Life, 1927-06-02 · page 27 of 46
Life — June 2, 1927 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two main elements: a theatrical review section and a satirical dialogue piece titled "The Language of Flirts." ## The Cartoon The single cartoon depicts a flirtatious exchange at what appears to be a haberdashery or clothing shop. A man asks for "a pair of B.V.D.'s" (a brand of men's underwear), while the female shopkeeper responds "Number, please?" with a suggestive tone. The humor plays on double entendre—her innocent professional question ("What size?") is treated as if she's making a flirtatious comeback, implying coded romantic language or innuendo. ## "The Language of Flirts" Dialogue This mock-serious piece satirizes modern courtship rituals among young people. The grandmother warns that flirting has evolved from Victorian subtlety (the "language of flowers") to crude physical signals—specifically, the granddaughter's revelation that "we signal with our knees." The satire mocks both changing social mores and the gap between generations' understanding of romance and propriety. Both elements humorously capture 1920s anxieties about shifting courtship customs.
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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. More or Less Serious Biltmore—Love and hate behind a sideshow, with Walter Huston A generally satis- The Barker. the scenes ¢ bearing the brunt of things. factory evening. chi. Hampden's—Walter Hampden acting out Browning's “The Ring and Times Square—A fairly ordinary crook play enlivened by one very exciting robbery. The Field God. Cor!—Reviewed in this issue, The Ladder. Welded —A pay about reincar- which has already died and must now be nd or third fife—at considerable ex- producer. The Mystery Ship. Comedy—One of the worst. The Spider. Forty-Sixth St—A cleverly con- trived murder mystery which you ought to see. Spread Eagle. Martin Beck—A satirical melo- drama which exposes some of the ways in which We the People can be kndded. all. Forty-Eighth St.—Considerable nt talk about the sex appeal of a gypsy The Thief. Rits—Alice Brady and Lionel ina which is well made but no longer Triple Crossed. wh Morosco—Another crime melo- h the audience doesn't know where ‘he Spider” gone crazy. The Wooden Kimono. Fulton—Productive of a series of fairly loud screams from susceptible patrons, Comedy and Things Like That "s Irish Rose. pipette j “AU rish Now in. this Abie’s I ose” let's everybody y quietly and not fool. There has fooling Broadway. entertainment. The Constant Wife. Maxine Elliott's —A comedy built for Ethel Barrymore. : Her Cardboard Lover. — Empire—Jeanne Eagels, more than assisted by Leslie Howard. in a Prench bit which has a few amusing moments. Mr. Pim Passes By. Garrick—Laura Hope Crews in Milne’s very nice trifle. The Play's the Thing. Henry Miller's—Hol- brook Blinn and an excellent company showing what you can get away with provided you do it nicely and funnily. Pygmalion. Guild—Shaw's comedy in a highly successful revival. The Road to Rome. Playhouse—Jane Cow! showing very conclusively that Hannibal would have been a fool to do anything different from what he did. Saturday's Children. Booth—Ruth Gordon in a little play about young married life which, be- hind a pleasant exterior, packs a great deal of wisdom. _ Thurston, the Magician. Central—Reviewed in this issue. Tommy. Fltinge—Nice and clean, Two Girls Wanted. Litil—Clean and nice. Broadhurst—Entertainment that is Eye and Ear Entertainment The Circus Princess. Winter Garden—A big show, containing a real circus including the Hannefords, Also George Hassell. The Desert Song. Casino—Vivienne Segal and Eddie Buzzell in one of the season's best. Grand Street Follies. Neighborhood—To be reviewed next week. Hit the Deck. Belasco—Excellent_ musical comedy, with Louise Groody, Charles King and Stella Mayhew. He: aive She: ME A PAIR OF B. V. D’S, NUMBER, PLEASE? He: witisive 1830, Honeymoon Lane, Knickerbocker—Good enough to amuse a great many people and to make Eddie Dowling rich. Lady Do. Liberty—One of the weaker sisters. Merry-Go-Round. Klaw—To be reviewed later. A Night in Spain. Forty-Fourth St—What with one thing and another, meaning Phil Baker and Tom Healy, an evening's entertainment. Oh, Kay! Jmperial—Smart musical comedy. grith Gertrude Lawrence, Victor Moore and Oscat Shaw. Patience. Masque—To be reviewed next week. Peggy-Ann. Vanderbili—Helen Pord in a show which has not only nice music but something new in books. Queen High. Ambassador—The dean. Rio Rita. Ziegfeld—A beautiful show to look at, with comedy from Ada May, Robert Woolsey and Bert Wheeler. Ruddigore. Cosmopolitan—To be next week. Scandals. A pollo—Last two weeks of George White's master-revue. reviewed The Language of Flirts (A Dialogue) Grandmother speaks: “CAIRLS will always be girls, my dear. I do not agree with those who fear For modern youth. A natural thing It is for youth to have its fling. I'll tell you a secret. Years ago We used to flirt with our kerchiefs— so. A little wave of a square of lace, Or raised, just so, to a blushing face, Would flash a message to watchful eyes. And you, I’m sure, it will not sur- prise To hear of a ‘Language of Flowers’ book. The boldest among us girls would look To find the meaning of posies gay When worn in just a certain way. And so, I am tolerant, my dear, When tales of modern youth I hear. No doubt girls now have signs like these— Granddaughter speaks: “Oh, yes; we signal with our knees. AH. F. Fame RAWFORD: So his singing teachers gave him great encour- agement? Crassuaw: Wonderful. They as- sured him that in a few years he'd be writing cigarette ads. comicbooks.com