Life, 1927-03-03 · page 20 of 35
Life — March 3, 1927 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a theater review page from Life magazine's "Confidential Guide" section, cataloging Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. The content is entirely theatrical criticism—not political satire. The cartoon shows a coffin labeled "Hersfield's" with a single protruding leg, captioned "The Scotch Undertaker Buries a Man with One Leg." This is a simple visual gag playing on Scottish stereotypes about frugality: the undertaker apparently charges per limb, so he buries the man incompletely to save costs. The reviews themselves are brief, sardonic capsules of contemporary plays (many now forgotten). Notable productions reviewed include *Abie's Irish Rose*, *The Constant Nymph*, and *In Abraham's Bosom*—the latter noted as potential Pulitzer material. The tone is witty dismissal: *Sex* at Daly's "should be closed on the ground of dullness"; *Chicago* is "a delightfully bitter crack." The page reflects 1920s theater culture and Life's role as entertainment arbiter for educated readers.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
More or Less Serious __ An American Tragedy. Longacre—Something in words of one syllable for beginners in the course on Pacts of Life. The Barker. Biltmore—The worries of ci folk made into an interesting play, well done a cast headed by Walter Huston. The Brothers Karamazov. lent presentation several Russians. and Clare Eames. by Guild—An excel. troubles of ynn Pontanne , Caponsacchi. Hampden’s—Walter Hampden in authentic costumes, Civic Repertory Theatre. Le Gallienne and company making attempt to do the right thing in the right way The Constant Nymph. C with ina sensitive and hly pot owing to erself. el dealt factory t. 's having done it Fog. National—A_metodram scenic arrangements than suspense. Honor Be Damned! this issue, with more Morosco—Reviewed in In Abraham's Bosom. Garrick—This story of a Negro’s hard luck is being seriously considered for the Pulitzer Prize, whatever that means. Laboratory Theatre. (East $8th St.)—Reviewed in this issue. The Ladder. 'Waldorf—A singularly uncon. vincing presentation of the theory of reincar- nation, done in an claborate manner. _ Lady Alone. Forrest—Alice Brady excellent in a sad little play about a sad little lady. Lulu Belle. Belasco—The apparently endless primrose path of a colored fille de joie. Lenore Iric pursued by Henry Hull. The Noose. Hudson—Regulation metodram Res Cherryman a chance to dist £ Pinwheel. Neighborhood — Perhaps they're laying “The Dybbuk” this week. We don’t now. Puppets of Passion. viewed later. The Scarlet Lily. Comedy—A fairly thin mixture, dealing with post-war matrimony. Sex. Daly's—This should be closed on the ground of dullness. The Silver Cord. John Golden— esting problem, invo! most predatory fe Margalo Gillmore and The Squall. Forty ubiquitous head in a Window Panes. later. Masque—To be re- Laura Hope izabeth Risdon. ighth St.—Sex rearing its panish family. Mansfield—To be reviewed Comedy and Things Like That Abie’s Irish Rose. that cough! Broadway. Broadhurst—A play about back- stage night life that ought to please everybody and, in fact, does. Chicago. Music Box—A delightfully bitter crack at several of our national traits, done with the broad side of a stick. Francine Larrimore heads the cast. The Constant Wife. Maxine Elliott's—Ex- cellent material for Ethel Barrymore's deft comedy sense. The Devil in the Cheese. Republic—Take care of Charles Hopkins —Fantasy which gets across oftener than not. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. june Walker as the renowned Blonde, wit! Owing to the time it takes to print Lire, readers should verify from the daily newspapers the continuance of the attractions at the theatres mentioned. libbard making the renowned wise-cracks. A Lady in Love. Lyceum—With Peggy Wood. To be reviewed later. Lally. Sanger. New York Exchange. @ young man should do when a matron offers to pay for his singing lessons. The Night Hawk. Frotic—Carroll McComas as the lady who had her youth put back where it An interesting idea. The Play’s the Thing. very funny scenes in an otherwise thin Molnar opus, with Holbrook Blinn heading an excellent belonged. cast. The Road to Rome. doing splendidly in an argument with Hannibal (Philip Merivale) over the comparative merits of the sack of Rome and his peace of mind Greenwich Village “The Constant Nymph,” dealing with another A tangent fro ‘What Forty. Ninth St- Not very important. Playhouse—Jane Cowl (among other things). Saturda: bride. Sinner. Children. ing more than that. Klaw—Rev The Strawberry Blonde. wed in this issue. farce dealing with peripatetic parenthood. Tommy. Gaiety—Pleasantly clean. Trelawny of the ‘‘Wells.” An. all-star (really) favorite, and very nice, too. production of the old the solid gold cast. Two Girls Wanted. What Anne Brought Home. be reviewed later. The Wooden Kimono. Litth—Fair cnough. house melodrama. THE scoTcH MAN UNDERTAKER BURIES A WITH ONE LEG. Times Square— Edna Henry Miller's—Some Booth—A very nice play bout young married folk which fools you by Ruth Gordon as the Bijou—Elementary New Amsterdam John Drew heads Wallack's—To Martin Beck—Rough- Eye and Ear Entertainment Bye, Bye, Bonnie, —_Rits—Past-moving and funny enough if you laugh easily. Countess Maritza. Forty-Fourth St—An claborate production for a high-grade Viennese score. Criss-Cross. Globe—Pred Stone, with family, in a typical Pred Stone-with-family show. The Desert Song. Casino—Good all-arow musical comedy, with Vivienne Segal and E¢ Buzzell. den—You can snv Gay Paree. Winter ; e. here, too, besides seeing Chic S Honeymoon Lane. —_ Knickerbocker—Eddic Dowling pleasing a great many people for a great many weeks. I Told You So. Forty-Sixth St.—Sam Bernard is Sam Bernard, anyway. Judy. Royale—Queenie Smith carrying a show, The Nightingale. Jolson—Pairly tepid story with Eleanor Painter singing pleasantly. Oh, Kay! — Imperial—Gertrude Lawrence doing very nicely, thank you. Peggy-Ann. Vanderbilt—Helen Pord and others singing some of the prettiest music in tow The Pirates of Penzance. /lymouth—Gilbert and Sullivan, kindness of Winthrop Ames. On Thursday nights “Iolanthe.” ween High. Ambassador—Among the best, with Luella Gear, Prank McIntyre and Charles Ruggles. The Ramblers. [.yric—Considerable laughter as the result of Clark and McCullough, Rio Rita. Ziegseld. a new theatre. Com Woolsey and Bert W ~An auspicious opener for ody from Ada May, Robert celer. Rose-Marie. Century—You tell us what it is like. Scandals. A pollo—George White's big enter- tainment for your money. Twinkle, Twinkle. Liberty—Joc Brown fur- nishing some laughs. Vanities. Earl Carroll—A new edition; to be reviewed later. Yours Truly. Shuberi—Leon Errol in a beau- tiful show to oo at and not so bad to hear. Modern Music UNT DINAH’S Necking Party. The Old Folks at the Night Club. Massa’s in the Cold, Cold Cellar. The Last Drink of Summer. The End of a Perfect Jag. Sweet and Low Cut. My Old Kentucky Speakeasy. After the Highball. Bring Back My Hubby to Me. Old Blackjack. Naughty Adeline. Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes, Champagne, Gin, Rye, etc. Lawson Paynter. C to I rush “eat four like we mat ext sho comicbooks.com