Life, 1926-03-25 · page 22 of 40
Life — March 25, 1926 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page reviews a theatrical revival of *Cyrano de Bergerac*, likely by Brian Hooker's translation. The article discusses Walter Hampden's production of this classic French play. The text compares French and English versions of a key emotional scene, presenting two translations of the same moment where the dying Cyrano confesses his feelings. The reviewer praises the production's theatrical moments—particularly the famous duel with ballade accompaniment and the final act—as genuinely moving experiences. The piece concludes that *Cyrano* succeeds because it delivers authentic theatrical emotion ("sentiment") rather than relying on newfangled "symbolic drama" trends. The reviewer appears to be championing traditional romantic drama over modernist theatrical experimentation that was fashionable in the 1920s. The decorative illustrations are typical Life magazine ornaments, not political cartoons.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
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