Life, 1919-10-02 · page 26 of 48
Life — October 2, 1919 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page reviews theatrical productions, primarily Booth Tarkington's play "Clarence." The top cartoon depicts a conversation about an actor's effeminacy—a mother claims her son is unmanly because he's an actor; he retorts that compared to her, he's quite masculine. This reflects early 20th-century anxieties about theater as an "unmanly" profession. The main text critiques contemporary American theater as creatively thin—"butter spread thinly over considerable surface." Tarkington's play succeeds despite weak material through comedic timing and a grotesque soldier character drawn from imagination rather than authentic observation. The lower illustration shows a film scene where a villain's poorly executed hair-grab prompts the hero to quip "Hang it! You mussed my hair!"—likely mocking silent film melodrama's overwrought physicality. The underlying critique: Broadway succeeds by entertaining easily-pleased audiences, rewarding mediocre writers and encouraging low standards.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
. MOTHER THINKS, BEC You'ke AN ACTOK, THAT You" EFPEMINATE.” “So TAM, COMPARED TO YOUR MOTILER.” Str. Loita A7A'W——SS Comedy & la Mode believe might be inclined to that, current attractions, the f in judging to be much impressed by was due not acting toa were it for the fact that every season there is occasionally a production that stands the test of experienced kept on the » little 1s nowadays plays or jaded appetite, judgment, instead of bei the patronage of a t New York lous play boards by critical public such a tremer x public of residents and visitors that the overflow from the real attractions keeps alive a lot of indifferent ones; so it’s no won- der that the general standard of success is just now a pretty low one. This pub- lic is mighty easily pleased, and seems entirely willing to ive its entertainment up money not long ago would have been thought en generously for that tirely too thin to spread over an entire evening, 6 -TEIv’e M* BOOTH TARKINGTON'S latest, which is entitled “Clarence,” is a of butter spread thinly over a consi fair example making little able his very surface. There is no question of ability in book and play to depict the Americ: girl faithfully in their most In the present case he seems aware that his boy Bobby and ¢ gether » boy and sing aspects. Cora, types but not of an alto- grecable sort, are not sufficient to supply the dramatic material, and sup- plements the shortage with the title char- acter, drawn, apparently, entirely from his imagination. As a grotesque crea- who was in the army s to belong more tion this soldier, but not in the war, seen to vaudeville than the e stage. These three characters and a en- tirely conventional ones threaded on to the of improbable merest shadow an story create enough laughs to make aud ences believe they have seen a play, and encourage other playwrights and man agers to think that this is quite enough to make a dramatic offering. There is no reason to repine, though. The critics understand, the public 1. the authors and actors get their stipend, the satisfied to pay for the slender dic managers their profit, and everybody hould be completely happy Y “Civil there is more in Clo The hero here is also a returned soldier, but is one who has y done big things. There are ntly rood stage reasons for and sufficie his introduction ions which undertaking er and perfo for the complic a very able m I duties of a b ing them in a way best to further his interests for the heroine's hand, sh ing his employer's daughter. arise from man's the as a very resolute suitor of course, be- The part brings to notice Mr. Thurston Hall, who has the makings of a good leading come dian, to the extent that he the crying schooling that 1 mater supplied clever its situ, emphasizes America of the on rude n has . and are amusing, if not strik- With a well chosen cast of intel! need in lines to ions in: inal. and evidences rehearsal, Movie Hero (to Villain, duriyg fight): anc iv! you Mussev sty wasn!