Life, 1928-10-05 · page 15 of 48
Life — October 5, 1928 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The main cartoon depicts a naval officer (identified by uniform and cap) being asked to direct someone to "the billiard room," a humorous non sequitur. The accompanying text mocks theater critic Gus Edwards and Broadway's "Uncle" (likely a theater figure), praising Edwards for his blunt honesty in dismissing bad performances. The "Little Rambles with Serious Thinkers" section features philosophical quotes from various figures about sex, loyalty, writing, and public taste—typical of Life's satirical approach to intellectual pretension. The bottom section, "Laudator Temporis Movie," sarcastically praises silent films, arguing that silence is preferable to hearing actors speak—a common 1920s joke about early sound technology's awkwardness. The sculptor illustration appears unrelated to the text above it.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
13 - “Pardon me, Cap'n—could you direct me to the billiard room?” fully acquainted with this lousy com- munity between Times Square and Co- humbus Circle (cries of “If you don’t like it, then why don’t you go back where you ame from?” and so forth), but I offer lew Brown's lyric which “Scandals” some time ago in rebuttal. There was lyric, Willard! Ah me, a lyric I wish Thad written because those sentiments always were mine. In but a few lines, Brown summed up the whole racket. Get aload of it: “Broadway, Broadway, where there's a crowd lauding you, applauding you—when you're on top. The same cowd hissing you—dismissing you— when you're a flop!” And believe me— sis a merciless truth. But Gus Edwards tus beaten the old street, anyhow. He has delivered just when the old Stem was aout to give him a fast count, the go-by, the freeze, the chill, the limp mitt—all of dp Stich, as you probably gather, is not Rumanian for high-hat. Three big whoopees for good old Gus, vho still is a kid and who has the dis- tinction of never squawking in his long and notable career on Broadway, where most of us whimper or holler “Uncle!” when we don’t knock ’em dead. LAUDATOR TEMPORIS MOVIE I sino the praise of the Silent Screen! Who wants to hear what the actors say? The soulful sheik or the movie queen— I sing the praise of the Silent Screen! Silence is better far, I ween, Than the heroine’s lisp or the hero's bray— I sing the praise of the Silent Screen! Who wants to hear what the actors say? M. P. B. “Maxe it short and snappy,” cried editor. “Boil it down!” when they handed the new re- write man the Ten Commandments, to try him out, he wrote: “Don't.” the ci An Little Rambles with Serious Thinkers From whatever angle one views our American life, one can see that Prohibi- tion fits exactly into the picture puzzle completing the pattern of our civilization, —Ernest H. Cherrington, LL.D., Litt.D. Sex love is the supreme miracle of exist- ence.—Dr. Samuel D, Schmalhausen. I do not look on writing as a respectable profession: it is more parasitic even than the Law and not far above Advertising; as a business I despise it. That I must earn my living by it (having discovered too late what it is) distresses me, and is a Cross I must bear.—Waldo Frank. The public is incorruptible; its instincts are unfailing —Gordon Craig. I would like to be in the same moment an earthworm (which I am) and a rider to the moon (which I am). —Carl Sandburg. There is only in the rarest of cases such a thing as loyalty in women. —George Jean Nathan. It is absolutely impossible for a young man to spend the night in dissipation and be at his best the next day. —]. C. Penney. HEAVEN FORBID! A treat that is in store for the talking- picture audience: Slow-motion reproduc- tion of speeches and popular songs reeled off backwards. Tue Scurrtor: I'll sell that statue or bust! comicbooks.com