Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, April 1922 · page 18 of 67
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #32 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a gossip column about 1920s Hollywood celebrities. The content mocks the social pretenses of the film industry elite through three anecdotes: 1. **Chaplin and Gerrard's dinner** honoring Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova satirizes the contrast between stuffy society tea parties and bohemian revelry—Pavlova allegedly preferred the latter, suggesting "high society" is tedious. 2. **Mabel Normand's denial** pokes fun at Hollywood scandal-mongering: the gossip column reports seeing her dance with F. Richard Jones, she publicly denies it, yet his wife is now divorcing him anyway—implying the original rumor may have been accurate. 3. The **divorce claim** ($1,000/month alimony on a $100,000 salary) ridicules both the extravagant Hollywood earnings and contentious divorces becoming common among film personalities. The tone is irreverent and cynical about entertainment industry pretension and marital drama, typical of Whiz Bang's satirical approach to celebrity culture.
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16 Captain Billy's Whiz Bang eyes of the nation away from Hollywood long enough to pull a few more good parties. * * * CHARLIE CHAPLIN and Douglas Gerrard gave a lovely dinner party in honor of Mme. Anna Pavlowa, husband and company on their recent visit to Los Angeles. This year's party was drier than the last, but Douglas, we haven't forgotten that party you gave in Anna's honor about two years ago! The Wilshire district and Los Angeles "upper ten" gave a smart tea in the afternoon at the residence of a well-known society woman. Everyone in society was there and poor Anna shook hands and said polite things until her patience was almost at an end. So, when Douglas' party was pulled off that evening 'tis said Anna cut loose, enjoyed a lot of naughty stories and vowed she preferred Bohemians! You know Douglas can tell 'em, too! * * * IT WAS only two weeks ago that we thought we saw Mabel Normand dancing at the Cocoanut Grove with F. Richard Jones, chief director under Mack Sennett, but Mabel "bawled" out a morning sheet for insinuating such a thing, so maybe it isn't true! Anyhow, Mrs. F. Richard has just filed suit for divorce. She asks $1,000 a month alimony, claiming hubby earns $100,000 a year. Mutual jealousy seems to have caused the break-up.