Life, 1920-10-14 · page 25 of 44
Life — October 14, 1920 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **theater review guide** for New York productions, with a single illustration at bottom right. The cartoon depicts **Holbrook Blinn in "The Bad Man,"** as identified by the caption. The drawing shows a caricatured Mexican bandit character wearing an oversized sombrero and embroidered vest, depicted in exaggerated comic style typical of early 20th-century theatrical caricature. The review itself contains the satire: it praises Blinn's performance as "a delightful bandit" while sardonically noting he "mak[es] the Mexican border more attractive than New York." This is gentle social humor—the joke being that a theatrical villain is somehow more appealing than actual American urban life, and that Mexico (represented by a bandit) seems preferable to the metropolis. The broader context reflects period attitudes: Mexican characters as stock comedic/villainous types in American theater, and the casual exoticization of the Mexican border as entertainment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
CONFID! BO Cube “ex GUIDE « Owing to the time it takes to print Live, reoders should verify from the daily nevws- papers the continuance of the attractions at the theatres mentioned, Belasco— One.” Frances Starr playing the dual réle of twin sisters who share one soul betwgen them. Not convincing enough to start any great psychic movement. Belmont. ittle Miss Charit: modest and pleasant musical comedy. for the prurient in heart. Bijou.—" The Charm_ School.” ja improbable but amusing terms wha pees when a young man tries to run a girls’ board: school. Sounds like a musical comed: t isn’t. Booth.—" Happy-Go-Lucky.” O. P. Heggie creating a comedy character of classic mould in the midst of a hilariously cockney supporting cast Broadhurst. —“ The Guest of Honor.” William Hodge as William Hodg 2 good word in a nasal tone for the more accepted virtues. Warnin isa kiddie in the play. Casino." Honeydew Efrem Zimbalist’s music making its début into light opera ac- companied by an indifferent book, Central. Little Ritz Girl.” Musi- cal comedy with pleasing music and a great deal of comedy. Almost everyone likes both, We liked the music. Century.—“ Mecea.” Notice later. Century Roof—Food and spring water at all hours after dark, elaborate revues at 8:30 and 11:30. George M. Cohan’s—“ The Tavern.” Re- viewed in this issue. Cohan and Harris. —“ Welcome, Stran- ger. Jewish propaganda saved from’a cheap theatricality by the acting of George Syd- ney, omedy. — “The Bad Man.” Holbrook Blinn as a delightful bandit making the Mexican border more attractive than New York. Cort —* Not Jam Jems.” Notice later. Eltinge. adies’ Night.” A steam- room farce, laid in a Turkish bath. Some good actors in very bad taste. Empire. —“ Call the Doctor.” comedy expensively done. Forty-eighth Street. — “ Opportunity Showing how fiercely you have to shout and love and telephone to be a success in Wall Street. Frazee—" The Woman of Bronze.” A fine piece of emotional acting by Margaret Anglin in a tense but conventional drama, Fulton, — “Enter Madame.” Excellent Tight comedy, delicately written and acted with great skill Goiety. — “ Lightnin’.” comedy characterization breaking all ords, including his own, The Treasure.” Notice later. —"* Tip- Notice later. Greenwich a Three Live Ghosts.” Notice later. Hippodrome. —“ Good Times.” seeing for Joe Jackson alone. Hudson. “The Meanest World.” Notice la Knickerbocker—* The Sweetheart Shop,” A musical comedy with some catchy music and what is known as a “ popular” book. Liberty. —" The ht Boat.” Last sea- son's successful musical show still making daily trips Little, —* Poor Girl.” Re- viewed in this issue. Fongae re" Pitter-Patter.” Notice later. L m.—*“ The Gold Diggers.” Chorus- Mediocre Frank Bacon's rec- Worth Man in the the Lys tirl life successfully portrayed by Ina C Marine Elliott's. —* Spanish Love. treat deal of Spanish anda great deal of LIFE love, not to mention equally large amounts of hate, revenge and local color. Morosco.—" The Bat.” You wrong on it if you like crime, exciting play in town, Nora Bayes.—" Don't Tell.” this issue. Playhouse, — “Anna Ascends.” Alice Brady, one of the most charming actress: of the season, smothered in one of the wor plays of the Season, Plymouth. —" Little costume play of 1810, amusing done Princess.—“ Blue Bonnet.” Ernest Truex as a cowless cowboy making an event out of an otherwise indifferent play about the Mexican border. Punch and Judy—* Merchants of Venus.” can't go The most Reviewed in Old New York.” A and well dy of the Lamp.” An HOLBROOK BLINN IN 681 opium-smoker'’s dream, involving lavishness of staging and some eifective acting s Tickle Me.” Frank Tinn and-white face, together with chorus girls possessing good voices. t.—"Greenwich Village Follies.” utifully produced revue with comedy all the way from Savoy and Bren- down. Thirty-ninth Street.—“ Paddy Best Thing.” You either like plays or you don't. Vanderbilt —" Irene.” A musical comedy of charm, tunefulness and endu _ Winter’ Garden, —* Broadway Cc. feild Midnight ic. — Eating and dancing to Art Hickman’s orchestra, with occasional performances by the Dooleys and other artistes, in Next Irish the these “THE BAD MAN” comicbooks.com