Life, 1890-11-13 · page 12 of 20
Life — November 13, 1890 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Page Analysis This page from *Life* magazine contains theatrical criticism and social satire from the late 19th century. **Upper cartoon**: Two well-dressed gentlemen discuss a clergyman's financial troubles. The joke satirizes wealthy donors who withdraw support from religious institutions—here, Mr. Sorenson has stopped funding "The Church of the Holy Fashionables," yet the clergyman has mysteriously recovered from serious illness anyway, suggesting his recovery was motivated by losing his financial patron's support rather than divine intervention. **"The Heir-at-Law" section**: Theater critic Metcalfe reviews a revival of George Colman's play, praising actor Joseph Jefferson's performance as Dr. Pangloss—a shallow, quotation-spouting charlatan. The review suggests the old play has weak modern standards but shines through Jefferson's skillful portrayal of transparent roguery. **Lower cartoon**: An Irish immigrant beer wagon driver dismisses safety concerns, boasting his wagon is too sturdy to be damaged. The humor relies on ethnic dialect humor and the absurdity of prioritizing cargo over passenger safety—typical of *Life*'s period comedy approach.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
* LIFE: Jawsen: 1 WEAK MK, SOENSO HAS DISCONTINUED MIS LIBERAL FINANCIAL AID TO THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY FasHtonanies. Dawson: Y Y RECOVERED FROM: HIS DAN= GeROUS LU: WILL LIVE FOR YEARS. 1RE 3 TROURLE—INS DOCTOR SAYS HE THE HEIR-AT-LAW. \ THAT a fortunate thing for George Colman that he was not compelled to submit the manuscript of “The Heir-at-Law ” to a New York manager of the present day. He would have been politely or otherwise advised to go back to Hohokus or Oshkosh and dig potatoes, Con- sequently the world would never have seen Mr. Jefferson's Dr. Pangloss. And the New York manager would not have been so far wrong either, unless he had been discourteous in giving Mr. Colman his dismissal, for the f notions, is prosy and improbable. y, according to modern Its few jokes are double- jointed, and its entire plot would hardly suffice for one act of a modern melo-drama. But the shortcomings of the piece, from the modern point of view, are atoned for by Mr. Jefferson's incarnation of our old friend Dr. Pangloss. Mr. Jefferson has a way of letting his audience see the inmost workings of his mind, which peculiarity tits him to embody the shallow old humbug who coins quotations into gold. Dick Dowlas sees through him, he sees through him- self, the audience sees through him, and it is only by a stretch of the dramatist’s license that Danéed and Deborah Dowlas do not also see through him, But in Mr. Jefferson's portrayal he is a genial, mellow old rascal whom we'd all invite to dinner, although we might be quite well aware that he was only firing off his quotations from force of habit and for the sake of what he was getting to eat. His knavery is as shallow as bis learning, and we like him for the transparency of both, Mr. Florence's performance is subsidiary to Mr. Jefferson's and artistically is not to be considered with it, As a foil to the finer work of the older comedian it is well done, which is saying all that can be said for the part. Such revivals of the semi-classic drama are excellent aids to dramatic education, and theatre-goers should not fail to avail themselves of the opportunity which will be given them to sce this performance later in the season. Metcalfe. NEEDLESS ANXIETY. NDIGNANT CITIZ : You should not drive that beer wagon at such a rate through the streets. Wacon Driver: Haf no fear, s so sthrong dot nossings could hurd it. meester. Dot peer vagon v: Dicks FATWER, WHAT IS POLITICIAN DERIVED FROM ? Father (who lives in New York): FRom IKELAND AND THE RUM SHOP, MY SON,