Life — June 10, 1920 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes the creative choices facing young playwrights in the early 20th century. A man in formal attire stands between two fashionably dressed women, each labeled with headbands reading "DRAMA" and "MOTION PICTURE" respectively. The caption identifies this as depicting a conflict "between the spoken drama and the motion-picture possibilities." The satire comments on how emerging film technology was tempting writers away from traditional theater toward the lucrative movie industry. The man's indecisive posture—adjusting his hair while looking between both women—humorously portrays the difficult professional choice facing authors of that era. Both entertainment forms are personified as attractive options competing for the writer's loyalty and talent.