Judge — July 31, 1926 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

JUDGE few fortnits and the Editor of JupGE (who certainly knows how to pick men!) has asked me to cover the shows until the estimable Mons. Nathan returns to these shores. Oh, boy, what a chance to get even with George! It’s a darn shame “The Wisdom Tooth” has closed because I could review it again and give it the write-up it deserves. I suppose, though, in order to make a hit as a dramatic critic I ought to pan every- thing. George told me himself th he owed his whole success to the little venom. However, the only show that has opened in the past few weeks is Flo Ziegfeld’s “No Foolin’,” which for some strange reason he has re- christened “The Ziegfeld Revue of 1926,” and the only thing I can find to pan about it is Flo’s magnificent attack in the papers against nudity on the stage. That is the best laugh in the show, outside of Bugs Baer. Mr. Ziegfeld not only glori- fies the American girl; he proves conclusively that women haven't any sense of humor for if they did they would never come out before the footlights with some of the costumes that Flo, or his stage dressmaker, or one of his comedians, designed for them, Mr. Ziegfeld is barking up the wrong tree. His slogan, “It isn’t the heat it’s the nudity,” is all wrong. The average audience is accustomed by this time to nudity and can watch a line of naked girls, representing everybody from Mother Eve to Lucretia Borgia, parade across the stage without batting an eyelash. If he really wants a good campaign, why doesn’t he get after “Suggest- iveness in the Theater,” as for ex- ample, his own costume ) Foolin’” rechristened ““The Zieg- JUDGIN \° By JUDGE JUNIOR »° 2b for Geonge cer then The Great Temptations (Winter Garden) but you can smoke. ‘on™ (Hudson)—A good show! Ah, there, ( unny” (New Amsterdam)—Greatest show rth. “Scandals” (Apollo)—Most show on earth! “Kongo” (Biltmore)—You Kongo if you want to! “The Sh office gesture hai Gesture (Shubert)—A box- “Tolanthe” (Plymouth)—A great revival. “Great God Brown" (Klaw)—I hope our little readers will remember that I praised this show to the skies when it opened. “Laff That Of” (Wallack’s)—Pretty poor comedy. “Craig's Wife” (Morosco)—Chrystal Herne is a great actress. “Sez” (Daly’s’ Blah! “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney” (Fulton) —One of the best comedies of the season with one of the best actresses. Ah, there, George! “The Vagabond King if you like that kind. sino)—Good show “Song of the Flame’ (44th St.)—Ditto. “The Cocoanuts” (Lyric)—Funniest town. show in “Garrick Gaieties” (Garrick)—Not half as od as last year but Bobbie Perkins makes up for that, “What ry Woman Know Helen Ha; is also a great actress. (Bijou)— “A Night in Paris” (Century Roof)—You can smoke here, too. “The Merry World” (Imperial) —Good show “Kitty's Kisses (Playhouse)—Not so hot. “The Girl Friend” music. (Vanderbilt) —Great ls Zat So?” (46th St.)—Very funny. ‘House of Ussher" (49th St.)—Not so good. “The Man from Toronto” (Selwyn)—So so. “Abies Trish Rose” show. Ah, there, George! (Republic)—A good “Ziegfeld Revue” (Globe)—See next door. “One Man's Woman” (48th St.)—Blah! “Lore in a Mist” (Gaiety)—Well, I like ige anyway. M “Vanities” (Earl Carroll)—Joe Cook is worth the $5.50. “Cradle Snatchers” (Music Box)—Funny comedy. “At Mrs, Beam's” (Guild)—Good show. “One of the Family” (Eltinge)—Not so hot “The Patsy" (Booth)—Claiborne Foster is one of the Junge famil; “Grand Street Poli Not so good this year. “My Magnolia’ (Mansfield) —Reviewed | very ably in next week's issue. Don't miss it ” (Neighborhood), ‘he ST “ feld Revue of 1926,” and most of the sketches in the current revues which are based on dirty stories. Also most of the would-be comedy songs which are sung with much raising of the eyebrows. He might also get after the hoochy koochy dance called “Black Bottom,” which Mr. White is sponsoring. “No Foolin’,” or rather Mr. Zieg- feld’s “Revue of 1926,” doesn’t come up to George White’s “Scandals, 's a darn good show despite poor music and the aforesaid very bad taste in costumes. To my mind Jimmy Barton is one of the best comedians we have and his sketch in a speak-easy is worth the entire price of admission. Louise Brown is ade- quate (ouch!) and as a stage come- dian Bugs Baer is a darn good columnist. Speaking of comedians, let’s leave the Globe for a minute and run over to George White’s “Scandals,” and see a young fellow called Buster : If he isn’t starred in a show season I'm a bum dramatic critic, because I think he’s the funri- est man on the stage to-day. He’s only “on” five minutes in the “Scandals” and he’s the hit of the show. Well, well, here we are back at the Globe just in time to see Greta issen do her “Mlle. Bluebeard.” I have a sneaking suspicion that this beautiful pantomime alone will keep “No Foolin’” or “The Ziegfeld Revue of 1926” running all summer. Greta is one of the most gorgeous women it’s been my good fortune to gaze upon, and her grace is mar- velous. She can chop my head off any moment now—all she’s got to do is to drop me a postal card! On second thought I might use Mr. Postal’s slogan “Don’t write— telegraph!” comicbooks.com