Life, 1916-04-20 · page 42 of 52
Life — April 20, 1916 — page 42: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes the early film industry's impact on established writers. The main humor targets William Shakespeare himself—presented as abandoning serious playwriting for lucrative movie contracts. The satirical "unpublished letter" from Mrs. Shakespeare complains that Will has stopped writing for the legitimate stage to sell film rights and spend time at studios with actress "Mistresse Pycforde" (likely a reference to Mary Pickford, a major silent film star). She laments that traffickers want to buy up all his plays "for ye picture ryghtes." The accompanying Shakespeare quotes about "Life" are clever—using actual Shakespearean text about life/livelihood to create absurdist humor about the playwright's obsession with cinema money. The satire reflects real anxieties of the 1910s-20s: that motion pictures were luring away serious artists and corrupting traditional theater. The mock-archaic language adds comedic distance while making the critique pointed—even the Bard himself cannot resist Hollywood's appeal.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
t,of all foods,is one of the most quickl turned by digestion into nourishment. ©The best of malt is used in making Budweiser~ quae its food value. munaculate cleanliness in process and surround~ ings and perfect pasteur~ ization of product and bottles make Budweiser a pure beverage. So~theres pure food and drink in Budweiser ANHEUSER-BUSCH, ST. LOUIS. CBottled at the Brewery ; “His Lire I gave him.” “Lire every man holds dear.” “A man would run for Lire.” ‘ow for my Lir “Promise me Lire and I'll confess.” Lire is most jolly.” “Tam bound for Lire and educa- “Tt isa Lave that I have desired.” tion.” “My Lire, my joy, my food!” “He seeks my Lire; his reason well What Shakespeare Said of Life ‘ Gv me Lire.” “For Lire I prize it.” “Except my Lire, except my Lire, I know.” except my Lire.” Extract from a Hitherto Unpub- lished Letter from Mrs. William Shakespeare to Her Friend Mrs. Francis Bacon ND do you knowe, my deare, that since Will began to sell ye mo tion picture ryghtes to his stuffe he hath given uppe wryghtinge plays for ye legytte (soe do they vulgarly call ye authentick stage, I do believe), and spendeth all his tyme in concockting these bastarde scenarioes. Whereby it is true he is like to win muche usefulle coine but I cannot but bewaile the facte as it leadeth him amonge many curious and uncouthe folke, if not worse. And there is a certaine Mistresse Pyck- forde, a player for the fillums (soc they dub these photoe playes), with whom Will avowes ‘hymselfe to be monstrously in love—you knowe, my deare, how silly he hath ever beene where women are in question—and in deede he spendeth houres upon houres at ye studio where Mistresse P. is act- ing Rosalind for ye fillum version of As You Like It. Moreover he hath been approached by a companye of traffickers in these mattets who wish to contracte with him for ye picture ryghtes of all his playes, now wrytten and to come; or, as Will vulgarly put- teth it, they wish to buy hym uppe, locke, stocke, barrell and bunge. I am heartilye sicke of ye whole motion FOR A COLD— HOT TODDY RANDMOTHER knows well the value of a hot toddy for a cold—an unfailing remedy ever since her girlhood days. Especially, when it’s made with strong pure Old Overholt Rye “Same for 100 years” —a full-bodied, straight Pennsylvania whiskey that possesses an absolutely un- varying excellence. Its medicinal properties make it the ideal stimu- lant for the sick. Overholt & Co. Pa comicbooks.com