Judge, 1927-09-03 · page 12 of 36
Judge — September 3, 1927 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Judging the Stars" - A Satirical Sketch This is a one-act theatrical sketch satirizing **George M. Cohan**, a prominent American songwriter, producer, and playwright of the early 20th century. The caricature exaggerates his distinctive features—large head, prominent nose, and cigar—depicting him as an arrogant showman. The satire centers on Cohan's power in theater and entertainment. He's portrayed surrounded by desperate chorus girls seeking his favor to get their photographs published, highlighting the exploitative dynamics of early Broadway where producers controlled performers' careers and public visibility. The "Jester" character (publicity man) and "Caricaturist" observe Cohan's self-important posturing—lounging ostentatiously in the theater audience with his legs sprawled across seats, hand to jaw in an affected "pondering" pose. Judge magazine mocks Cohan's inflated ego and the corrupt system where performers must court powerful men for professional opportunities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
JUDGE MIDGING te STARE by Mauro Gonzalez A SKETCH IN ONE ACT Characters Kine Grorce M. Conan, song writer, producer, wright, millionaire. ide-kick, publicity man, faithful ay and infallible His Highness, King George. Caricaturist, a bloke with a pencil and paper. “yes” man to Scene I—The stage of the Liberty Theatre. About a hundred bare-legged chorus girls in baby pantalettes. Tue Jester stands with a bundle of photographs in his hand. Several chorus girls beseech him to put their pictures in the paper. (Enter Caricaturist.) (Enter His Royal Nibs, GrorcGe Micnaet Conan.) He w w hat on his nose and a big cigar in his awry mouth. He is not a big man, but has a large head. He walks off the stage into the auditorium of the theatre. He sits in one seat and throws his legs over another seat. He holds his jaw in his hand. He must be pondering. (Continued on page 24) He looks about. comicbooks.com