Judge, 1924-03-22 · page 15 of 36
Judge — March 22, 1924 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Ralph Barton cartoon satirizes early 1920s film casting and makeup practices. The joke depicts three young actresses (Jane, Flo, and Connie) auditioning at a movie studio's casting department. Despite being cast in wildly different roles—a vampire, a "cutie," and Sleeping Beauty—the cartoon's punchline is that heavy movie makeup and wigs make all three actresses look identical. The satire targets the film industry's reliance on costume and cosmetics rather than genuine acting talent or distinctive performer personalities. The exaggerated wigs, false lashes, and elaborate movie dresses essentially erase individual identity, reducing actresses to interchangeable products. This reflects contemporary criticism of Hollywood's standardization of beauty and the era's obsession with visual spectacle over substance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MOVIE PERSONALITIES—by RALPH BARTON ‘THREE LITTLE MAIDS OF DIVERS RACES, HANKERING FOR SELF-EXPRESSION, VARIED FORMS, ASSORTED FACES; MAKE THE MOVIES THEIR PROFESSION. e L a HERE THEY ARE IN MOVIE DRESSES, OANE'S A VAMPIRE, FLO'S A CUTIE, Wics AND LASHES — HUGE SUCCESSES. @onnié's CAST AS “SLEEPING Beauty? BuT Lo! THROUGH ALL THIg Movie ART You CAN NOT TELL THE GIRLS APART! 13