Life — July 30, 1914 — page 28: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes theatrical producers' resistance to arbitration. Two film directors debate whether to submit a dispute to arbitration, with the Second Director arguing against it because arbitration might force them to concede something—suggesting producers' stubborn unwillingness to compromise fairly. Simultaneously, a librarian and critic chat about a show at the "Calcium Theatre" (likely a real venue), praising its chorus. The critic's claim of knowing success "before the curtain had gone up two feet" mocks critics' pretentious certainty and snap judgments. The page title "Whose Business?" questions whether theatrical disputes are industry insiders' exclusive domain or subject to fair arbitration. The juxtaposition critiques both producer obstinacy and critical pomposity in early 20th-century theater.