Life, 1927-05-26 · page 23 of 39
Life — May 26, 1927 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a theater review and entertainment guide from Life magazine, circa mid-1920s. The main content catalogs Broadway shows and movies with brief, witty assessments—typical of Life's satirical theater criticism of the era. The cartoon below illustrates college life through two collegians. The first excitedly plans to attend movies, claiming he'll "step on it." The second, casually dropping a pill down his pants, says he'll "just swallow" his history lesson instead—a joke about academic cheating or shortcuts. The visual gag shows bottles labeled "English Lit," "Math," and "Latin" on a shelf, with "History" as a book, all referencing typical college subjects. The satire targets student laziness and the era's growing skepticism toward education's value. The 1927 date on the figure's sweater anchors this to the Jazz Age, when movies were revolutionizing entertainment and college culture was shifting away from traditional academics.
📄 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 The Barker. Biltmore—Human nature raising sgly head in a ballyhoo show. Satisfactory Hampden's—We seem to have a about this one of Walter Hamp- o le appear to like it. mes Stuare-Showing the’ slickest and ng method of robbing a store, in tase you're interested. ‘Tee Field God. Cort—Moderately effective by the author of the prize-winning “In énm Abral 's Bosom. The Ladder. Waldorf—As soon as they begin giving away automobiles at this show (which will fe any week now) it won't do you a bit of harm pis. Unless you already have an auto- le. The Mystery Ship. Comedy—Not so good. ¢ All. Greenwich Village—To be re- xt week—if at all. Cord. Golden—A highly inter- controversial play dealing with Laura Hope Crews heads an Every one ought melodrama if only to keep himself g shot in the next w Forty-Eighth St. Sex—such as Rits—Alice Brady and Lionel val of Bernstein's workmanlike hief. a revi “Triple Crossed. Morosco—Reviewed in this ssa The Wooden Kimono. Fulton—Crazy melo- drama, with quite a bit of real kick to it. Comedy and Things Like That Abie's Irish Rose. Republic—Pive years ago ths week this opened in New York. And yet are some people who think that we get our ment in an after-life. 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. Broadway. Broadhurst—Don't make any mistake about this melédrama. It's good. Chicago. Music Bor—Last weeks of one of the most timely and well-aimed satires we have ever seen on the stage. Burlesque but right. The Constant Wife. Maxine Elliott's—Ethel Barrymore in a light comedy made for Ethel Barrymore. The Devil in the Cheese. Plymouth—Pan- tastic comedy which occasionally is rather nice. He Loved the Ladies. Frolic—Reviewed in this issue. Her Cardboard Lover. — Empire—Prench comedy with one amusing act and Jeanne Eagels, assisted considerably by lie Howard. Julie. Lyceum—Reviewed in this issue. Katy Did. Daly’s—Reviewed in this issue. The Play's the Thing. Henry Miller's—Hol- brook Blinn and an excellent cast in a lightsome trifle by Molnar with one very funny scene and quite a bit of dirt. Right You Are If You Think You Are. Garrick =Entertainingly phony metaphysics from Signor Pirandello. The Road to Rome. Playhouse highly amusing interpretation of history, making Han- nibal a quite natural victim of Miss Jane Cowl's philosophy. Saturday's Children. Booth—Household cco- nomics made delightful, and several other theories made clear, by Ruth Gordon and associates in a very nice comedy. The Second Man. Guild—Alfred Lunt, Mar- galo Gillmore and Earle Larimore in a very smart drawing-room affair which has real distinction. . Klaw—Casual adultery, with Clai- borne Poster and Allan Dinehart ‘heading the cast. Tommy. Eltinge—Pleasant juvenile affairs. Two Girls Wanted. Little—Nice enough. ‘What Anne Brought Home. tWallack’s—Per- haps “a trifle” would be as good a description as any for this. LATIN LATE HISTORY LESSON, First Collegian: ster on 17, EppIE. FOR THE MOVIES, Second Collegian (dropping a pill down his pan): JUST A MINUTE WITILE 1 SWALLOW MY | SS “7 We'LL BE /| | Eye and Ear Entertainment The Circus Princess. Winter Garden—A great big Viennese operetta. with Georges Hassell and Bickel, and the Hannefords. The Cocoanuts. Century—Last week of the funniest family in town. Countess Maritza. Jolson—A good score. The Desert Song. Casino—One of the best of the year’s musical shows, with Vivienne Segal and Eddie Buzzell. Grand Street Follies. reviewed later. Hit the Deck. Belasco—Our Navy putintoa very amusing show. Louise Groody, Charles King and Stella Mayhew. Honeymoon Lane. Knickerbocker—One of the Neighborhood—To be season's biggest money-makers. With Eddie Dowling. Lady Do. Liberty—Not so hot. Lucky. | New Amsterdam—Mr. Dillingham's big expense for the yer with Walter “Skeets” Gallagher, Mary Eaton, and and Sawyer. A Night in Spain. Forty-Fourth St—Reviewed in this issue. Ob, Emest! Royale—Reviewed in this issue. Ob, Kay! — Imperial—Gertrude Lawrence assisted by Oscar Shaw and Victor Moore in a good way to spend an evening. Peggy-Ann. Vanderbili—One of the few dif- ferent musical shows, with nice music and Helen ‘ord. ween High. Ambassador—There now seems to be a very good chance this will run a year. Luella Gear, Prank McIntyre and Charles Ruggles. Rio Rita. Ziesfeld—Something nice for the eyes. Comedy by Ada May, Robert. Woolsey and Bert Wheeler. Scandals. A pollo—When this closes in June it will have run a year, and will have deserved to. comicbooks.com