Judge, 1919-11-15 · page 27 of 36
Judge — November 15, 1919 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes early 20th-century farce theater, specifically plays about infidelity and marital complications. The headline's pun—"the plural of 'Spouse' is 'Spice'"—suggests that multiple spouses or romantic entanglements make life more "spicy" (exciting/scandalous). The page features excerpts from two theatrical productions: "Nice Night" and "Too Many Husbands." The scenes depict typical farce scenarios: a man breakfasting with a mysterious woman (causing servant drama), confusion over a man's marital status, and the social awkwardness of a man uncertain whether to address a woman as "Mrs. Cardew" or "Mrs. Lowndes" (implying she has multiple names/identities from different marriages). The joke mocks how servants and working-class characters find melodramatic excitement in their employers' romantic scandals—preferring real domestic chaos to movie entertainment. The satire targets both the absurdity of theatrical farce plots and period anxieties about marriage and propriety.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
In Farce the Plural of “Spouse” is “Spice’ Francis Byrne, Ruby Craven, Suzanne Willa, From “Nice Nicur™ The spectacle of the man of the house breakfasting with @ strange woman stirs the maid’s sense of drama. Nora—Last night I seen in the movies a woman w: as apped, and where do you suppose they found to the steam pipes in a cellar in the Bronix! (She nd departs.) he matter with that girl? g-picture-itis, —Why go to the movies when she’s got ‘em right 11-15-19 Estelle Winwood, gue St John and Kenneth Doug Lax rence Grossmith, Mar- “Too Maxy Huspanos” tL guess why I'm staying here? ks round the room and his eyes fall on ou don’t mean to say you've married Vic- ves he mean by not exactly? T hope you haven't been trifling with the affections of my mother- in-law, “Too Many Husnanps” Estelle Winwood d Frits Williams “L understand you so well, dear lady.” “Why do you call me that? “Out of pure embarrassment. I ¢ know whether to call you Mrs. Cardew or Mrs, Lowndes “Why don't you split the difference and call me Victoria?” comichooks col)