Judge, 1925-06-06 · page 19 of 36
Judge — June 6, 1925 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Judge* magazine contains theater criticism and cartoon commentary on cultural differences between German and American audiences. **Top section:** Critic Jean Nathan discusses how a German play ("Geist") received a puzzled reception in American theaters. The satire contrasts audience reactions: Germans accept prolonged kissing scenes seriously, even taking time to eat during them, while American audiences mock such displays by sucking on lozenges. Nathan suggests what Germans find profound, Americans find ridiculous—a commentary on differing national sensibilities regarding public emotion and propriety. **Bottom cartoons:** "The Poor Nut" and "Tell Me More" are illustrated scenes from contemporary plays. The latter's joke plays on "lumbago" (lower back pain)—a female character claims she can't attend the dance due to this ailment, but another character sardonically responds that "these girls will drink anything," implying she's actually intoxicated rather than ill. This reflects period anxiety about young women's behavior and Prohibition-era drinking. The overall page satirizes transatlantic cultural misunderstandings and modern youth morality.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
SOME OTHERS ‘Jean Nathan shock to the producers. Yet the reason for the fruity reception is not difficult to figure out. In its native Ge Geist” has been played te ences who have invariably accepted it as the serious and often profound opus that it is, But it so happens that many things a German audiet fakes seriously, an) Am audience regards as food for snickers. In our theater, for example, if the hero of a play kisses the heroine with an unduly prolonged and ad- hesive smack, a liberal portion: of customers constitute themselves osculation by making of a wholesale sucking of horchound lozenges. In Germany, to the contrary, a kiss lasting so long that the audience an has ample time during it to consume at least two knackwurst sandwiches, a box of sarde or four dill pi slightest objection. Imagine, there- fore, what must inevitably happen (Continued on page 30) Hen and maybe three kles arouses not the Qu revoir Elliott Nugent and Norma Lee in “The Poor Nut” “No, my father never said Grace—that is, not after I was born.” “Tell Me More” “Going to the dance?” “Lcan't. I have a case of lumbago.” “Oh, these girls will drink anything.” comicbooks.com