Life, 1922-01-26 · page 23 of 34
Life — January 26, 1922 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This piece by George S. Kaufman satirizes the 1922 wedding of Princess Mary to Viscount Lascelles. The dialogue mocks the scale and social implications of a royal event receiving congratulations from an absurdly broad spectrum of figures—from European nobility (King of Denmark, Hohenzollerns) to contemporary celebrities (President Harding, filmmaker David W. Griffith, author Hall Caine). The humor lies in the couple's cavalier attitude toward logistics: casually deciding to invite thousands despite wanting "a small affair," renting Westminster Abbey, and feeling obligated to invite dignitaries simply because they sent telegrams. The guest list's mix—ranging from genuinely important figures to obscure baronets—highlights the pretension and chaos of royal protocol. The accompanying illustration and caption about a child offering cigarettes suggests broader social commentary on changing manners and propriety in the post-WWI era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE Over .the Telegrams George S. Kaufman A shower of telegrams reached the place to-day from all parts of the Empire. -Viscount Lascelles arrived at Buckingham early and he and Princess Mary read them together—News Item. N the course of which, prob- ably, something like the fol- lowing conversation took place: Mary: Quite a bundle of them—what? Lascettes: Certainly is. Wish I had what they cost. Don't you? M.: Aye—that I do. Here’s a good one—what ho! ‘ongratulations and best wishes. Sir rt Heard Ewart, 3d Baronet of Glenmachan.” M.: I like that, too. Jolly, what? L.: Top hole. M.: Let’s invite him to the wedding. L.: Allright. But not a fussy wed- ding. Mary. Just a small affair. M.: Right! Not over five thousand peopie—what? L.: That’s the stuff. Church wed- ding ? M.: Better be. The Archbishop would he sore. L.: How about renting Westminster M.: Jolly notion. I’ll speak to papa. L.: Here’s one from Holland. M.: ’Mina? L.: No. The Baroness van Tuyll van Serooskerken. M.: Oh, yes. Well, well, well! L. Says: “Congratulations. Al- ways knew it would happen.” My word! How do people ever of those clever things? Jolly Nice of them to think of us. Regzie St. Aldwyn, Count Szeptycki, Uncle Alfonso— M.: Oh, Piccadilly! Hope he doesn’t come to the wedding! L.: Uncle Alf? He's all right. M.: I know, but it means a parade. L.: Earl of Essex, good old Ross- more. Duke of Albemarle—don’t see anything from Sir Thomas Lipton. \i.: Oh, he’s on a boat somewhere. L.: King of Denmark—I hoped we wouldn’t hear from him. M.: So did I. Now we have to in- vitc him to the wedding. l.: Yes. Bally awful mess—that Doc Cook business. M.: Here’s one from the Ponson- bys. I..: Baron? Earl. L.: Oh! Put him down for an olive fork. M.: Probably. Dare say we'll get a hundred olive forks. L.: Don’t care for olives, myself. M.: Anyhow, the Hohenzollerns aren’t coming. L.: That’s one good thing. M.: And the Prinzessin Stephanie zu Schaumburg-Lippe. Never could stand her. L.: Silly person. M.: My word, here's a new batch. Thank you, Hawkins. L.: Quite a lot—what? M.: What? L.: I said What. M.: Beg pardon. L.: Sorry. M.: Sorry. L.: Here we are. “Congratula- tions.” “Best wishes.” “Congratula- tions.” My word, we're hearing from everybody — Count Poninski, Nicholai Lenine, Hall Caine, President Harding, Isaac F. Marcosson, Lord Northcliffe, Paderewski, David W. Griffith—well, well, well! Out of the Mouths of Babes “Oh, darn it. I’ve forgotten my cigarettes.” “Never mind, Auntie; have one of mine.” comicbooks.com