Life, 1922-05-25 · page 21 of 34
Life — May 25, 1922 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is a **theater review guide** from Life magazine's "Confidential Guide" section, listing Broadway shows with brief critical assessments. It's organized by category: "More or Less Serious," "Comedy and Things Like That," and "Eye and Ear Entertainment." The reviews use witty, dismissive humor typical of 1920s theater criticism. For example, *Bulldog Drummond* has "everything a melodrama should have, multiplied by six" (excess as criticism), while *The Night Call* is a "mystery play, the mystery being why it was ever produced" (it shouldn't exist). The right side features a **sequential comic strip** labeled "True Love in Spain," showing a dog attempting increasingly absurd rescue methods to reach a woman in a tower—a visual gag on romantic melodrama clichés. The page reflects Jazz Age Broadway culture, listing contemporary actors (Frances White, Doris Keane, Frank Craven) and venues. Most reviews assume audience familiarity with theatrical conventions, making gentle fun of predictable plots and "regulation musical comedy stuff."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
More or Less Serious The Bat. Morosco.—The dean of thrillers. Bulldog Drummond. Knickerbocker.—Every- thing that a melodrama should have, multiplied by six. The Cat and the Canary. National.—Glorious- ly creepy, giving opportunity for holding hands with your veighbor just for human contacts sake. The Charlatan. Times Square—Mutder mys- tery starting in a magician’s cabinet. Fanny Hawthorn. Vanderbilt—To be re viewed later. The Hairy Ape. Plymouth.—A powerful in- dictment of society by Eugene O'Neill. He Who Gets Slapped. Fulton.--Andreyev’s beautiful tragedy of the circus, effectively done. The Hindu. Comedy.—Oriental melodrama, with Walker Whiteside very sinister. Lawful Larceny. Republic.—Showing that un- important material can be made into an interest- ing play, elped out by a good cast. | Montmartre. Nora Bayes.—-Something from I) France. The Nest. Forty-Eighth St.—A poignant drama of that much-heralded emotion, Mother Love, splendidly acted, The Night Call. Frazee.—Mystery play, the I mystery being why it was ever produced. The Red Geranium. Princess—To be re- } viewed 1 week, The Shadow. Klaw.—Rustic English drama, good if you are not in a hurry. Comedy and Things Like That The Advertising of Kate. Ri this iss! Bronx Express. crudely handled. Captain Applejack. Cort.—Delightful roman- e, with Wallace Eddinger and Mary Reviewed in Astor.—An excellent idea The Czarina, Empire—Doris Keane as the charmingly promiscuous Empress of Russia. The Demi-Virgin. Eltinge—Just what it sounds like. The Dover Road. Bijou.—Entertaining En- glish comedy, with Charles Cherry and an excel- lent cast The First Year. Little—A classic of Ameri- can home-life, by and with Frank Craven. The French Doll. Lyceum.—Regulation play on marrying for money, acted in expert manner by Irene Bordoni and others. The Goldfish. Maxine Elliott's —Marjorie Rambea: and Wilton Lackaye in a mélange of comedy stunts, some of which are amusing. Kiki. Selasco—A startling character study of a cocette by Lenore Ulric. Partners Again. Selwyn.—Potash and Perl- mutter lack, Gott sei dank. The Rubicon. Hudson.—Great nudging for those who like it. Six-Cylinder Love. Sam H. Harris—Ernest Truex and June Walker in a hilarious ride through the ‘suburbs. To the Ladies! Liberty.—Helen Hayes and Otto Kruger in a play which has wonderful Stire mixed with good amusing home-stuff. The Truth About Blayds. Booth.—A. A. Milne’s latest and most sensible comedy, very well done, Up the Ladder. okum. What the Public Wants. viewed next week. Playhouse —Ordinary clean Garrick.—To be re- Owing to the time it takes to print Lire, readers should verify from the daily news- papers the continuance of the attractions at the theatres mentioned. The Hotel Mouse. sings. Make It Shubert—Frances White Eye and Ear Entertainment Blossom Time. Ambassador.—For those who ‘ira = still like to hear good music. Snappy. Winter Garden. ie : 7 Cantor very funny in his native tongue. Cleve- The Blue Kitten. Earl Carroll—Jdseph Caw- jand Bronner ballet. thorn and Lillian Lorraine in regulation musical “‘Marjolaine. Broadhurst-—Pleasant musical comedy stuff. The Blushing Bride. Forty-Fourth St.—Cecil Lean and Cleo Mayfield also in regulation musi- cal comedy stuff. Chauve Souris. version of “‘Pomander Walk. The Music Box Revue. Music Box.—A model for all future revues. The Perfect Fool. George M. Cohan's.—Ed Forty-Ninth St.—Russian artists in pleasing and naive vaudeville. Wynn in a fever of needless apprehension over i 5 is his show For Goodness Sake! Lyric.—The Astaires dancing makes it good. The Rose of Stamboul.. Century.—Tessa Kosta and James Barton in a spectacular and tuneful comic opera. Tangerine. Casino.—Julia Sanderson at her sweetest. Go Easy Mabel! issue. Good Morning Dearie. around musical comedy. Longacre.—Reviewed in this Globe.—Excellent all- True love in Spain comicbooks.com