Life, 1926-03-04 · page 23 of 40
Life — March 4, 1926 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a theater review page from *Life* magazine discussing three Broadway productions: *Red Meat*, *The Shanghai Gesture*, and *Lulu Belle*. The critic argues that Broadway has honestly confronted sex differences and gender roles through drama. *The Shanghai Gesture* depicts commercial sex in Chinese markets without sanitizing details. *Lulu Belle* dramatizes the "degradation" of a Black music-hall performer—the reviewer notes it's "stark" but necessary theater. The page celebrates theatrical realism over sentimentality. It praises producer David Belasco's casting choices and argues that successful plays needn't feature only sympathetic heroines. References to *The Great Gatsby* and *The Detour* suggest the critic values fidelity to source material and psychological complexity. The small cartoon illustrations appear decorative rather than satirical—they accompany theatrical discussion without making specific political points. The overall tone celebrates serious drama addressing previously taboo subjects.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Red Meat ERE can be no question about it, life ¢ "Tito side. And we, in the theatre, m willy (By the way, ever became of that Willy Pogany case?) Broadway in the past few weeks has met the situation squarely. The es have its nce concert sex. mat- ters which has existed for so long has been broken and at last we know where we st There is a differe a between the sexes and the groups are called “male” and “female.” Mr. Woods has chosen to bring the me with “The Shanghai Gestu “Lulu Belle.” The meth peep-show and the panorama. IX “The Shanghai Gesture” we see the various phases of commercial love on the Chinese curb market. Practically nothing is spared and one wonders if, after all just an animal. (We must t at matter up for cussion sometime.) The motif of the play age in one form Mr. Relasco in another with respectively those of the re wronged woman's vengeance, and as every one in the world likes to hear some one else get a g out, the scene in which Florence Reed makes the g: from which the play derives its name—if you could call a laying-about with - and left-h W a gesture sure to draw out trem applause »oks to the j vicious righ is pretty send audiences away in considerable of a twitter The thing begins to assume just a touch of a stunt wi the Britisher who was to blame for erytlh finds th. inmate of Moth not only has he oni ich is certainly Nemesis 1's position is a act that McKay ys the role, wears a dress-suit which is just Goddam’s establishment, running wild. The tragedy of the Brit little lightened Morri: a teenty However, “The Shang sets out to do, and co: buy. for the audience by the who weenty bit large for him ai Gesture” accomplishes what it equently seats are very —_— & —— N “Lulu Belle,” by Edward Sheldon and Charles Mac- Arthur, we are offered four large and sumptuo episodes in the life of a colored music-hall girl, involving the dragging down and down of what was barber. The th pandering to the ¢ ce a respes all too stark to be under suspicion of gis cur element (with the poss tion of one low come are moments when it strikes of things. Mr. Belasco t © producer nore L pernatural casting director for the by some s ing s. “Lulu Belle” may not be the kind of like to see in the ‘atre, but you are ur to sce it and it isn’t g V HATEVER sins Owen his one k dred and tw t to h be reme make his he nd that he kept his always bere heroine in “The Det ‘atshy a perfect rep! vel. More ch Te The Great with a fidelity seldom 1p e himself in the ca the a of the hero t playwrights thar tent atsby” Brady, of lucers to pt has outd the happy-ending superstit your heroine must be a sympathetic character perhaps the fact that a play is a Leave "Em." fired way to ¢ A. Weaver have mad dep clerks w urtain, e are several scene gem in its way is due to the ' Johns and Donald Meek and the rest of an ex comicbooks.com