Judge — April 24, 1920 — page 25: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page shows a theatrical scene set in "the Royal Gardens at Versailles, A.D. 1660." The caption indicates Sam Bernard (a male performer) plays a character named "Hocus," while Irene Bordoni portrays "Germaine." The satire appears to mock theatrical melodrama and romantic comedies of the era—specifically their absurd plots and exaggerated dialogue about love and deception. The ornate, decorative border treatment and classical setting suggest the magazine is parodying the pretentiousness of Broadway productions that borrowed heavily from European farce traditions. The joke seems to target both the theatrical conventions and perhaps the performers' abilities to deliver such overwrought material convincingly.