Judge, 1920-01-24 · page 5 of 36
Judge — January 24, 1920 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "What Are the Wild Movies Saying?" - Judge Magazine Analysis This page satirizes silent film conventions of the 1920s era. James Montgomery Flagg critiques how filmmakers adapt literary classics like "The Garden of Eden" for screen, claiming the cinema distorts the original story through exaggerated visual gags and intertitles. The sketches show how a simple narrative becomes melodramatic on film—a character picking an apple becomes slapstick comedy, meaningful glances turn into overwrought pantomime. The satirical point: silent movies, dependent on physical comedy and obvious subtitles, cannot capture subtle literary nuance. The cartoon mocks cinema's tendency toward sensationalism and broad humor when adapting serious source material, a common artistic complaint about early filmmaking.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
° iwuat ARE THE WILD MOVIES SAYING? SAINES MONTEONERY FLAGE Authorstrated b HIE traditions of the motion picture being so cient, the technic so different from actual life—in fact so superior to it—and the story, when it reaches the scenario department, so unfitted for the screen until it is entirely changed; the author being of such bug-like impor- tance; the managers and directors being cut off from ordinary humanity by a cloud of inky omniscience, which they squirt about themselves as the cuttlefish is advertised to do, this is how the story of the Garden of Eden should be arranged for the screen: “THE GARDEN OF EDEN” Directed by D. W. Ixcuworm Scene to be laid in the U.S. A. Long shot of the Garden showing road houses and cafés. Pan to bathing en beautiful privates of the Coast Tartillery on the beach in one-piece ! suits. Diaphragm out and in to close-up of Sxaxe, in Panama hat and monocle, watching the ladies Flash to ladies to prove it. Back to Snake. Title “Gosh! How unex- citing!” Snake slides away with sar- castic shimmy move- ment. Cut beach, romping ip of Kve in one-piece fig leaf looking at Ap- She sighs and at her wrist- Subtitle | must hurry and for the Garden Party!” Cut to Syake. He spies her and hurries for- ward. Cut to Eve tripping gaily to her one-piece bungalow She enters and closes door. Cut to Syne writhing up to de dress UAE worry HARE Waritiinc Keynove: SNAKE ur Sustirie- y ro Dook ann Piacine “Pht s the Artistrator Close-up of his face Cut to E and placing his eye to keyhole. His eyelids droop, he smiles feverishly. changing her leaf for the Garden Party. Cut to Ss leaving door. Subtitle: “I'll say she is!” He hurries to AppLe Tree, glides up, picks the Appte, slides down and skids back to Eve's house. Cut to Eve leaviny house. She sees SNAKk, hesitates and blushes. Snaxt hurries to her, proffering a Newtown Pippin. Evi looks down embarrassed, then stares into space. Dissolve out and into scene showing [Eve's dear old mother down on the Farm. ‘The sweet old lady is look- ing at a photo of Eve in her Commencement leaf. She sighs, shakes her silvered head and tears up the photo, feeding it to Eve's dear old pet goat. Dissolve out and into Eve, a resentful and determined expression on her face. She holds out her hand for the Aprie. Subtitle: “Gimme! Thev never understood me at home!” ‘Swaxe hands apple to Eve and laughs behind his) mus- tachios, then slithers away. Evi sits down on porch giggles at the apple. Cut to Apam coming home from the office. He wears an ordinary business figleaf. Eve him, waves apple at him and bids him come a-running! Subtitle: “Later!” Diaphragm into room in bungalow Apam and Eve are sitting in opposite corners of the room ‘They are wearing long fur overcoats They gaze at floor Close-up of — floor showing nine apple- seeds! Subtitle: “Later!” Long-shot of gate to Garden of Eden Avam and Eve are being evicted. Behind them is an and sees His Kye Is!” ro Say Sur comicbooks.com