Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, August 1922 · page 23 of 67
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang #36 — page 23: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This gossip column mocks Hollywood romance rumors and male behavior. The piece reports on Billy Joy (brother of actress Leatrice Joy), allegedly romantically linked to actress Virginia Fox. The satire targets Joy's coy denials—he publicly says "no" to engagement rumors while strategically dining out with friends (pointedly excluding Virginia), thereby creating the impression women "can't help getting serious over him." The column further ridicules the absurdity of gift-giving etiquette: Buster Keaton gave Virginia Fox $2,000 as a "birthday present," but the narrator must clarify this wasn't romantic—Keaton is devoted to his wife, Natalie Talmadge Keaton. The gift merely acknowledges Fox's professional service as Keaton's leading lady. The "cynic" title suggests the column exposes the performative nature of Hollywood romance and male vanity, where public denials paradoxically confirm rumors, and expensive gifts require elaborate explanations to avoid scandal.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Captain Billy's Whiz Bang 21 Our Celluloid Cynic IT HAS been repeatedly reported out Holly- wood way that Billy Joy, brother of the well-known Lasky star, Leatrice Joy, and a director now in his own comedy company, is going to marry Virginia Fox. Most unfortun- ately, every time the Los Angeles papers have printed the rumor, Billy has just happened to be out dining with parties of friends, said par- ties not including Virginia. Billy says “No” to queries, but with reservations—for he man- ages to get the idea over you know that the women just can’t help getting serious over him. Anyhow, whether the two are engaged or not, Billy is very, very thoughtful in looking after Virginia’s business interests. Buster Keaton recently gave Virginia $2,000 as a birth- day present. Oh, heavens now, don’t get things mixed up. Buster is perfectly wild over his bride, Natalie Talmadge Keaton, and only sent the gift to Virginia as an appreciation of her long service with him as leading lady. Now, as I said before, Billy is very solicitous of Virginia’s welfare, so he thought and thought what it was best she should do with her new present and finally decided upon