Life, 1921-11-03 · page 7 of 34
Life — November 3, 1921 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a one-act satirical play by Montague Glass depicting a nickelodeon (early cinema venue) where business is struggling. The scene shows a ticket seller named Leonora and her employer Gus discussing a William S. Hart film. The satire targets two things: (1) **early cinema economics**—the conversation reveals that theater owners and sellers make minimal profit despite high costs, and (2) **film quality and marketing**—characters debate whether showing a William S. Hart western ("Should Married Men Behave") will attract customers, with ironic suggestions that substituting other actors or films wouldn't matter. The humor lies in the cynicism about both the film industry's viability and cinema's artistic value during the nickelodeon era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“What's the fillum about?” BUSINESS IS BAD AT THE NICKELODEON A Play in One Act by Montague Glass (Complete Acting Version) PERSONS OF THE PLAY Lronora, a ticket seller. Ges, her employer. Other Persons. Time: Next WEEK (The Scene is a sidewalk in front of a moving picture show. It is not raining. Leonora is discovered in ticket booth, a young woman for her age, and looks as though she thought she looked like Fannie Brice. She is mistaken. So is Gus. He detects in himself a strong resemblance to Wallace Reid. He is not so young as Leonora, but looks older. In fact, they both look older.) Oo-ce! How rotten business is. Every time I sell a ticket I use enough salesmanship to sell a diamond. And how could I put my heart in it when you owe me three mouths’ wages? I h I was a vampire instead of a ticket seller. A vampire is anyhow a cash proposition. Gus (Long speech ending in): Next Saturday a week, sure. inter a man and his wife. The man is wearing a $20 hich doesn’t seem to have cost as much as that. His- wife is wearing a $20 suit which seems to have cost more, but not much more. They are both about the same age, but look prematurely older. The wife speaks with a strong Twenty-second Assembly District accent.) WIFE Could you tell me if this is a fillum we seen last week in Dayton, Ohio? Gus Probably not. What kind of a fillum was it you seen last week in Dayton, Ohio? Man (Defiantly): It was a kind of William S, Hart fillum. In the first part this here Hart goes to work and shoots his partner. Gus Which partner did Hart shoot? Schaffner or Marx? (Twenty-four hours later Hart, Schaffner & Marx stop advertising in the theatre program.) LEONORA Suppose he shot Kuppenheimer; what's the difference? Go inside, and if you don't like the fillum, we will give you back your tickets. Man What's the fillum about? LEONORA It’s called Should Married Men Behave in five reels. Wire And I suppose in the sixth reel, he don’t behave no longer. LEONORA He don’t behave in the first reel even. and runs away from his wife. WIFE (Indignantly): And I should pay money to give my husband such pointers? Come on, Louis. (Exit Man and Wife. Leonora breaks down and weeps. Gus comforts her.) He gets vamped comicbooks.com