Life, 1929-04-05 · page 36 of 56
Life — April 5, 1929 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is **not a political cartoon page** but rather a theater review section from Life magazine's "Confidential Guide" to New York entertainment. The page catalogs current Broadway productions across categories: Drama, Comedy, Eye and Ear (musicals/revues), Movies, and Supper Clubs. The satirical humor is **embedded in the brief, witty capsule reviews** themselves—not in visual cartoons. For example, reviewers mock productions with quips: one play is called "a mechanistic monody" that supposedly inspired someone to shoot ushers; another is questioned with "Is this thing still running?" Notable names appear: the Marx Brothers, Fanny Brice, Bert Lahr, and Charles Chaplin, representing 1920s vaudeville and early cinema stars. The small illustration at bottom shows a theater storefront advertising "Sardi's" restaurant—the famous Broadway hangout mentioned in the text. **The satire targets:** overwrought theatrical pretension, mediocre productions, and the absurdity of New York's theater scene itself—typical of Life's comedic approach to urban culture.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
mficdemtial Guide For Instructions on Life's Ticket Service See Page 32. Tux Act ov INNocence. Empires—Kathar- ine Cornell being innocent in an inno- cent age. Her caricature is in Sardi’s. Tur Broxen Cray. Masque—Built for New York consumption. Very Yiddish. Broriers. Forty-cighth St.—Bert Lytell play- ing a wicked twin as well as the honest one and as neatly as he wears a dinner coat in the movies. #CyRANO DE Bexcerac. Hampden's, $3.85— Uptown high-brow that seems never to tire the “Hampden public.” Dynamo. Martin—A fellow from Gallipolis called it "a mechanistic monody,” and then shot three ushers in cold blood. Gyesy, Klaw—Claiborne Foster is in it and that pleases enough to keep it running spell. Hartest, Apollo—A meaty chunk from the Black Belt with some real drama and vul- gar hip flipping. May’s Esvate. Biltmore—Margalo Giimore and Earle Larimore. To be reviewed later. ®Minta, Belasco. $5.50—Lenore Ulric in her huskiest voice with Sidney Blackmer in one of Father Dave's epics, Fair. Srrance Inrextupe. John Golden—Is thing still running? *Srecer Scene. Playhouse. $3.85—Ié it doesn’t win the Pulitzer prize, there is no justice in the world, this Tin, Winseraixe Gattrry, Forty-ninth St— It raises a little goose flesh, but not much Zevpeuix, Forrest—Boom booming way up in the air. And leaving the audience there. Buckaroo. Erlanger—Mentioned in this. is- sue. Comedy Ler Us Be Gay. Litth—Clever Francine Larrimore in the merriest, best cast comedy in town, Carrice, Gaild—Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt as wistful as anything. Covrnsce, — Ritz ct Beecher “wonder kiddies” in grim stuff. teHowivay. Plymouth. $3.85—One of those heigh-ho smart plays but without Hope Williams wouldn't be worth that. But she's elegant. Lime Accent, Ambassador—A about a baby with a few laughs. The Maxiact Beo, Booth—An old theme— the triangle. And it jingles faintly. ®A Mosr Imaorat Lavy. Court, $3.00— Alice Brady, in a badger-game plot, doing the best bit of emotionalism of the season. #Tue Penrecr Aust, Charles Hopkins. $4.40 —A quaint solution of a murder mystery. Serena Branvisut. Morosco—More serena than blandish but it has A. E. Matthews. Tue Front Pace. Times Square—A rowdy libel on a noble calling. and some mix-up a *&Goov Sxippino, Bayes—It seems to be picking at something—maybe the coverlet. Tue Yevtow Jackxer, Coburn—Grandpa liked this one and it’s still good. Eye and Ear Aximat Crackers, Forty-fourth—The Marx Brothers and there are those who like them. *Bracksinvs ov 1929. Eltinge. $4.40—Bill Robinson tap-dancing would be enough but there is a lot more. Fonerra. Furl Carroll—The most spectacu- larly beautiful show on the boards. And Leon Errol and Fanny Brice are mixed up in it, wFottow Thru. grand show. Forty-sixth St, $5.50—A Boy. Hammerstein, $5.50—Charles Butterworth’s specch about the step-tacker is worth the price if you buy at the box office. Hrt10 Dapoy. George M. Cohan—Lew Fields and George Hassell making customers laugh merrily with mid-Victorian stuff. Broadhurst—BertLahr's horse laugh laying ‘em out in the aisle, and some pleasant tunes. How Evexytiine! Tin, Hovstsoar ov rie Styx, Liberty— Hilarious Blanche Ring and the equally hilarious Jack Hazzard. Lavy Fixcens, Vanderbilt—Marjoric: White's lisp and Eddie Buzzcll’s cye-rolling make it dandy. wMustc IN May. Casino, $5.50—Melodious operetta adapted from German. THE New Moox. Imperial. —They all go away Come Back to Me!", chorus helps. So docs Evelyn Herbert. #PurasuRE Bousp, — Mujestic. — $5.50—Phil Baker “burbanking” a new plant in a stage box and Jack Pearl exploding like a bottle of pop, with other good revue material. #Tur Rep Rose. Shubert. $5.50—Proof the good old operatta is still appreciated. Snow Boar. Ziegfeld—It hasn't even a calliope but 0, boy! Wnroorre! New Amsterdam—Ediie Cantor flashing his button eyes and clapping his hands with the same old gusto, And Paul Whiteman at his best. H#Mivsicnt Frouic, Ziegfeld Roof, $6.60— M. Chevalier at his best and a frail young blonde used as a skipping rope in a hair raising adagio dance. Oruex Ovenixcs. The Suicide Club—An adaption of Robert Louis Stevenson's new Arabian Nights, Beorriiows. A comedy with Mildred McLeod and Georges Renavent, $5.50—Sat. $6.60 whistling “Lover, and a stirring male Repertory Airways, Inc. Grove Street-—The best of the little theatre offerings and, what is espe- cially surprising, well acted. Civic Repertory. Fourteenth St.—"Kater- ina” with Nazimova, has been added to Miss LeGallienne’s already impressive list. Movies Hearts in Dixie. (Tatxre) Fox—An excel- lent study of the Southern rural negro. Good singing and a swell comedy. per- formance by Stepin Fetchit. Broapway Metovy, (Tatxie) Metro-Gold- wyn—The best of the song-and-dance talk ies. A triumph for Bessie Love. Tue Inox Mask. (Sounn) United Artists— The sequel to “The Three Musketeers”, but not quite as good. Two short talking x quences by Doug Fairbanks for their adver using value. Tue Frvinc Freer. (Sounn) Metro-Goldwyn —Ramon Novarro shows how Annapolis graduates become flyers. Exceptional aero plane photography. Capraiw Last. (Sounn) For—Victor McLag len proves that movie heroes do not have to be handsome. Good comedy by Clyde Cook. Tur Sins ov rte Faruter. (Sounn) Para motnt—Even Mr. Volstead will like Fil Jannings as a bootlegger. A Wostay or Avratns, (Sounp) Metro-Gold wyn—Greta Garbo and John Gilbert in a slightly purified version of “The Green Hat.” Greta is great. Weary River, (Tarte) First National—. other crook reforms through the power « music. Richard Barthelmess sings the theme song (or goes through the motions.) Tre Barker. (Tarkie) First National—\ really good talking picture. Milton Sills supported by lots of sex appeal. Recom mended for adults. Tre SHopworn AnceL. (Taine seourvers) Paramount—Much better than the average. Nancy Carroll, Gary Cooper and Paul Lukas. Supper Clubs "Dressy. C Cover Charge. Ampassapor Gritt, Park Avenue at 51st. quiet place to dance. * C.$1.50-2.00. Barney's, 85 West jrd. A swell place. A swell orchestra. C.$2.00-3.00. H.Arnold. Casanova, 152 West sqth. Great hang-out. C.$3.00. Crus Ricuman, 157 West 56th, Olsen is back. C$5.00. Hescu-Ho, 35 East 53rd. Nice place. Good orchestra. * C.$2.00-3.00. H.George. Lino, 7th Ave. at sand. Very Park Avenue. Beatrice Lillie and Moss and Fontana. *C$5.00, H.Cabiati. Montmartre, 205 West 50. Oldest supper club in town and still popular. C.$3.00. H.Charlie. (Continued on Page 39) H Head Waiter. Nie comicbooks.com