Life, 1892-12-15 · page 12 of 16
Life — December 15, 1892 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 352 **The Cartoon:** The top illustration shows three women in conversation, with one asking if scientists will discover the "missing link," to which another replies she "danced with two of the links last evening." This is a joke about "missing links"—the evolutionary connection between apes and humans, a hotly debated topic in the late 19th century. The humor works by treating fashionable men as primitive ("links" in the evolutionary chain), sardonically suggesting that American high society contains specimens barely more evolved than animals. **The Drama Review:** The main text discusses Sardou's play "Americans Abroad," comparing it to his earlier play "Aristocracy." Both concern American heiresses marrying titled European men. The critic praises Sardou for treating Americans more fairly and sympathetically than the "usual impossible Americans of the foreign author"—suggesting European playwrights typically portrayed Americans as ridiculous or uncultured. **The Historical Anniversary:** The illustration at bottom right marks December 16, 1773—the Boston Tea Party, a Revolutionary War-era protest against British taxation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Do YOU SUPPOSE SCIENTISTS WI | EVER DISCOVER THE MISSING LIN! CED WITH TWO OF THE LINKS LAST EVE! SARDOU’S LATEST. l* “ Aristocracy " we had an American's serious treatment of the marriage of American heiresses to titled European rascals. In Sar- dou's mericans Abroad,” which received its first pro- duction on any stage at the Lyceum Theater last week, we have a Frenchman's more ‘airy treatment of the same subj In the former it is the principal and only motive of the play ; in the latter it is made subsidiary to a pretty love story. In“ Aristocracy ” there is plot enough for two or three plays; in the latter the consummate act of the author makes much of very little story indeed,“ Aristocracy” :nglish dinner, and you go with the feeling that you have put something substantial into your * Americans Abroad, is like a good, solid F system. is more like the French repast ably, but makes you wonder when it is all over whether or no you have really had anything to eat. which tickles your palate agr “Americans Abroad” is decidedly in Sardou's lightest vein. It seems almost incredible that it was written by the author of * Fedora” and * L; There is no straining to produce striking situations and only at one point—the scene where Gilbert Raymond (Mr. Kelcey) finds that Florence Winthrop (Miss Cayvan) suspects that he, like all her titled suitors, is a fortune hunter—does the piece become in the least emotional, All the rest is the gentlest kind of light comedy. Sardou has been harsher to his own countrymen and countrywomen in this play than to the Americans he intro- duces. The former he paints in very black colors, and the latter are far from the usual impossible Americans of the foreign author. They are distinctly creditable specimens of our people, and with the exception of Richard Fairbanks (Mr. Lemoyne) are to be met with even in America. It is possible that M. Sardou wrote the piece only for the American market, and that if he had meant it for the French stage, he would have been less flattering in his treatment ANNIVERSARY OF THE WEEK. Dec. 16, 1773. THE NOSTON TEA PARTY. comicbooks.com