Judge, 1929-06-22 · page 9 of 40
Judge — June 22, 1929 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page from *Judge* contains theatrical satire and humorous illustrations. The main text by S.J. Perelman describes a Broadway production gone awry: during opening night of a show featuring an "orgy set," an actress playing "Constance Nymph" becomes so enamored with a "masked beaver" in the orchestra that she literally jumps into a bass horn, causing a riot and police raid. The three cartoon illustrations satirize different subjects: 1. **Top cartoon**: Actors complaining that a joke "is on you, gentlemen. I haven't got a cent"—mocking theatrical poverty. 2. **Middle cartoon**: "Hall of Taxidermy"—satirizing a taxidermist's stuffy museum display. 3. **Bottom cartoon**: "Insomnious broker counting sheep"—Depression-era humor about financial anxiety. The "Vacation Ditty" poem provides light commentary on rainy vacation weather. The page is primarily theatrical entertainment satire aimed at contemporary readers familiar with Broadway and urban life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Summer). We watched her fasci- nated, and as she straightened up with the words, “Rubinstein’s— From a Sandwich to a National Institution,” the cast went ber- serk and broke into George Gersh- win's theme song “‘Georgy-Orgy.” And before you could call on St. John the Divine Ervine, the stage- hands had built an orgy set, un- shipped the razors, and we had the punch finish for Act XI we had been hunting for. Everything went well until opening night. That night, in Act XI, as Constance Nymph was delivering her thrilling speech to the cucumbers of the Sultan's harem—you know, the one that ! begins “Wool, wool, I think I'll Patient (reviving)—The joke is on you, gentlemen. I cotton to you after all’”—she no- haven’t got a cent. tied a masked beaver amongst i the brass in the orchestra. Over- come with beaver-love, she hur- dled the footlights and sank with- out a ripple into the bass horn, obviously bent on keeping her beaver-tryst. She kept it. The audience kept their seats. The management kept their money. And the riot got three columns in the morning papers, The photograph on page 6 was taken just before the detectives of the vice squad pinched the cast and the producers. Constance is shown saving—pardon me—sown shaving—just a minute, please— sown saving—this is a picture of Constance giving the male lead a shave while Lord Athol, play- ing Pamela’s mother, is manicur- “Hall of Taridermy. Heavens!—no wonder the place is so stuffy.” ing his hands. In the back- ground are Donald Benchley and Roberta Ogden Stewart, also ac- tors and both drawing full salary. This remarkable photograph was secured by the pantryman of the, company, who had the presence of mind to snap the shutter of his camera just as the show was going down for the third time. And now that you've found the way, Mrs. Dembitz, don’t be so strange; let’s see your schnozzle around here once in a while. —S. J. Pererman Vacation Ditty The rain is raining all around; Vacation days are damp; It rains a lot on many, folks, But mostly those who camp. —R. C. O’Brien Insomnious broker counting sheep. comicbooks.com