Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, July 1922 · page 21 of 67
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #35 — page 21: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes "Hollywooditis"—a condition afflicting brilliant men who move to Hollywood and become frivolous and unfaithful. The article mocks two literary figures: **Gouverneur Morris** (a writer who abandoned his wife for young women after taking studio work) and **Douglas Doty** (respected editor of *Century* and *Cosmopolitan* magazines, now at Lasky Studio, whose marriage failed due to his Hollywood obsession). The satire's point: Hollywood corrupts serious intellectuals, turning them into shallow playboys chasing starlets and nightlife. The author presents this as a genuine "fever" afflicting America's best minds—a scathing critique of how the film industry supposedly debases literary talent. The tone is disapproving moralism typical of 1920s concerns about Hollywood's corrupting influence on American culture and values.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
20 Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang —it’s a state of mind—for a long time. Oddly enough, the fever often attacks our most bril- liant men and women in all its silliest forms. The public stands for a lot of things, but it hates to see its most brilliant men become silly. France had to stand for Maeterlinck’s second marriage. Two of America’s brilliant men are coming in for no little comment because they are victims of “Hollywooditis.” A few months ago, Gouveneur Morris’ wife quit him cold. “Guv,” ever since he has been west writing for pictures, has fairly drooled with “Hollywooditis.” He has become quite peppy and is seen trotting about evenings like any young clerk with petite little blonde girls and childly looking brunettes, running them about in cars or taking them to vaudeville or a little hop. Recently he filed for divorce. The wife of Douglas Doty has just won her divorce decree. Doty is the former editor of the Century Magazine. From 1914 to 1917 he was editor of Cosmopolitan and later became literary adviser of Harper’s. He is now a writer at the Lasky Studio. A man of literary gifts without dispute. He has a daughter four- teen years of age. Harvey J. O’Higgins, the author and playwright and other famous folk tried to keep the Doty household intact, but without success. Douglas was smitten with “Hollywooditis” when he first came west to become head of the Universal scenario depart- ment. His interest became consumed by several