Judge — March 15, 1924 — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Scene 11. “Yes, that’s the price for two in the orchestra—want ’em or don’t ye?” “No, think I'll take a little Mediterranean cruise instead.” WHERE BEAUTY IS SHIN DEEP by Walter Prichard Eaton ERE we were engaged in the ardu- ous and frigid task of filling the ice house when the letter came from the editor of Jupce. ‘‘We are getting out a musical comedy number,” he said. “Can't you give us something along those lines?” Good Lord! As if it weren't hard enough to haul around hundred- pound cakes and heave "em up into an ice house, without having to come in at night and try to keep awake writing about musical comedy. An ice house is no proper preparation for the appreciation of musical comedy, anyhow. Though we have heard of cases in which the spectators of certain musical comedies might profit- IF INTERESTED IN BUSINESS AND FINANCE, jormed by reading the Bache Review, a t ‘weekly summary of the business and financial situation. It focuses and interprets and indicates their trend. en for three months, without 4. J. S. BACHE & CO. 42 Broadway New York City ably have adjourned to the ice house. One reason why we find it difficult to write about musical comedy is that this is a book page. It is supposed to be con- cerned with literature. And not since the late lamented W. S. Gilbert ceased writing has musical comedy had even the re- motest connection with literature. To be sure, musical comedies are supposed to have what are quaintly called “books,” as well as what are even more quaintly called “lyrics.” But we stand by our statement, though the ice house fall. Another reason why we find it difficult is because we haven’t seen a musical comedy for about ten years. Well, not all through, anyhow. We haven't seen a “Follies” since the War, we haven't seen a Fred Stone show since Montgomery died, we have never seen Mary Eaton. We planned to, when she first toe-danced into prominence, but after getting a shot at her picture, we knew nobody so good looking ever came out of our branch of the family, and pride kept us away. Pride and a lean purse. The truth of the matter is, we can’t afford to go to musical com- edy. And we are not sure we would if we could. Fred Stone is an amusing person, but even so we can get a whole lot more 24 fun out of eleven dollars than watching him. For that matter, we can get more excitement out of seven dollars than gaz- ing upon Mr. Ziegfeld’s chorus. Possibly that means we are getting old. Yet we have observed quite as many old codgers of fifty, willing to pay for a peep at pul- chritude as we have observed students of church schools and colleges. We fancy statistics would show that the average age of the males in attendance upon “Artists and Models” is some years above that of sophomores. Somebody has wisely observed that a woman is as young as she looks, and a man is young as long as he looks. Musical comedy seems tc prove, then, that most of us grow younger and younger as the years creep on. UT IF our poverty has kept us from attendance at musical comedies of late, in fact, ever since the managers stopped ticket speculating [shouts of deri- sive laughter], it has not prevented us from meandering along the Gay White Way and gazing at the photograph racks in front of the theaters. We recommend this pastime highly. It is cheap, and by practicing it you avoid both the music and the comedy, and achieve what with no vulgar intent we may call the meat of the entertainment. You see the girls, if not in the flesh (again, with no vulgar in- tent), at least in excellent photographs, which ought to satisfy anybody in this age of movies. You can observe, too, all the latest modes of dress (we speak in a ki , and if you are from remote parts, can carry the styles back to the home town, where they will cause much comment. to wear a bla You can see just how k lace Spanish shawl to cover the law (as it were), and throw the remaining 99.99 per cent. of white epi- dermis into brilliant contrast. You can learn how to make a neat and inexpensive apron out of one of those rattan bead cur- tains which used to be affected in rural parts, or even out of some rye straw from the barn, and a bodice out of a discarded hair ribbon, Shoes are not worn with this costume, which is a great saving. You may even get some new ideas for a curtain, to replace the one in your town hall, painted in 1892 and depicting an Italian villa with a poster for Adam's Tutti Frutti pasted on the garden wall. The new curtain will be a living one, 1924 model. Place in the center of the stage, The origin of the Winter Garden idea. comicbooks.com