Judge, 1929-02-23 · page 30 of 36
Judge — February 23, 1929 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Judge* magazine contains theatrical criticism and advertising. The main content is "Judging the Shows," a theater review column critiquing Broadway productions. The reviewer praises "Lady Fingers" at the Vanderbilt theatre, starring Eddie Buzzell, calling it genuinely funny. However, he expresses exhaustion with impersonators, mimics, and especially Spanish dancers—noting these acts (often performed by non-Spanish performers with stage names like "La Santa Espinas") appear repeatedly on bills. He singles out fat Spanish dancers doing castanets as particularly tiresome. The cartoons illustrate theatrical humor: one depicts a fire where a widow lost her daughter (dress caught fire, but she drowned instead—dark comedy typical of the era). Another shows a proud father and hopeful candidate discussing prize eligibility. The left-side advertisement promotes Absorbine Jr., a patent medicine claiming to soothe throat irritation—representative of the dubious medicinal products commonly advertised in period magazines. The overall tone reflects early 20th-century theatrical culture and period advertising practices.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
FREE FROM IRRITATION Judging the Shows (Continued from page 18) sticker as “Higgledy-Pig Fiddle- Dee- Doe Hoity-Toity” or “Twiddle-Twaddle" — which used to fit the situation perfectly in the old Weber and Fields days. “L” Pincers’ at the Van- + derbilt, with Eddie Buz- zell in the lead, s it all over the Casino show, True enough, the exhibit also has its imitator of the O'Neal girl, but it has, too, some of the funniest comedy 1 wheezes in town and more ori than any show I've booked an evening at in months. Dr. Buz- zell, who has never before m a particularly deep impression upon me as a comedian, on this oceasion very gala fellow. look and you'll have a good time proves himself a Go around, take a for your money. Wu it may be of utterly to anybody, I no concern still want to take my pen in hand announce that I » be fed up with mimics, am be impersonators, imitators and char- acter-sketch impresarios. ‘There was a time when I still got a share of amusement looking at them, but I've looked at them for now that the old Nathan zest and gusto departed. And what's more, this goes, too, for Spanish dancers. Spanish dancers, born Greenfelder, Me- haffey and Bauervogel, but w morphosed into La Santa Velasquezitas and so lor have nas, Provo Faturr—Let me tell my daughter will get a prize. Hovercn Canpipate—May Wivowrn—I lost her in a fire. Her dress caught “Burned alive?” No, luckily the firemen ar. din’ time, She was drowned.” —Lr Rine lina Guitarros are altogether too often on the same bills with the mitnics, impersonators, imitators and and professorinen all right and 4 back home regularly to the old folks in Madrid, Nebraska, but the next time I have the spectacle of a fat girl click ing castanets and whirling her yellow. skirt passionately around her middle, I warn all the speak hborhood to lay character-sketch professors They may be send money to en casies in the nei in an extra big. stock. Ruth Draper, Elsie Janis, Al- bert Carroll and several of the you, sir, that the man who gets I see it, please? —Passixa Stow comicbooks.com oe: eek et So ce