Life, 1925-11-12 · page 12 of 41
Life — November 12, 1925 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines a poem about cinema ("Cinema") with a satirical cartoon titled "The Gay Nineties." The cartoon depicts what appears to be street children or urchins examining a movie poster advertising "Holt's A Texas Steer" while a well-dressed woman observes from the left. A dog is also present. The satire appears to target the contrast between refined society (represented by the elegant woman) and lower-class street youth fascinated by popular Western films. The caption mentions "lively trading on the curb to-day among collectors of cigarette 'pitchers'" and references to trading Lillian Russell cards. The cartoon likely satirizes both the emerging mass appeal of cinema to working-class audiences and the commodification of entertainment through cigarette card collecting—a popular practice of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
© LAP + Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae Sub Regno Cinema (With Apologies to Ernest Dowson) AST night, ah, yesternight, betwixt her text and mine I have adapted, Cinema! wrote like the wind, [° There fell thy shadow, Cinema! thy breath was shed Flung titles, titles riotously to the throng, Upon my soul between cach classic line; Panting to put thy sillies in the public mind; I rewrote “Middlemarch” and called it “Passion,” I rewrote “Cranford” and I called it “Passion,” Yea, I was desperate to earn my bread. Selling the chef d’cuvre for a pretty song I have been faithful to thee, Cincma! in my fashion. I have been faithful to thee, Cinema! in my fashion, All night my trusty typewriter I beat, I cried for madder hokum and for stronger brine, Night-long within my power the brave tale lay; I had the husband triumph and the cad expire; Surely the continuity I wrought was sweet; Hail to thy shadow, Cinema! the night is thine; I rewrote “Ivanhoe” and called it “Passion.” I rewrote “Mother Goose” and called it “Passion, (A workman should be worthy of his pay.) And literally set the mob on fire: I have been faithful to thee, Cinema! in my fashion. I have been faithful to thee, Cinema! in my fashion. Henry William Hanema: 9 {) mrss _ Ui lS Te THE GAY NINETIES Business Item—"tivELY TRADING ON THE CURB TO-DAY AMONG COLLECTORS OF CIGARETTE ‘PITCHERS.’ OFFERS OF TWO LILLIAN RUSSELLS FOR A DELLA FOX HAVE BEEN REPORTED MADE AND REFUSED. comicbooks.com