Life, 1926-05-20 · page 5 of 44
Life — May 20, 1926 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains nostalgic commentary about early cinema ("Do You Remember") and includes a warning to theater ushers about patron behavior. The left column recalls silent film conventions: tinted film stock, orchestral accompaniment, famous early actors (Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Lillian Gish), and technical innovations like subtitles and night-effect cinematography. The central illustration shows two women on a film set with camera equipment, accompanying dialogue about movie extras and behind-the-scenes practices. "A Warning to Ushers" (right column) humorously addresses theater staff about maintaining decorum—restraining parquet seating, preventing bag-rustling during screenings, and discouraging latecomers from disrupting shows. The two dialogue captions at bottom feature women exchanging witty remarks about film production and romantic plot devices, typical of Life's satirical commentary on contemporary entertainment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
may 181926 ‘ > C1B700720 Do You Remember — HEN all picture theatres were W called “nickelodeons” and had a barker out in front to shout the virtues of the current attrac- tions, inveigle pas- sersby to the ticket window and assure them that a new show was just beginning ? When every pro- gram consisted of “a drama, a com- West- When the model theatre orchestra was composed of piano and drums, playing waltzes for the dramas, “Chey- enne nd “Idaho” for t Westerns and ragtime for the com When every comedy er a chase, and every chase ended in a pond, with the old maid getting the 2 When John Bunny was the plutocrat of the profession at $150 a week? When Maurice Costello was the un- rivaled idol of the screen? When the Biograph Company shielded the identity of all its players? When Biograph, Vitagraph, Edison, Lubin, Pathé, Selig and FE y were the leading “film manufacturers” ? When such classics as “A Blot the ‘Scutcheon,” “Pippa Pa a “As You Like It” were compressed i one reel? When breathless film fans went every week to sce certain pairs, such as Earle Williams and Anita Stewart, Arthur Johnson and Lottie Briscoc, Mary Pick- ford and Owen Moore? When Lionel Barrymore played sec- ondary réles in the Biograph one-reelers? When Kathlyn Williams and Pearl White started the serial craze? When every emotional crisis was the signal for somebody to turn to the amera and say “My God!"? When an actor always walked down in front of the camera to read a letter? When all action was paralyzed for a few seconds at the point where a subtitle was to inserted? When night effects were obtai by the simple device of tinting the Av Life A Warming to sce without t . udible title bearing heroine Talmadge, ¢ and, Blanche — freshment, weet the looking under all dule? When Lottie Pickford was a ri- val of Sister Mary THE BLACK PIRATE Flo La Badie, Lillian Walker, Storey, Carlyle Blackwell and Mary Fuller drew nickels into the box office? If so, dear reader, you qu 1 genuine first-water movie honor won through self-flagell. ever one was J. Mang First Extra: Yes, DEARIF, IRVING THALBERG PRACTIC'LY THE PART OF VENUS IN THAT DREAM SEQUENCE IN D THEN THE RESEARCH EDITOR OR WHATEVER YOU AND SAYS: “SHE CAN'T PLAY VENUS—SHE’S GOT A VACCIN HER ARM.” CAN YOU BEAT IT? Second Extra: 11 JUST PROVES WHAT IT ALWAYS SAY, HONE HIGHBROWS IS GOLN’ TO RUIN THE PICTURE GAM to Ushers But to Return comicbooks.com