Judge — June 5, 1920 — page 25: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features **Mabel Monterey**, an actress playing a vampire role in the Broadway production "Page Mr. Cupid" at the Shubert Theatre in New York. The satire's title—"Old Leonardo da Vinci Would Have Fallen Hard for This Vamp"—compares Monterey's theatrical vampire character to Renaissance artistic ideals. The joke plays on "vamp" (both theatrical seductress and vampire), suggesting her beauty and mysterious pose would have captivated the Renaissance master painter. The photographs showcase her in character: the larger portrait emphasizes her pale, dramatic appearance and sculptural face; the smaller image shows her in full vampire costume. The text praises her "artistic temperament" and "perfect pose," while the overall layout celebrates her as both a serious actress and artistic subject worthy of painters' attention. This reflects 1920s Jazz Age fascination with theatrical horror roles and the glamorization of vampire characters in popular entertainment.