrying an elderly man hoping he survives the honeymoon ("Maytime"); a city visitor's condescension toward rural charm ("The Country Cousin"); and a young man staging an elaborate deception using a fake French mistress to impress a minister's daughter ("Polly with a Past"). These excerpts satirize contemporary social anxieties: gold-digging women, class differences between urban sophistication and rural simplicity, and deceptive courtship practices. The humor derives from characters' cynical or unguarded remarks revealing mercenary motives and social pretension—typical of Judge magazine's satirical approach to modern American manners.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
eo MAR EAESEES TALS A TEER oa * | SMART BITS FROM CURRENT PLAYS 1 professional movie rampire, practising on the young man whom she “I've missed you terribly, Mac. I’ve missed that broken- hearted stuff you pull. You don’t know how it helps an artist to have near her someone whose life she has ruined Ciara Jorn and Grorce Lecuere in “Business Before Pleasure.” This pretty chorus lassie has just incrigled the gay but decrepit otd bine blood, Matthew Van Zandt, into asking her to marry him. In her momen of triumph she exclaims devoutly “I hope he lasts until I get him home’ —Gertruve VANDERBILT and Wittiaw Nornis in “May- time.” pe sberi d. the blasé New Yorker, mects Nancy Price in Centreville, he is not much taken with her surroundings. But + ‘he stands up for them. “First impressions aren't always the apple trees are in bloom in everybody’s it's very pleasant!” “sce. Depend on apple trees blossoming for entertain- ment! Must be a lively place in autumn!” ALEXANDRA CARLISLE and EvcENe O'BRIEN in “The utry Cousin.” In order that his girl may be moved to sare” him, Rex Van Zile,a model young man, gets Polly, a minister's daughter from the West, to pose as a notorious French actress and pretend to be wis fancée. During her first risit to his home she remarks: “Half the married men in wives don’t understand them —Ina Craire in “Polly with a Past.” orthampton have told me their