Life, 1918-12-26 · page 21 of 35
Life — December 26, 1918 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes theatrical censorship and morality campaigns of the era. The image shows a dancer in an exuberant pose, appearing to have stepped on a tack—a visual pun on constraint and pain. The accompanying text references police having "doctored 'Tiger! Tiger!'" (likely a risqué theatrical production) by "whitewashing his stripes" to make it acceptable for "exclusive Sunday-school circles." The reviewer suggests other Broadway shows seeking similar moral approval should obtain "fumigation certificates." The satire targets the contradiction between theater's natural exuberance and the rigid censorship demands of religious/moral authorities. The barefoot dancer—vulnerable and uninhibited—represents artistic freedom being literally pricked by prudish restrictions. The cartoon mocks how authorities tried to sanitize entertainment to appease conservative audiences, suggesting the process was both ridiculous and damaging to genuine artistic expression.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
space the dramatic reviewers ¢ to each one of them. A glance rk’s hotels, crowded with shop- ¢ soldiers and their ner with a thought of the ar money rolling free, ought led the managerial tradition ee 88. lice having doctored “ Tiger! !" and whitewashed his stripes, is now officially guaranteed fit to n the most exclusive Sunday- cles. Before going on the road ser current successes might find it w to secure a similar fumigation certificate, Metcalfe. by Edward Ina ref Jam ghetto, ad —" Sleeping. P: ith Mr. H. B. Warner. Comedy of clor apartment from the French. 1 well done. * by Clare well pre t—Last week dies First,” loane and Smith, with Nora Chiefly the star at her best in a nd musical setting — “ Someti Somehody’s Swee y Price and Bafunno, Notice la! an and Harris," Three Faces . J RBFUER. ly. Absorbing spy dram: ait A Place to, the Sum” by Ms, THE BAREFOOT DANCER STEPS ON A TAC |. Highly interesting and w nedy of English ne B *Ole, "8. Harr The Invisible Foe. by Mr, Wal. star as a picturesque strect waif in a drama nsfather and Eliot. The | - ter Hackett. Notice later of Pari: Bohemia. the Enalish artist made eve Henry Miller's, —" Tack to Earth,” by Mr. _ Park.—Repertory of opera comique by the in ee Thice Wise Foo! William Le Baroo, Notice later Society” of American Singers, Gilbert and on, —" Th: ise Foo! 5 gn. — Wise. Hippodrome. — Everything.” Spectacle, Sullivan well interpreted tinge’ Under Orders,” by. Mr. sifindsoncxy Rriendly Enemies.” by Messra’ ere cLaugattn omas, with Effie Shannon and M Shipman and Hoffman, with Messrs. Mann diverting, picturesque and pocti nas wilh Efe Shannon and : and. Bernard. The American of German ‘“verting, picturesque and poetic Wl ngenious war plot well Birth with bis wartime dilemmas patheticall Plymouth, — Tolstoi’s “* Redemption " with x cast Of two. time dilemmas pathetically Py , 2 Scar Brutus," by Sir J, M. 29d amusingly shown, Ae. John. Barrymore. Russian drama.of the Notice late “orty-fourth Street.—" Miss Simplicity,” by c othing but Lies." with Mr. poltons, Wodehcuse ” d eat 3 ng and Barrett, | Girl-an show of . A good company and amus- and fluify girland-music show in pocket edi- average entertaining qu: fo ng a background for the tion, Fortyeeighth Street, —" The Big Chance,” Staf’s fun-making abilities, Republic. — Florence Reed in " Roads Seber’ Morris and Mack. The war Lyceum, —“ Daddies.” by Mr. John 1 Destiey."" Novel exposition < anes r of character exploited in interesting Hobble, The heart of merican bachelor ing possibilities of Fate's handiwork. ma of New York iste. exposed to the softening influences of the Youn —« The Crowded Hour." hy Messrs. ch.—Repertory of French plays by im- French war orphan ii ell played and we Selwyn and Pollock, Jane Cowl, Dram y. Interesting and cducational Staged comedy. ot the wae with-ite episodes hanging on the eat tienes, Lyric, — “The Unknown Purple," by love affair of a New York telephone girl, —"The Riddle: Woman.” with Messrs, West and Moore. An_ interesti Shubert, —“ The Betrothal.” Sequel to Bertha Kalich, Interesting but exotic Novelty i ne _melodrama, “The Blue Bird.” by Maeterlinck, Beauti- 2 of blackmail from the Danish. Manhattan.—Mr. Chauncey Olcott in" The j- staged poetic spectacle. hy Messrs, Winch: Voice of McConnell,” by Mr, George M. Thirty-ninth Street.—Closed The divorce bu: Cohan, Notice later. Vand ily § ns, in drama by aptlazine, Eliot's. — 6 Tea for Three” by Rita We otice later a y rR. C. Megru itty American polite Winte oe Brille lobe" The Canary” with Julia comedy, well done, girl-and eile tor kat Se the sen and Me, Joseph Cawthorn. | Girland: Morosco,—" Remnants. by Mesare, Nico by music show of the usual diverting kind, demi and Morton, with Florence Nash, The | Ziegjetd's Frotics—See above, Comicbooks.com