Life, 1926-05-20 · page 25 of 44
Life — May 20, 1926 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page reviews the play "Sex," which opened to scandal and critical dismissal. The author explains the play's unexpected success despite negative reviews calling it "cheap," "dull," and "vulgar." The satire targets both theatrical snobbery and public hypocrisy. Critics attacked the play harshly, yet audiences flocked to see it—proving the scandal itself sold tickets. Life mocks how agencies and society crowds now seek it out "for a lark," pretending moral superiority while chasing controversy. The author argues "Sex" is no more shocking than other plays that "graced the local boards," suggesting the outrage is manufactured. The jab at Filipinos' readiness for self-governance appears oddly placed, likely reflecting the magazine's era-typical casual racism. The cartoons (decorative vignettes) show theatrical life. Overall, the piece satirizes how American audiences and critics claim moral standards while eagerly consuming exactly what they publicly condemn.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
(| \WWNASS ~All About Sex fete ee unice a . O N the morning opening of re sisbere piclures ef ‘thai particul papers were brief and a pett ‘ifevas sax Lof it. “Cheap,” “dull,” “vulgar” an that you area : w of the descriptive adjectives used by t —panderer to public « oO ea matic critics who went ‘way up to Sixty- to must take y it. Things looked pretty black for a Mr. C. William lays and accept " tern, who had given himself the the d a. That night, there being nothing else to. wri thought that we might trek up to see “Sex, Il running after its castigation in the ina half-empty theatre, but there m “l moral notes that tr the th nd the € 7 gz people i ee eriormance of 1 ing in the g ‘al directic i Da 192¢ ught that Mr. C. William Mor Personally, we would much rather see an amate 1 ni. the: stocks | Ww containing tw es as “The Creaking Gorilla amore: atthe and “All-Star Cast” than ally mounted « at was more, of v thin: porrid, s ally by the t not complimentary passes, but good, gr Ms. In eae thar ¢ other we Sex,” one of the most banal of plays, was a moment { p whacking hit, solely because the papers had said ; vulg and “bold” and because some one had . : more action in attendin ink of its name ‘ ; ve-racking as they arc And we feel that the Filipinos aren't yet quite ready for ro a series let them govern themselves , g under heds and spec ferent kinds Of pansies in cidentally, the number in “B. Schmidt bathes in a pool of | the big revues next year HE sudden rush to sec x” is not confined to the canaille, The agencies are hot after tickets and each -purring limousines roll ith theatre parties of ] =} } purring limou up with theatre parti m= B55 gentry, out “just for a lark.” There m night s this sex busin a As a matter of fac more shocking and ¢ many people startling and no ainly no more reprehensible than a half-dozen others which have graced the local boards this winter, far as one can judge, it was written with no 1 “ongenue = comicbooks.com