Judge, 1923-08-25 · page 14 of 36
Judge — August 25, 1923 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical alphabet lampooning Broadway theater culture of the 1920s-30s. Barton caricatures various theater types and practices: actresses trying to upstage each other, chorus girls ("Big Girl," "End-girl"), pretentious impresarios and critics, and backstage personnel. The humor targets industry absurdities: jazz as "harmonious clatter," directors who "seldom are Aryans" (an antisemitic jab), sweating orchestras in theater pits, and hypocritical press agents. References to "nudity censors," tenors' sensitivity to stage noise, and "Little Girls in practice clothes" reflect period theatrical conventions and anxieties. The tone is insider mockery—Barton presents Broadway as vain, chaotic, and morally questionable, using exaggerated caricature to satirize both performers and the entertainment industry's superficiality.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
AN ALPHABET OF THE SUMMER A is an Actress who tries to extinguish B, who's a “Big Girl.” (Please contradistinguish). E is an End-girl, who scans the first rows. F, a First-nighter whom everyone knows. I, Impresario—our portrait may flatter. J is for Jazz, an harmonious clatter. M is the Moon that shines through the N is the Nudity censors dislike. ‘cyc. SHOWS — by RALPH BARTON C is a Cutie for octogenarians. D, the Directors, who seldom are Aryans. G is the Gallery God, almost extinct. H is a Highbrow with critiques succinct. K is the Knock that the tenor most loathes. L is a “Little Girl” in practice clothes. O is the Orchestra melting in the pit. P is the Press Agent, a frightful hypocrite. comicbooks.com