Judge, 1920-09-11 · page 12 of 32
Judge — September 11, 1920 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Secrets of Polichinelle" and Related Humor from Judge Magazine This page contains several short satirical pieces typical of early 20th-century American humor magazine content. **"The Secrets of Polichinelle"** (top right) lists supposedly hidden truths about society that "everyone knows" — that peace is a commodity, servants actually control households, politicians are corrupt, and one can bribe police ("squaring a cop"). The satire mocks the pretense that these obvious facts remain secret. **"The Quest"** (center) is a romantic short story parodying sentimental fiction, where an innocent man mistakes various women's behavior (coldness, flirtation, practiced seduction) for genuine emotion. The remaining items are brief one-liners satirizing contemporary concerns: business incompetence, materialism disguised as romance (buying jewelry for "Leap Year" proposals), the commercialization of art (bad stories sold as musicals), prohibition-era drinking, wartime profiteering, and poverty. The humor relies on cynicism about human nature and social hypocrisy — characteristic of Judge's satirical approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
thought her bold and bad. Marcelle was really unsophisti cated and lived with her mother. She saw he was as innocent as she was and she was just practicing on him, for her great ambition was to act like the other actresses did Emmy Lou lived at home and worked at being sweet and pretty. Her eyes were downcast. She did not look at Robbie at all. He thought she was The Girl. He called a taxi to take her home. When she got him alone, she worked faster than the meter. ‘Taking No Chances | Billy—Would you be willing to j take me for better or worse? a Molly—W'd rather strike a happy medium I ‘ Easy i “What did he promise his wife he [%™" 1 Noness Axtwosr would give up?” “Drinking liquor in saloons.” A THIRTY-DAY OFTIOS? 12 Real Estate Broker—Deanest, | waxt to LEASE you Ur For Lire! TheSecrets of Polichinelle By Ricuasp Botrer Grarnzen SECRET of Polichinelle Isthe* Ves” in most feminine ‘ ‘The knowledge that Peace is a sell ‘The motive for wearing silk hose, The manner that politics pays, ‘The reason why prices won't drop, The cause of the shoulder-strap craze, The methods of squaring a cop. No’s,” ‘The fallacy that we are free, The fact that the servant is boss. The joker in couples of three, The staleness disguised b The bunk in a candidate's The fake in the conjure Are secrets that.every one knows, Hence secrets of Polichinelle. Drawn by Cuawroup Yousa Rectifying an Error H THE HOSTESS, WHO MAS A MOVING-PICTURE COMEDIAN AS \ DINNER-GUEST, MAKES “Why did you send me a typewriter THE MISTAKE OF SETTING A LEMON-MERINGUE PIE NEAR THE ABSENT-MINDED ACTOR who couldn't spell?” | 7 “J didn’t think you'd know the differ- The Quest ence.” admitted the business college man frankly. “How ever, all mistakes cheerfully rectified. Suppose you try that } By Katuenixe Nectry tall blonde.” OBBIE started out to find the Girl \| R Mary Ellen taught school. She looked at him soberly A Forestailer and squarely. Robbie thought her cold and a prude Heston—Is Tremler as nervous as ke was about the dangers | Mary Ellen thought he was ideal. She dreamed a little of Leap Year? uy dream to herself about a home, and him, and babies. Thomas—No; he bought a solitaire and is wearing it on his i} Madeline worked in an office. She gave him a wicked little left fourth. glance out of the corner of her eye. He thought her a flirt Madeline had scen a great many men and she knew them Making the Most of an Opportunity } fairly well. She measured him for what he was—unsophisti “They all say that young Jones is so awfully slow.” d cated; she was only teasing him “Don’t you beli Why it took 1 Marcelle worked in the movies him half an hour last night at the sum- | She winked at him openly. He mer rink to strap on that pretty Du Vere girl’s skates,”” Everything Has Its Uses Critic—This story is rotten; noth- ing to it but a lot of slapdab foolish- ness! Author—Great! I can sell it as a musical comedy. Mighty Hard “Forget the past,” cried the dis- penser of platitudes, “I assure you that I am doing my best to forget it,” sadly replied the man with the pinkish-red nose. A Veteran “What do you know of the horrors of war?” “I bought some of the canned giods the war department offered for sale.” Never Can Tell “I wish I were as free as that bird.” “Bah. That bird is probably in the same fix you are, hustling to feed Witt you Give we ¥ ” five or six hungry: mouths.