Life, 1889-05-23 · page 12 of 20
Life — May 23, 1889 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Oolah" Operetta Review and Peter Cartoon This Life magazine page reviews Francis Wilson's new operetta "The Oolah," which satirizes a Persian legal intermediary who lends his name to facilitate divorces. The text praises Wilson's star power while criticizing the operetta as an inadequate vehicle for his talents—he has too little stage time, leaving audiences impatient for his return. The right-side cartoon humorously depicts a messenger boy (No. 390, named Peter) sent downtown with a task. The sequential panels show Peter being pulled along by a dog, struggling to control the situation, and ultimately failing to return home as instructed—the dog's resistance thwarting his mission. The joke satirizes the unreliability of young messengers and the comic chaos that ensues when circumstances beyond one's control intervene.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“THE OOLAH.” HE operetta known as “ The Oolah,” that has severed friendships, ruined homes, disrupted families, produced heart-burnings and thrashings, and even menaced the in- tegrity of the Republic, has at last been produced at the Broadway Theatre, under the able management, and with the able assistance, of Mr. Francis Wilson, And Wilson has become a star at last; and herein he has JA the advantage of most stars, P that he controls his own des- tinies, and is the central planet ie of a solar system of his own. . Whether he gains the golden crown of success remains yet to be seen. Certainly, “The Oolah” is not a good enough vehicle for the display of Mr. Wilson's talents. He has too little to do ge while he is before the audience, and he is not on enough. The New York pub- lic wants its Wilson in a continual state of effervescence ; and so great is his power over his audiences that the moment he leaves the stage they are in a condition of impatience until his return, But if * The Oolah” is not Wilson's best presentation, it is, nevertheless, an extremely amusing operetta. The Oolah being a gentleman whose profession it is, under the Persian law, to act as an intermediary in divorce cases by temporarily lending his name to women who wish to marry, there is abundant opportunity for ingenious complications and hu- morous situations. Mr. Wilson's company is a good one, including, as it does, Marie Jansen, Laura Moore, and Herbert Wilke. The chances are that with the rivalry of the McCaull and Casino companies light opera will hum this season, It is probable, too, that the Wilson company will not bring up the rear in the race for public favor. on the sta WESTERN minister has been preaching Dr. Tal- mage’s sermons, but his friends expect to prove that he is insane. HARITY covers a multitude of sins, and keeps them warm and healthy. MESSENGER No. 390 IS SENT DOWN-TOWN WITH PETER. AND EVERYTHING GOES COMPARATIVELY WELL— NOT RECEIVING ONE PERSUADES NO. 390 TO RETURN HOME AGAIN, comicbooks.com