Judge, 1918-10-05 · page 23 of 32
Judge — October 5, 1918 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page collects humorous excerpts from contemporary theatrical productions. The top section shows a chorus line from "Head Over Heels," with a wardrobe mistress concerned about costume malfunctions—satirizing both the physical demands of dance routines and the modest sensibilities of the era. "Three Faces East" features a pianist performing amid a melodramatic spy plot (German spies were a popular theatrical villains' motif, likely reflecting WWI-era anxieties). "He Didn't Want to Do It" jokes about two characters—Ernest Torrence and Helen Pierre—singing a sentimental ballad so energetically that their feet consume stage space, forcing the poetry to be abbreviated. The bottom excerpt shows a humorous dialogue between "Zeb Crothers" and "Lightnin' Bill Jones," playing on rural dialect comedy popular in vaudeville. The joke involves misunderstanding legal victory: one character won his case but lost his divorce anyway—a play on the absurdities of courtroom outcomes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
pap Over Heets” Stand up straight. If our act is as good as our costume s we'll knock ’em out of their seats. Motte (the wardrobe mistress): Wait! Is there any tights that may split in compromising places? (Right) From “Turee Faces East” Violet Hem piano, seck e lost chord a network of German spies. th From“He Dipn’t WantT0 Do It” Ernest Torrence and Helen Pierre sing this touching ballad (their feet take so much room we've had to waltmason the poetry): maid from th From “Licutnty’ Zep Crotuers: Well, did you git your di- vorce? Licutnin’ Bunt Jones: No, I didn’t. Zep: I thought you said you won the case. comicbooks.com