Life, 1921-04-28 · page 33 of 36
Life — April 28, 1921 — page 33: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a **film review section** ("The Silent Drama") critiquing recent movies, not political cartoons. The reviews are brief, snarky assessments of silent films from studios like First National, Metro, and Paramount. However, the page is dominated by a **Rubberset Brushes advertisement** disguised as editorial content. A letter from "C.N. Gibson" in Seattle claims to have used the same "OLD BOY 3120" brush for twenty years, calculating its cost-per-shave at an absurdly small fraction of a penny. The ad satirically presents this as "unmentionably small" while mentioning it repeatedly. The joke: the advertisement ironically claims the figures are correct but "we positively DO NOT GUARANTEE THE PRONUNCIATION"—mocking both inflated advertising claims and the absurdity of the calculation itself. Large brush illustrations emphasize the product's durability. This represents early 20th-century **advertorial tactics**: blending advertising with editorial to seem more credible and entertaining than straightforward promotion.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Vg (/THE SILENT DRAMA Recent Developments oF (The regular Silent Drama Department will be found on page 612 of the text.) Tue Oatu (First National)—Race con- flict, warital infidelity, murder, perjury and allied subjects—made interesting by the fine actin. of Conway Tearle and others. A Sate Town Ipot (Associated Pro- ducers).—Mack Sennett becomes still more prodival with his footage in this multiple reel comedy, Spasmodically amusing but much 100 long. A Messace Prom’ Mars (Metro)—Some excelicnt double exposure work in a picture which hardly deserves to be exposed once. G p Lies (Selznick).—Effective pro- duction of a terribly involved and pointless story, well acted by Eugene O’Brien, and nots» well acted by Martha Mansfield. Decks ann Drakes (Realart).—Bebe Danic!s in another one of those things— somewhat better than her previous efforts, but still below the general average. Wuast’s a Wire Wortn? (Robertson- Cole).—We hope she’s worth more than this pict Tic Oxe Man Trait (Fox).—Buck Jones sets cut to track down the scoundrel who murdered his father and kidnaped his sister, Does Buck get his man? Ah!— that's she secret. Too Wise Wives (Paramount) —The eternal quadrangle, sumptuously but uncon- ingly depicted by Lois Weber. Pavrsens or tHe Tipe (Hodkinson),.— One of those big, vital dramas about deep sea divers and their mates, generally de- las “gripping.” Perhaps “ dripping” © the better word Tue Livres Foot. (Metro).—Weak char- acterizations in a story which depends upon strony characterizations for its value. Kaow Your Men (Foxr).—Pearl White in a very stupid drama about nothing much in particalar. Tue Saart Sex (Universal) —There is one scene in which a pet gander contributes some fine character acting. The rest of the film might well be cut. Tue Heart or Marytann (Vitagraph)— The lslue and the Gray mix it up once more in a stirring and well-directed picture. A Tate or Two Wortns (Goldwyn).—Un- usually good production of an exciting story abou San Francisco’s Chinatown, The theme is old, but many of the thrills are new. tuk Penman (First National) Barrymore is superb, and he is ed by a good cast, but the scenario is lirent, and the picture disappointingly Fixtures following pictures have been reviewed s department, and are recommended to our readers.) Passton (First National). Tu Last or THe Mowicans (Associated Producers). Buck Beauty (Vitagraph). Ovrsipe tue Law (Universal). Tux Kip (First National). A Connecticut YANKEE IN Kinc ArtHur’s Courr (Fox). Tux Four Horsemen op THE AProcaLyrse (Metro), Stxiimentat Tommy (Paramount). $0001217948 35 -the figures are ri DO NOT GUARAN: At any rate, carrying Mr. Gibson's calculations one step further, they represent exactly his “ Rubberset-cost per shave” with OLD BOY 3120. Almost “unmentionably small"? Well, mention it yourself, in an offhand, free-and-easy sort of a way! t, but we positively THE PRONUNCIATION! ue Wests 2107 Fenty Washington: October 11, 1920- Rubberset Company» Newark, N. J. “OLD Gentlemen: der separate COVE | sing 1 am mailing asa unpecause have pend there: BOY 31205 Taber, 1900 (twenty YE vivre times He Phavint used him not hed the following: ore, 1. fore; ay over this long Pen Total weeks in 20 years: Times weekly used. -- Total times Use! py i to admit thal tee some il have gd to think thet 3120” i cost 35¢! cited recommendations nsolicites ‘ brushes Alter reading JP RUBBERSET, “BS Bow val by users fe I resolved to us eturning him from time to twentieth year before he turned his to you. You will no! been worn his twenty ¥! have te that eve . d during by c ¢ as solid in the BBERS! T as the da) ar id in th RU! E d born. ¢ safety so that it you can al all arriv his twenty years 1 hope he wi over alter F the once least give him of faithful service. x all Yours very truly, (Signed) c.N. GIBSON. (NOTE—Not every brush costs so little as 35 cents. Not every brush lasts so long as twenty years. Of course, if you say that the average RUBBERSET co: and lasts only half so long, we admit that the “Rubberset-cost per shave’ mounts to the wice as much unspeakable sum of $.0004487179487 7-39! As you can scarcely carry this on your tongue, we do not expect you to “carry it in your head” for future comp: By no mea But the one outstanding fact that wi with you always is this: The one thing most largely responsible for these everlastingly tough problems in “Rubberset-cost per shave” is that everlasting grip of hard vulcanized rubber — ORIGINAL IN RUBBERSET BRUSHES!) RUBBERSET LATHER TRAOS nam PAINT HALR BRUSHES VARNISH TOOTH STUCCO every bristle gripped EVERLASTINGLY in hard rubber! comicbooks.com