Judge, 1928-03-31 · page 36 of 36
Judge — March 31, 1928 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **cigarette advertisement** disguised as celebrity endorsement, not political satire. David Belasco was a real, famous theatrical producer and director of the early 20th century. The ad quotes him endorsing Lucky Strike cigarettes by claiming they don't damage actors' voices—the most important tool of their craft. He compares vocal control to a sculptor's chisel. The accompanying photos show people enjoying leisure activities (a motor car trip through the Berkshires), suggesting Lucky Strikes fit an aspirational lifestyle. The tagline "It's toasted" and "No Throat Irritation—No Cough" are the product's health claims, which modern readers would recognize as false advertising. These were common in early cigarette marketing before tobacco's dangers were widely acknowledged or regulated. This represents pre-FDA era advertising where celebrity testimonials and health claims were unverified and unregulated.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
rey ITO TCC ICBO CIOGE POR CRCTES PASTS 8's | “David Belasco’ s “advice _ impressed me” Said Walter J. Leather to Joyce Todd as they started for an all-day motor jaunt through the Berkshires. David Belasco, dean of the American Theatre, writes: “The voice is to the actor what the chisel is to the sculptor. He must beware of dulling its qualities. Naturally I am vitally concerned about the voices of my players, so I always advise the one cigarette that I discovered many years ago that does not im- pair control of the subtlest vocal shadings or cause huskiness or harshness. I mean the ‘Lucky Strike.’ It is the player’s best friend.” OQ... Leste, It's estes comicbooks.com