Life — October 30, 1924 — page 33: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Broadcastings (Continued from page 22) ist enough mileage on the speedometer to make it work its highest efficiency. Finally, there is the proprietor { the New York City apartment hotel. This anomalous tablishment which is neither an apartment house nor a tel is supposed to provide shelter for people who want privacy of a home without its responsibility. Its proprietor will rent suites only by the year, in the ifident expectation that his guests will be away from ew York during the entire summer and thus will waste least four months of the demised term, but there his proval of conspicuous honorific waste ends. In his res- rant he is a stern advocate of nothing whatever being t on the side of the plate, and he insures this result making the portions of food so small that in ordering la carte the guest will rise from the table without a ise of repletion after consuming soup, fish, entrée, roast, lad and dessert. If the guest wants to leave anything the side of his plate, he must have an exceptionally tricted appetite or practice the utmost self-denial. One shs for the day of the old Fifth Avenue Hotel, with bountiful table d’hote and its generous management, which was glad to make a reduction to guests who rented ir quarters by the month. At least, I sigh for it. I'm ing in a New York City apartment hotel. eee | am not by way of precisely thanking God that I am t a dramatic critic, but it is a profession to be avoided, ertheless. These poor perplexed gentlemen at this sea- 1 of the year are called upon nightly to decide, between time the final curtain of a new play falls and the or their newspaper goes to press, whether they have 1 a failure or a success. They must also praise, blame, nire and condemn in the bitter consciousness that what v praise and admire, it is an even chance the public will me and condemn. Add to this the number of friend- ps they have with authors and actors, and you will that their task is hardly to be supported in Pro- ition days. Nevertheless, I think some of them make a bit harder by being too conscientious. No one goes » far as to advocate that they should praise everything ther it be written by a friend or a stranger, but it cms to me that in one or two critical notices of plays have seen lately, I have detected a little too much xiety on the part of dramatic critics not to praise the rk of their friends. “Minick,” by Edna Ferber and George S. Kaufman,— <e the word of a number of qualified critics for it, as idenced by their writings—is an excellent character medy of American life. One of the most indurated atregoers I have ever seen in the mirror when shaving t in a front-row seat on the opening night, and, although knows what he likes theatrically and hardly likes any- thing, he liked “Minick” exceedingly. What, therefore, as his surprise to read in his two favorite newspapers e following morning adverse criticisms of a charming cd most entertaining play, and how quickly that surprise ianged to understanding when he reflected that those Iverse criticisms were written by friends of the authors. ot for one moment do I doubt the entire sincerity of ese two critics, but I believe that their judgment in this stance was affected by a sense of public duty as unbe- evably high as the situation of the man in Frank Adams’ tory who had a scar on his forehead. When asked how got it, he said that he bit himself. ‘And how could you bite yourself on your forehead?” somebody asked him. “Well,” he replied, “I stood on a chair.” (Eprtor’s Note: Mr. Glass’s delightful observations, under the heading, “Broadcastings,” ull appear frequently s Lire from now on.) Madison Avenue at 47th Street NEW YORK Confections Breakfast—Luncheon—Tea MEN'S LUNCHEON SERVICE 47th Street Entrance No Bores Admitted! True to its name, THE FORUM is a medium for the free expression of opinion. Only bores are denied its hospitality. FORUM contributors have something to say, and they must say it briefly and entertainingly. A FORUM reader is an umpire, impartially watching both sides battle for the truth, and drawing his own conclusions. THE FORUM A Magazine of Discussion Edited by Henry Goddard Leach is stimulating and vital, well-bred but high-strung, —a swiftly moving review in contrast to the cart: horse variety of magazine. It is well-informed, witty, forward-looking, and fair-minded, THE FORUM is making a definite effort to encourage the writing of fiction which shall have more than passing value. An unusually excellent short story is a feature of every issue. The serial novel is chosen because of its true literary crafts: manship. A Special Introductory Offer THE FORUM is on sale at all newsstands at 3Sc per copy. _ You may have the next four issues, commencing with that for November, at the special introductory price of $1.00. This coupon works without the “dotted line”! THE FORUM 247 Park Ave New York, N Please send rs aoe FORUM for four months at tbe special price of Name Address City comicbooks.com