Life, 1898-05-05 · page 12 of 20
Life — May 5, 1898 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 384 This page contains **literary criticism and short satirical pieces**, not political cartoons. The main article, "A Translation That Doesn't Transfer," critiques a French theatrical production's English adaptation, arguing that translating plays loses essential cultural context—a theatrical work designed for French audiences doesn't transplant smoothly to American stages. The right column contains brief humorous exchanges titled "An Objection" and "What Next?"—short joke pieces typical of Life's satirical format. The **left illustration** shows a bare tree with sheep clustered beneath it, likely accompanying the main article's discussion of theatrical adaptation challenges. The page demonstrates Life's use of **literary and theatrical satire** rather than political cartooning, targeting educated readers familiar with dramatic arts and cultural criticism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LIFE: A STORY OF BRAINS. ik bth BX A Translation That Doesn’t Transfer. IS HONOR THE MAYOR “isa beautiful i stance of how too many cooks do not im prove the broth. Inthe French of MM. Meithac and Halévy it was a success, or, presumably, it would not have been selected for translation and adap. tation by Messrs. Meltzer and Lancaster. With this mighty aggregation of authors, the re- sult in English is strongly suggestive of the old fabl e mons and the mrs They have brought forth slight tritte “cs concerning t very The trouble with the piece is, doubtless the impossibility of the transference of na- tional conditions, To a French audience it mignt be readily conceivable that the May village or of an arrondisement might also be a manager of a theatre, and the necessary ce brant of all the civil marriages within his jurisdic tion; but that by any freak of nature or politics, ‘with Tammany in the field, a New York the- atrical manager should beat the same time or for ny time the Mayor of New York, is not t imagined, No member of the Theatrical Syn- dicate would dare leave one of his associates alone in the box-office long enough for that, But France has no Theatrical Trust and no Tammany. so it might be possible there, under dramatic licensé ing an oMcial in this play. Mr. Crane, who enacts the Mayor-Manager. is an actor with decided limitations. and whose xreatest financial and artistic successes have been made in the portrayal of parts strongly American, Of the four dramatists engaged in wilding up the present character, Rartholo- mew Jones, only ove is an American, and his twenty-five per cent, of the creation—if it amounts to that much—is about all that suits itself to the requirements of Mr. Crane's indi viduality. Mr. Crane seems to be undec about just where he belongs in the dramatic ld. He has settled one fact—that he ap- pears to far better advantage in American comedy than in transplanted farce. The company is well trained, and Miss Ant Irish, whose Merion in the original “Tess will be remembered as a work of art, makes a really brilliant part of Lucilla, Most eritics would sa nver acted: some men who have ncountered the type would say that sbe showed no exaggeration in depicting certain phases to be found in members of her sex. Miss Alice Fischer also scored a suce part which might have been commonpla but which she made very fuany. “His Honor the Mayor" is not likely to live long enough to be a serious problem for the public. Mr. Crane and his clever people can find a better medium for their talents. Ww haven't conquered Spain yet, but we've done better. We've rubbed our to fancy a manager becom- f the burlesque kind pictured ed be! aa theatricals into the stubborn Briton. He woukin't have our Booth, and other good people who have gone over to improve his insular mind, but he has swallowed “The Belle of New York,” tights, spangles and all. And he likes it, which speaks better for his digestion than bis brains, This doesn't mean that “The Belle of New York" is bad of its kind, but it shows the kind that appeals to John Bull's intellect, The recolle -tion of the “Gaiety " combinations that Jobo bas sent to us recalls the lines about the mills of God grinding slowly, but we've got our reve Metcalfe. I T is nonsense to say that we are un- prepared for war. Even at the end of the Civil War, after four years of experience, the newspapers of our coun- try had no war types to compare in size and efficiency with those now in daily We are up-to-date people, and not to be Our war types prove it a +s use, caught napping HEN Success speaks, Ambition listens and Failure weeps WOMAN’ only ripens, character never changes: it An Objection. IRST BOOK AGENT: sell that doctor a dictionary ? EcCOND Book Acext: No, wouldn't have it because it contained an appendix Did you he What Next ? HE following isinteresting,as show- ing the effect of the war fever upon an erstwhile observant publication. It is the New York Tribune tha speaks: This war is not one of our seeking Let that never be forgotten. However the heathen have raged and some of the people imagined vain things, the authoritative voice of this nation has been steadfastly for peace. Every resort for keeping the peace. with honor and with fidelity to the highest duties of the nation, has been tried in vain. Is this ignorance, or only the prevail hysteria? According to the St. James’ the Britishers seem to have reasonably car conceptions of our United States Congress: In Congress, the least respectable politi elements have worked together in the ti crisis, to the disgust of most of the outsiders whose opinion is worth having. It is, of course, melancholy that the men whom we hire to keep their heads should be the very first to lose them, But then, considering the furniture of the heads, it may be unjust to blame the owners,