Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, July 1922 · page 22 of 67
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #35 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This gossip column satirizes "Hollywooditis"—the supposed moral corruption that befalls respectable people (particularly married men) when they come to Hollywood. The piece mocks several real figures: **Sir Gilbert Parker**, a conservative British MP, supposedly caught this "disease" while writing for producer Jesse Lasky. The joke suggests Hollywood's temptations (implied to be women and loose morality) seduce even staid, mature men. **The unnamed "Doty"** appears to be someone who constantly introduces different women as his work "inspirations"—satirizing the transparent excuse-making of unfaithful men. The column then lists those who *resisted* corruption (Rupert Hughes, Mary Roberts Rinehart) versus **Elinor Glyn**, who allegedly succumbed by dancing with teenage boys—presented as scandalous behavior. The final item about Betty Blythe's apartment rental is gossipy wordplay questioning whose apartment it really is—implying confusion about marital arrangements. Overall, this reflects 1920s anxiety about Hollywood as a morally corrupting influence on traditional society.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang 21 ladies—one after another—and his confidants were amused because Doty was always saying, “I want you to meet my friend So-and-So— she’s a wonderful inspiration in my work—” and every few weeks the “inspirator” went by a different name. We’re not intimating that either of these brilliant gentlemen have gone wild—in the ordinary sense of the word. We have heard that Sir Gilbert Parker, staid and conservative Member of Parliament of England, also caught “Hollywooditis” in a mild form when he came west to write for Lasky. Perhaps a long rope let out by the wives and a carte blanche to run freely about Hollywood for a couple of years would accustom these husbands of mature years to the rosebuds and sunshine. And to give all credit where it is due— Rupert Hughes came out west for the first time about two years ago and has blinked unflinch- ingly in the sunshine ever since. Octavus Roy Cohen wasn’t constitutionally upset either. Mary Roberts Rinehart or Gertrude Atherton didn’t catch “Hollywooditis” but then, they had visited California before. Elinor Glyn suc- cumbed to the malady and danced in springhtly manner each evening with boys in their teens! * * * BETTY BLYTHE and husband, Paul Scardon have rented the New York apartment of Fannie Hurst. Or is it the apartment of Fannie’s husband? You remem-