Life, 1913-12-04 · page 54 of 112
Life — December 4, 1913 — page 54: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page depicts a scene from Paris featuring a street dancer named Ninette at the Folies-Bergères music hall. The narrative shows Ninette dancing in the street to raise money for a friend in need. When a crowd gathers and demands she perform, the theater director has an inspired idea: he removes his silk hat and passes it for collection, asking "Pour La Ninette!" (For Ninette!). The satire celebrates Parisian character and generosity. The humor lies in the social reversal: a police commissioner and well-dressed gentlemen follow the director's lead, contributing to the hat alongside working-class men in rags—all moved by a performer's selfless cause. The piece sentimentalizes Paris as a city where class distinctions momentarily dissolve through appeals to charity and sentiment. The caption "WE HAVE WITH US TO-NIGHT..." suggests this is presented as charming Parisian culture for American *Life* magazine readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
GIT A BITE T'EAT, JOE. I'LL UN AN’ ASK SOMEONE FER A “T TELL YE HOW WE CA GIVE YE A BLACK EYF, AN’ YOU BIT 0’ RAW MEAT TO PUT ON IT. “Oui, mon cher,” answered she. “Tam dancing just for the fun of it—a louis, please—to help a friend of 1 A whisper broke from the crowd, then it became a cry— “La Ninette—La Ninette”—they shouted, and the Com- missaire himself deliberately pushed back the director of aying in the most matter-of-fact r, we want her to dance,” and what- ever protest the director made was not heard, for the mob shouted, “ Ninette! We want Ninette.” tia Ninette jumped back, and as the organ started the first note of an old Italian song, she was dancing as she had never danced before, and people looked, listening so in- tently that you could hear the tapping of her little feet on the pavement, and even the rustle of her skirt. Ninette stopped, and with that a cry broke from everywhere and she felt herself lifted on the shoulders of men shouting, “La Ninette—make way for La Ninette.” The dancer waved her hand, a silence fell. “ Merci,” she exclaimed, “ But let me come down—I must have a lot of money to help a friend.” Her words were repeated by everyone to those near, and as the men hesitated, Monsieur le Directeur of the Folies-Bergéres had a brilliant idea and the crowd wit- nessed a funny scene. “Stay where you are, Ninette,” said he, and before Nana could think what he was doing he took off his silk hat, and bowing as he did in his theatre, he asked, “ Pour La Ninette!” Money came so quickly indeed that in a second the hat was full to the brim, and as the director hesitated, not knowing what to do, the Commissaire of police took off his hat, too. He was soon followed by smart young men or by others in rags—but what did it matter?—Nana was crying for joy and Ninette smiled happily, for she knew the heart of her Gay Paris, 3 . & Ler comicbooks.com