Life, 1920-05-13 · page 29 of 52
Life — May 13, 1920 — page 29: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This illustration satirizes silent film actors by depicting them at a formal dinner banquet. The cartoon mocks the theatrical pretension and exaggerated physical gestures required in silent cinema—actors who must communicate entirely through elaborate facial expressions and body movements rather than dialogue. The accompanying text by Robert C. Benchley (a prominent theater critic) defends Shakespeare's commercial viability, noting that audiences laugh at actors' "elaborate grimaces and yodling" either because they find them genuinely funny or as relief from tedious classical speeches. The piece argues that recent successful tours by actors Sothern and Marlowe prove "Shakespeare pays in terms of the box-office." The joke targets the artificiality of silent acting: physical exaggeration was necessary for cinema, but Benchley suggests this makes Shakespeare—already theatrically demanding—even more absurdly overacted. The cartoon's crowded, chaotic scene emphasizes the ridiculous spectacle of "silent drama."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE BANQUET OF ACTORS'OP THE SILENT DRAMA AND WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY AT THE SPEAKERS’ TARLE thud of » sound at all falling bodies, they WS = B' lV whether the audience at a Shake- sjearean comedy laughs at the elabo- rate erimaces and yodling because it really thinks them funny or because they come sa relief from the classic’ tedium of of the serious speeches, the fact re- mains that they do laugh. And the fact also remains that Sothern and Marlowe 1 proven, by their recent most suc- cessful tour, that Shakespeare pays in As the dean of atic critics has, Sott Marlowe went out with Shakespeare, and terns of the box-office. York T with such refinement, said * dran tnand they have brought home the Bacon.” Robert C. Benchley. Confidertial Guide Oving to the time it takes to pr rears should verify from the dai $ farors the continuance of the attractions at tres mentioned. “East Is West.” Second season of se romance of a Chinese ingenue adrift in San Francisco and American slang sco.—" The Son-Daughter.”_ “ East Is Wet” with the scene laid in New York Chinese revolution and Chinese hero thrown in. mont—* The Passion Flowe: Nance O'’Ncil in a tragedy of Spanish peasant life, calling for considerable emotion on the part ofthe star—and getting it Kjou.—* The Ouija Board.” Spiritualism made into a melodrama of crime and mystery. Booth.—“ Not So Long Ago.” Notice later. Broadhurst-—" Smilin’ Through.” A sent mental costume play, in which Jane Cow! doubles as an unquestionably alive Irish girl and a returned spirit from the ‘60's. Casino.—" Betty, Be Good.” Century- Florodor. An elaborate re- vival of the erstwhile sensation with extra sextettes added. Central—* As You Were.” Sam Bernard. and Irene Bordoni making fun to music. Cohan.—" The Hottentot.” V am Col- lier in—oh, what does it matter? Cohan and Harris—“ Honey Girl.” later. Comedy.—“ My Lady Friend Clifton Crawford in a highly amusing farcical come- dy about money and women. Cort.—“ Abraham Lincoln.” — Inspiring dramatization by an Englishman of events in the life of the great American, Eltinge-—" Martinique.” Forty-cighth Street. —“ The Storm.” A play of the elements, love, hate and fire, all Notice later Notice See above. let loose in the woods of the Canadi. Northwest. Forty-fourth Street. — “Look Who's Here! Cecil Lean and Cleo Mayfield, with sand things like that. —"Oh, Henry.” N Gaiety —" Lightnin’ comedy’ characterization all records. Garrick. —“Jane Cle A remarkable play dealing with English middle ries and sorrows and acted by an excell company Fulton tice later Frank Bacon in a which has breken Globe- The Girl from Home.” ice later. Greenwich Village.—" Foot-Loose.” Notice later. Harris.—" The Respect for Riches.” Notice later. Henry Miller’s.—" The Famous Mrs. Fair.” Blanche Bates and Henry Miller in a satire on the public activities of the American woman. 897 Hippodrome.—" Happy Days.” Safe and sane entertainment Hudson.—* Clarence.” An excellent come- dy of American youth after the war. Knickerbocker.—“ Shavings.” Cape Cod folks utilized in one of those wholesome comedies of rustic lif Liberty —“ The Night Boat.” A musical show of great drawing power, probably due to Ada Lewis and John Hazzard and good music. Litt “ Beyond the Horizon.” A power- ful tragedy of American farm life, well done. Longacre. —“ Adam and Eva Lively comedy dealing with American extravagance and longing for fresh-laid eggs. Lyceum.—* The Gold Diggers.” of the chorus girl, portrayed by Ina Claire in a manner to delight the box-office. “What's ina Name?” Exceedingly and distinctive musical comedy Amsterdam.—Ed, Wynn's Carnival, The life The star ina most amusing monopoly of all the parts in the show, from producer to stage hand. Nora Bayes. —* Lassie.” A musical come- dy of considerably more than the avérage merit. Playhous “The Wonderful Thing.” Jeanne Eagles in a light play all about love. Plymouth—" Three Showers. outhern musically treated Princess. — “Mrs. Jimmie Thompson.” Amusing farce of boarding-house life ublic.—" The Sign on the Door.” Mar jorie Rambeau in a crime melodrama in which one re rets that the villain has to be shot yn. —“ Buddies.” A comedy, with nt music, dealing with France and the F. after the war rlowe in Shake hove inth Stre andal.” Just what you would except from the name, cleverly enough done to make it legal Vanderbilt" Irene.” A musical comedy of exceptional merit nter. Garden.—" The You know. Ziegfeld Midnight F your music. Passing Show of ~ Meals with Manager: Xo ORCHESTRA, ONLY FIVE PEO PLE IN THE CAST, THE SAME BEDROOM SCENE FOR THE FOUK ACTS, AND THE COSTUMES WILL BE PAJAMAS. WE AKE SELLING OUT EVERY NIGHT AT FIVE DOLLAES A SEAT comicbooks.com