Life, 1893-02-09 · page 13 of 16
Life — February 9, 1893 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several unrelated short humorous pieces typical of early Life magazine's satirical format. The top section reviews a theatrical production ("The Girl I Left Behind Me"), criticizing it as commercially successful but artistically mediocre—pandering to "easily pleased" audiences with tired dramatic formulas rather than genuine artistic merit. Below are brief comic sketches: **"Breaking It Gently"** jokes about delivering bad news—a man's death is rendered darkly funny by the punchline that he "met a bear" (implying the bear caused his death). **"Prepared"** is a dialogue joke about two women crossing a wet street; one reveals her shoes are silk, implying she's wealthy enough not to worry about ruining them. The remaining items are brief gags about a professor claiming to prove anything (a woman wishes he'd prove an alibi—implying infidelity), and two animal cartoons featuring a fox eyeing a bird and a dog chasing an escaped parrot. These are lighthearted, non-political humor pieces typical of Life's miscellaneous content.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIVEsEs: casily pleased New York public but a play which is more remote from its predecessor in artistic value than the Battery from Harlem. Mr Frohman’s playwrights have skilfully used any number of well-tried dramatic dodges which bear the stamp of success, and, therefore, are safe to bunch together for a money-making play, but which interfere sadly with unity and truth, Of course the play is handsomely mounted. The piece is well cast, as was to be expected with the resources at Mr, Frohman’s command. The men, with the exception of Mr. Mordaunt, as General Kennion, get out of the lines and situa- tions all that is in them. The leading female part, Kate Kennion, is in thoroughly incompetent hands, and instead of adding strength to the piece, is made commonplace and uninteresting. Miss Wallace, as Welber’s Ann, and Miss Florence, as Fawn Afraid, act prettily two very attractive parts. “The Girl I Left Behind Me” will unquestionably be a success from the box-office point of view. Only the public is to be blamed that the Empire Theatre did not open its doors with a play more free from artistic demagogism. BREAKING IT GENTLY. “TELEGRAM FROM NYMM RODD (fo the man's wife): Your husband met with an accident, and was killed. HER TELEGRAM: THE ANSWER: Send on the remains. There are none, He met a bear. PREPARED. ~IBYL: Let's cross over to the other side of the street. TIpPIE: No; let's stay on this side. The pavement is wet over there. StsyL: That's all right. Mine are silk. The Wife: THE SIGHT YOU WERE AWAY, JOUN, THE BABY CRIED FOR NEARLY SEVEN HOURS. The Husband: WHY DIDN'T YoU TELL HE WOULD HAVE STOPPED THEN. Him I WASN'T HERE? **1 CAN prove anything,” bragged the Professor to the fair Miss Harkins. “T wish you would prove an alibi!" moaned the young woman sotto voce. ee \\ Reynard; THAT 1S A STRANGE LOOKING BIRD; BUT I MUST FASCINATE IT AND GET IT FOR MY LUNCH, Escaped Parrot: —!—t WHAT THE — ARE YOU STARING AT ME FO! H1f—® Sic ‘im, Waren! Sic ‘im! Sic ‘im! comicbooks.com