Life, 1926-10-21 · page 17 of 44
Life — October 21, 1926 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The top cartoon** depicts a crowded theater scene labeled "The Gay Nineties," showing actors and theater folk from the 1890s before modern booking agencies existed. The caption notes that road companies touring "Uncle Tom's Cabin" traveled on "very thin ice"—likely satirizing the precarious financial conditions of theatrical touring companies during that era. **Below**, the "Iolanthe" piece mocks audience members at a Gilbert & Sullivan opera performance. It ridicules a distracted front-row patron ignoring the stage to focus on the orchestra, and includes snippy dialogue about another attendee's singing ability. The humor targets pretentious theater-goers and their affected behavior during performances.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Gay Nineties ACTOR FOLKS BEFORE THE DAYS OF BOOKING AGENCIES. THE ROAD COMPANIES OF “UNCLE TOM’S CABIN” OFTEN TRAVELLED ON VERY THIN ICE. At a Performance of “Tolanthe” ITE musical fiend in the first raw who ignores the stage entirely, reserving all his attention for the movements of the sunken orchestra, leaning back very, very patiently during the moments of spoken dialogue. -.The lady who buys the libretto during the inter- mission, having finally come to see the truth of her friends’ warning that you don’t always understand the words....“F’ Gawd’s sake, I thought this was a musical conedy or a revue or somethin’. What kinda crazy show is this?”...The fan who is attending for the fifth time starts humming each aria just before the actral music begins. ... The diaphanous, ethereal fairies, with shoes from I. Miller, who expend pounds of energy to appear blithesome and carefree....“I wonder how that Lord Chancellor can make himself so silly. The whole thing is rather childish, isn’t it?”...The balcony attendant who is kept in practically continuous hysterics by the chanted s and the chorused expressions of fecling....The ushers who hand out cards requesting the suggestion of another Gilbert-Sullivan opera to be performed and who receive about two dozen responses, this being the approximate number of attendants acquainted with the works of those collaborators. ... “That Phyllis girl certainly can sing, can't she?” “Sh-h-h, I’m trying to make out what she’s saying.”... Simonetta. Author’s Rights POLICE SERGEANT: That gunman has made a written confession. Captain: Already? Good work! “Not so good; he has it marked ‘Not for publication.’ ” comicbooks.com