Life, 1918-01-31 · page 23 of 40
Life — January 31, 1918 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily theater reviews from Life magazine. The main cartoon depicts a **WWI soldier on leave** amid battlefield wreckage, responding to another soldier's warning to take cover. The soldier replies casually: "That's all right, old top, I'm on leave." **The satire**: The humor contrasts the soldier's carefree attitude—treating wartime danger as something he can ignore because he has temporary leave—with the absurdity of that logic. The title, "Cold Tongue with a Little Dressing," suggests the soldier is being served a quip rather than practical advice. **Historical context**: This appears from a WWI-era Life magazine (references to "Fuel Censor" and wartime rationing support this), when American soldiers were actively deployed. The joke mocks the false sense of security soldiers might feel during brief furloughs, or satirizes their gallows humor about combat danger. The cartoon comments on the disconnect between military danger and soldiers' attempts at nonchalance—a theme Life frequently explored during the war.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
was either drowned or blown to pieces by shots from the cruiser. “Seven Days’ Leave” has a good cast and is well staged. There is no doubt of its power to thrill. In fact, it keeps the blood circulating so that the Park might dispense with coal and, without offending the Fuel Censor, keep open on the heat- less holidays. Metcalfe. Astor. —" Why Marry?" by Mr. Jesse Lynch ‘Williams. Clever and well "played comedy dealing with the question of love without matrimony. Belasco.—" Polly With a Past." Diverting light comedy, delightfully produced, with Ina Claire as the leading lady. Bijou.—" Girl o” Mine,” by Messrs. Bar- tholomae and Tours. Notice later. Booth.—" Seventeen,” by Mr. Booth Tark ington. Sce above. Broadhurst—Closed. Casino. —“ Oh, Boy! with good company and tuneful songs. Century. —“ Chu Chin Chow." Gorgeous Oriental spectacle with stunning color effects and unusual musical accompaniment. Cohan and Harris—" A Tailor-Made Man,” Well played comedy showing in amusing fash- ion that clothes may be an important factor in business success, Cohan’s.—* The King" with Mr. Leo Dit- richstein. Highly diverting and well played comedy from the French with some rather hazardous lines and episodes, Comedy.—The Washington Square Players in a new bill of playlets. Notice later. Cort.—" Flo Flo.” Girl-and-music show of the customary sort, a bit vulgar in text and costume. rion. — Laurette Taylor in“ Hazpi- ness,” by Mr. Hartley Manners. Not a monu- mental drams, but interesting and giving the star delightful opportunities of which she avails herself thoroughly. Eltinge, — “ Business Before Pleasure.” Messrs. Potash and Perlmutter enter the movingpicture business, with laughable re- pire-—Ethel Barrymore in “The Lad of the Camellias.” The Dumas drama changed, but not improved, and the star'a very lovely Camille, Forty-fourth Street Roof —" Over the Top.” Girl-and-music show with the usual diversion in elevated surroundings. Forty-eighth Street.—Closed. Musical comedy more than usually COLD TONGUE WITH A LITTLE DRESSING “ney, THERE! YOU IDIOT, W “THAT'S ALL RIGHT, OLD TOP, I'M ON LEAVE Fulton. Miss Margaret Anglin. in“ Bil leted.” Most agreeably acted and amusing English comedy with situations provided by the present war, Globe.—" Jack 0’ Lantern” with Mr. Fred Stone. Elaborate girl-and-music show as a background for the star’s ene-getic fun-mak- ing. Greenwich Village. —“ Karen.” from the Danish of Bergstrom. Frank discussion of sexual freedom for women. Harris.—Closed. ¥ Hippodrome.—" Cheer Up.” Spectacle, bal- Igt_and vaudeville, brilliant and at wholesale. Hudson.—Closed. Knickerbocker.—Herman_ Bahr's " Joseph- ine” with Mr. Arnold Daly and Virginia Harned. later. Libert: 1 up.” Aviation and some of its possibilities made the basis of an un- usually tuneful and diverting musical comedy. Longacre.—" Yes or No.” Drama with a twin plot, interestingly developed with novel stage handling. Lyceum.—" Tiger Rose." Melodrama of the ‘Canadian Northwest, picturesquely staged and well acted. Manhattan Opera House. —" Experienc Modern morality play, interesting and_ pic- taresquely produced. Maxine Elliott's, — Marjorie Rambeau_ in “The Eyes of Youth.” Novel development of an interesting story. Well acted. Morosco.— Lombardi, Ltd.." by Mr. and Mrs. Hatton. Rather ‘slangy setting forth of the domestic and sentimental side of the HY DON'T YOU GET UNDER COVER?" fashionable dressmaking industry in New York. New Amsterdam. — “Cohan Review of 1918." Very. clever burlesques of the sea- son's more prominent plays made the basis of a gorgeous girl-and-music show. Norworth.—" Odds and Ends of 1917." A sort of pocket-edition girl.and-music show with considerable fun, Park.—" Seven Days’ Leave,” by Mr, Wal- ter Howard. See above. Playhouse —" The Heritage.” by Mr, Eu- gene Walter. Melodrama of hereditary homi: cidal mania with police and blackhand epi- sodes, Plymouth. —“ The Gipsy Trail," by Mr. Robert Housum, Amusing and’ extremely well acted contemporary comedy, Princess.—" Lady, Lady.” Notice later. Republic. —“* Parlor, Bedroom and Bath by Messrs. Bell and Swan, Farcical comedy, a bit coarse, but intensely funny and well “ Maytime.” Charming musical play, unusually well presented. irty-ninth Street.—" Blind Youth” with u Tellegen. ‘The hero solving a sex problem "with its’ development divided be: tween Paris and New York, Views Cotombier—Changing bill of French plays by imported sto¢k company. Winter Garden.—" Doing Our Bit” | Girl- and-music show of the usual size and gor- geousness. Ziegfeld Midnight Frotic.—An anti-soporific administered during the midnight hours and consisting of food, girls, dancing and song. comicbooks.com