Life, 1923-03-29 · page 25 of 40
Life — March 29, 1923 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a theater review page from Life magazine's "Confidential Guide" section, listing Broadway productions with brief critical assessments. The main illustration shows a piano recital or musical performance attended by an elegant audience. The reviews employ satirical wit typical of Life's style. For instance, the critic suggests "Abie's Irish Rose" (a popular play) has run so long that its success "explains why Hylan is Mayor of New York"—a dig at Mayor John Hylan's perceived mediocrity. Another review notes "The Fool" considers "Modern problems in the light of Christianity and with an eye for the box office," mocking the show's attempt to combine spirituality with commercial appeal. The bottom cartoon caption jokes about Italian immigrants, suggesting dated ethnic stereotypes common to the 1920s. Overall, this reflects Broadway's cultural dominance and Life's role as arbiter of theatrical taste for educated, urban readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Owing to the time it takes to print Lire, readers should verify from the daily newspapers the continuance of the attractions at the theatres mentioned. More or Less Serious The Adding Machine. Garrick.—To be re- viewed next week. The Fool. Times Square.—Modern_prob- ns_in the light of Christianity and with an eve for the box office. The God of Vengeance. Apollo.—The 1 y have stopped this by now and the il probably manage to stagger along ithout it. The Guilty One. xt_week. Hail and Farewell. Morosco.—Florence eed in the same old love tragedy, this time th a bustle on. Humoresque. Vanderbilt.—The rather salty ccipitation left after Fannie Hurst had ured off a short story and a movie. Laurette ylor gives it distinction. The Last Warning. Klaw.—The mystery »w of the season. The Love Child. George M. Cohan's— f with all the fixings. Loyalties. Gait It would be hard to da better combination of acting and play- iting in town, The Masked Woman. lacKellar saved from outrage Selwyn.—To be reviewed Eltinge.—Helen by Lowell Sierman’s weak heart. The Moscow Art Theatre. Fift: Real acting—in Russian. Pasteur. Empire—To be reviewed next Ninth St. Peer Gynt. Shubert.—Pagtic drama_ with casional thrilling moments and — Joseph ~childkraut as the hero. Rain. Maxine Elliott’s.—A smashing attack ‘several things not commonly mentioned, canne Eagels commanding. Should- not be Romeo and Juliet. owl charming as Juliet. Seventh Heaven. Booth.—Proving the ramatic value of a whip and an off-stage endering of the Marseillaise. Comedy and Things Like That Abie’s Irish Rose. Republic.—The fact at there are enough people in New York to eep this going ten months explains why Hylan is Mayor of New York. Anything Might Happen. Comedy.—A clightful cast performing the supposedly mpossible operation on a sow’s ear. Barnum Was Right. Frazee.—To be re- viewed next week. The Comedian. next week. Give and Take. Forty-Ninth St.—Bur- lesque-wheel version of the Capital and Labor problem, without the chorus girls to make it arable. Icebound. Sam H. Harris.—Ordinary New England drama, made extraordinary by the acting. Kiki. Belasco—We are _going to run out i comments long before Lenore Ulric and this play run out of patrons. The Laughing Lady. Longacre.—Ethel Barrymore as Ethel Barrymore. The Love Habit. Bijou.—To be reviewed next week, The Love Set. viewed later. Mary the 3rd. Thirty-Ninth St.—The new idea in marriage stated in pleasant terms which can offend no one. Merton of the Movies. Cort.—Glenn Hunter as the heart-breaking comedian who thought he was a hero. The Old Soak. Plymouth—The usual heart-interest, with an unusual character, Papa Joe. Princess.—Pretty bad, Henry Miller's.—Jane Lyceum.—To be reviewed Punch and Judy.—To be re- Polly Preferred. Little.—Another movie play, entertaining if unimportant. So This Is London! Hudson.—Loud-needle satire on Americans and English. The Sporting Thing to Do. Ritz.—Emily Stevens in a play about three miles beneath her. Why Not? Forty-Eighth St.—Dialogue on divorce which will appeal to ail those who have been through high-school. You and I. Belmont.—An excellent cast in a self-conscious but amusing play. Eye and Ear Entertainment Better Times. Hippodrome —Write to your congressman and keep this institution from being torn down. What would you do with the children during vacations without it? Caroline. Ambassador.—Good music, if that’s all you want. The Clinging Vine. Knickerbocker.— Peggy Wood in a very nice show. The Dancing Girl. Winter Garden.—The runway has been taken out, Otherwise as usual, The Gingham Girl. Carroll.— Pleasant. Go-Go. Daly's.—To be reviewed next week. Jack and Jill, Globe.—To later. Lady Butterfly. Astor—Maybe Johnny Dooley has made it better than when we Saw it. The Lady in Ermine. Century.—One of those spectacular ones. Little Nellie Kelly. show. Eart be reviewed Liberty.—Cohan speed Liza. Nora Bayes—Negrocs in a riot of g and dancing. Music Box Revue. Music Bor—Lots of gold and silver, with Bobby Clark furnishing the comedy. Sally, Irene and Mary. Forty-Fourth St— Still going from last summer. Up She Goes. Playhouse—Tuneful and generally pleasing. Wildflower. Casino.—Delightful music. _ Ziegfeld Follies. » Amsterdam.—The Follies—that’s all that’s necessary. BASKERVILLE_ +3.D Enthusiast: She’s a past mistress of legato. Dowager: Dear me, those fickle Italians comicbooks.com