Life, 1885-03-12 · page 12 of 16
Life — March 12, 1885 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page 152: Analysis This page contains theater criticism and light humor pieces typical of Life's satirical format. **Theater Criticism Section:** Life's reviewer sarcastically admits inability to review "Impulse" at Wallack's Theatre because critics refuse to attend, calling it worse than typical Wallack failures. The joke mocks both the play's quality and speculators charging $2 for seats when box office prices are $1.50. A secondary jab suggests playwright Kidder should revive "Tom and Jerry" for commercial success. **Content Items:** - "I Promessi Sposi" (Rondeau): A romantic poem about how marriage to "Prudence" has made reading Manzoni's famous novel tedious - "Ratiocination": Wordplay humor where five-year-old Gertrude logically but incorrectly defines "disagree" as "one person thinks alike" - "A Double Surprise" (bottom illustration): Shows children in winter clothes playing, captioned with a pun about fur coats and theatrical preparation The page exemplifies Life's blend of theatrical criticism, light verse, and children's humor common to 1880s-90s American magazines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
152 remedied, was that of a thoroughly bright, artistic, and fin- ished performance. ° . . WE regret that we are unable to give our readers any impressions, based upon our own experience, of “Impulse,” now being carried on at Wallack’s. The truth is that, so far, we have failed signally in all attempts to send intelligent critics there, the invariable excuse being, they “Couldn't stand it.” We certainly have no intention of | | spending an evening in that way ourselves, as the Tearle and | the Coghlan—how shall we put it delicately ? We cannot. Not having seen the play ourselves, and laboring under the disadvantage of a firm resolve not to do so, we are some- what hampered in giving a detailed review. We feel certain, however, that we do not mislead our readers by saying it is even “moreso” than the average Wallack failure. SEATS AT THIS THEATRE MAY BE PURCHASED FROM OBNOXIOUS SPECULATORS AT $2 EACH. POOR SEATS CAN BE OBTAINED AT THE BOX OFFICE AT THE REGULAR PRICE—$1.50. SEARCHING HIGH AND Low.—In Seven Up. Wuy is our office so popular with politicians ? it isa“ LiFe” office. Because A WORD TO THE WISE. Kidder’s play of “ Tom, Dick and Harry,” has been measurably successful ; but if he wants to get up a rush let him bring out Tom and Jerry. - LIFE: I PROMESSI SPOSI. RONDEAU. YEAR ago, at twenty-three, Dan Cupid came to visit me; He talked of girlish faces rosy, And all such nonsense. Goodness knows he Compelled my common-sense to flee. I was a bachelor, and free To come and go. Life seemed to be Worth living, though a trifle prosy, A year ago. But now I ‘ve bent the tyrant knee To you, my Prudence sweet, and we Have read upon the divan cozy The volume, “I Promessi Sposi,” Whose dear delights I did n't see A year ago. IDLE IDYLLER. RATIOCINATION. MALL GERTRUDE (five years old): “* Mamma, I quite * agree with you.” Mamma: “Why, my child, what does agree mean?” S. G.: “ When two persons think alike.” Mamma: “ What does disagree mean?” S. G.: “ When one person thinks alike,” A“ Hort Scorcu "—An angry Highlander. A DOUBLE SURPRISE. ONE FUR DE MONEY, TWO FUR DE SHOW, FREE TO MAKE READY, AND FO’. comicbooks.com