Life, 1922-05-04 · page 23 of 34
Life — May 4, 1922 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine satirizes early 20th-century theatrical production through two contrasting scenarios. **"Out of the Shadows"** mocks the arrogant incompetence of a major theater manager (the G.T.M.). Despite his grandiose self-regard, he assembles shows through lazy recycling: reusing old sets, hiring dancers solely for "neat ankles," and grabbing random scripts without reading them. The satire targets his reliance on cheap spectacle and formulaic content ("She Did and She Didn't") rather than genuine artistry. His pretentious speech patterns—affected and clichéd—reinforce the mockery. **"The Modern Version"** contrasts this with a job applicant's humiliating interview about college attendance. The boss dismisses the applicant for attending "only a small college" for "only three months"—exposing class prejudice and arbitrary hiring standards in business. The bottom cartoon shows laborers casually discussing work interruptions, emphasizing working-class precarity. Together, the page satirizes both theatrical phoniness and class-based social hierarchies in American business and culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Out of the Shadows HE Greatest Theatrical Manager T at his mahogany desk. Before lim, cringing as befitted one in the presence of majesty, was his secretary. Rousing himself from his dreams of genius, the G.T.M. spoke. “Gotta put on a new one,” he said, in the limpid conversational style for among other things, he was fa- “The Mercury’ll be empty a He had which mous. week from next Choosdey.” been to London. “Get Reveal to slap up some cos- Lots of stockings and plenty of You know th’ sorta stuff they fall for. Pick out about fifty peppy kids with neat ankles. And phone Sarah to come in and sign a contract for th’ lead. She can re-vamp that dance she did two years ago when th’ police closed th’ show in Chicago. “Syuatsky’s got a bedroom sweet in goll that oughta be a_ knockout. That'll do for the second act. You can dig up that old Roman bath set we used in ‘Cesar’s Lady Friend’ and slap it together for th’ first. Shoot in a plumber and his helper for some com- edy when th’ Roman dames are bathin’. You know. Then you oughta find a lotta harem sets at th’ ware- house. Pick out th’ one with th’ most doors for th’ third, That'll be about all, | guess. Score’s been attended to.” The secretary started to leave but was halted by the G.T.M.’s voice. tume back- Second Laborer: The Modern Version The Boss: Young man, have you ever been to college? Applicant for Position (in blushing apology): Er—well, yes, sir, 1 have—but it was only a small college and I “Forgot sumpin’,” the genius of pro- duction said. “You better look over summa them ol’ manuscripts sometime soon. Grab one of them, don’t matter which long’s it’s gotta few good gags in it. First Laborer: Are ye workin’, Joe? or so to let de cars pass. stayed only three months. “And change the title. Make it ‘She Did and She Didn't.’ “Rehearsals start to-morrow.” The door closed, and the Greatest Theatrical Manager slipped back into JJK.M,. his dreams, Sure. I got a dandy job fixin’ de trolley tracks. I have to quit every minute comicbooks.com