Judge, 1925-01-17 · page 20 of 36
Judge — January 17, 1925 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes early 1920s cinema culture through multiple lenses: **Main Cartoon (top):** The joke mocks American moviegoers' obsession with naval/military power. A theater riot erupts when a newsreel plays without battleship footage—suggesting the public's fixation on military strength (likely reflecting post-WWI anxieties) has become so extreme that even entertainment must reinforce it. **Movie Reviews (by George Mitchell):** Mitchell critiques recent films, praising *Peter Pan* while noting its flaw: the raising of the American flag during the climax feels like heavy-handed propaganda ("a trifle too proper a gander"). He also reviews *Classmates*, a West Point story. **"Coming Movie Attractions":** Humorous fake movie titles mock both the film industry and social issues—titles like "The Dandruff Destroyers" (hair-raising) and "The Grade Crossing" (you'll never get over it) use puns. These parody how studios churn out formulaic content. **Bottom cartoons:** Two small sketches joke about cinema-going etiquette—annoyed patrons whose displeasure goes unnoticed by their oblivious companions. The page reflects how thoroughly cinema dominated 1920s culture and public discourse.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
foe on “What's the trouble, officer?” “Riot in a motion picture theater because a news reel was presented without any battleships.” Moying, Not to Say, Stirring Pictures by George Mitchell motion picture reviewer can’t find it in his heart to say an ugly word about fillums. Within the past couple of moons pictures have im- proved so there’s nothing much to say except words of praise and along comes ‘Peter Pan" to make you sit up and wonder where the darned industry, or art or whatever it is, is going to finish. “Peter Pan,” with one exception, is faultless, Betty Bronson, the little novice in the movies, is the embodi- mentof Peter. She is Peter. Noth- ing more charmingly boyish could be imagined. As if that wasn’t enough we have another newcomer, the litUe Mary Brian, who plays Wendy. If she and Miss Bronson don’t win the pearl derby for fitness of character, I'll eat the pearl derby. Then there’s George Ali, who, to me, at least, is unknown. He plays Nana the dog nurse in a manner that leaves nothing to the imagina- tion. Then there's Esther Ralston as Mrs. Darling and if the name doesn’t fit her, I'll eat another pearl I: GETTING so a self-respecting derby. And to cap it all off our own Emest Torrence as Captain Hook is the captain to the life. You may be all glanded up to a million years old but you're young enough to see “Peter Pan” and if you don’t see it youth is something to which you are and ever will be a dead issue. Oh, yes, the one flaw—the raising of the American flag—when the youngsters have overpowered the pirates and strike the “Jolly Rogers.” I felt it sadly out of the picture and a trifle too proper a gander (propa- ganda). 150 to keep you out of the office when you should be there is a picture called “Classmates” done by Richard Barthelmess and John Robertson, the klieg twins. “Class- mates” is a story of West Point, our national peace school, where boys are taught to be the men who are men in later life. It’s a thrilling story of a young man who falls in love with a girl. He doesn’t learn that in West (Continued on page 23) Coming Movie Attractions . Ike It on Lump It.” Starring a coal dealer. “Lost Souls”; or, “The Shoe- maker's Revenge.” “The Dandruff Destroyers.” A hair-raising episode. “The Great Pickle Robbery.” Fifty-seven reels. “Delicatessen — Dora.” The “wurst” picture ever made. “The NakedEye Passed by the Board of Censors. “The Fruit Dealers’ Conspiracy.” By their fruits ye shall know them. fhe Spoilers.” The scenes are laid in a laundry. “The Undertow.” A chiropodist’s life story. “Ten Nights in a Barroom.” It staggers the imagination. “The Grade Crossing.” You'll never get over it. Jack Mahoney Pao Reflection on sitting through the credit titles in a feature film—the first hundred feet are the hardest. sae On the Florida beaches you will find many beautiful breakers—blonds and dark. So carry a big roll. sae Those who wish to escape matri- mony should not play with matches. oy So long, old top, said the married man when his hat blew off into the river. Herr Noddings and Herr Somedings are not enjoying the play a little bit. but you'd never suspect it by the back of their necks. comicbooks.com