Life, 1929-03-29 · page 24 of 36
Life — March 29, 1929 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is primarily a theater review section, not a political cartoon. It's a "Confidential Guide" to New York Broadway shows circa 1929, covering drama, comedy, and musical entertainment. The page lists contemporary theatrical productions with brief reviews, mentioning performers like Katharine Cornell, Lynn Fontanne, and the Marx Brothers. Notable references include Eugene O'Neill plays ("Dynamo," "Strange Interlude") and "Blackbirds of 1929," described as a "remarkable Negro revue." The masthead features a stylized illustration of a Broadway/theater district scene with crowds and marquees, reflecting the vibrant entertainment culture of 1920s New York. The substantial box announcing "Life's Ticket Service" is an advertisement for a new departmental service enabling readers to obtain prime Broadway theater seats at box-office prices—essentially an early ticketing convenience service. This is entertainment journalism and marketing rather than satire or political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
New York Life «> onfitdemtial (vuide BEE RG s THe Ace ov Innocence. Empire—That play that Katharine Cornell is in. Tne Broken Crain, Jewish stuff. Brormrus. Forty-eighth St—Bert Lytell doubling as two brothers and loving it. Masque—Very inside Coves, — Longacre—What- happens to little Indo-Chinese girls. when the white-man comes. Helen Mencken as one in particu- larly hard luck. Cynaxo pe Bencenac. Humpden's—There is always this to fall back on. Dyxamo, Martin BeckK—Love in a power plant. Mr, O'Neill’s worst since “Welded”. Syrsy. Kluw—Claiborne Foster as the young woman who couldn't say “No”. An effec- tive play in spot Hantest, Apollo—Authentic Negro. drama. Miata, Belasco—Lenore Ulric, Sidney Black- mer and a great, big machine that goes “Boom!” Srraxce Isrertupt, John Golden—Mr. O'Neill's forerunner of “Dynamo”. This takes longer and at least has two good scenes. Sreeer Scexe. Playhouse—A real and highly dramatic slice of life. Tie Winsprrinc Gattery. Forty-ninth St. —Thriller which manages to be above the average without being exactly a knock-out. Zevvetix, Forrest—Melodrama in mid-air. Quite unbelievable but good fun. Comedy Caprice. Guild—Some delightful acting by Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt. Covricr. Rits—Too many. stage children for our liking. Janet Beecher is the lead- ing grown-up. ‘Tite Frost Pace. hearty rough-house. Houtpay. Plymouth—Clever remarks made by people who are obviously the kind who would make them. The comedy hit of the season. Lime Accwwent. Ambassador—A very amusing play about a pre-nuptial child. Thomas Mitchell and Katherine Alexander head a good cast. Tite Marance Bro. Booth—A not very novel but not very bad treatment of the triangle situation. Times Square—Good, A Most Inmorat Lapy. Cort—Alice Brady excellent in genteel melodrama. Tue Perrecr Aust. Charles Hopkins—A murder mystery which is solved by think- ing about it in an agreeable manner. Good entertainment. Popes. Hudson—Sentimental but effective Jewish family talk. Serena Branvist, Morosco—Pretty meringue but delightful in spots. Ruth Gordon, A. E. Matthews, Constance Collier and others help enormously. Sxtppixc. Bayes—Very thin, Tre Yertow Jacket, Coburn—You prob- ably have seen this at one time or another in your life. You should. Eye and Ear Antmat. Crackers. Forty-fourth —St.—It seems these Marx Brothers got together and said “Let's put on a show". Everyone appears to be glad they did. Buackninns oF 1929. Eltinge—A new edition of this remarkable Negro revue is promised. Boom! — Boos! Casino—Frank = McIntyre amusing in a fairly conventional’ musical show. Fioxerva. Furl Carroll—Fanny Brice and Leon Errol. Fottow Turv. indeed. Goo Boy, Forty-sixth St—Very good Hammerstein's—Good enough. Het10 Dappy, Cohun—Lew Fields, with George Hassell, in a pretty old-fashioned show with some good tunes and the Star- buck-Taylor combination to buck it up. Horo Evervrinxe! Broadhurst-—One of the best. Tue Hovsesoar ox tae Styx. Liberty— Pleasant combination of Blanche Ring and Jack Hazzard. Lavy Fincers, Vanderbilt—Eddie Buzzell and others in a show replete with good gags. Tue New Moon. Imperial—Good enough for anybody. Preasure Bounp, Majestic—The latest hit and with good reason. Tut Rev Rose. Shubert—Rousing operetta of the good old school. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! STARTING NEXT WEEK LIFES TICKET SERVICE A Department which will enable Life’s Readers to obtain the best seats for New York Shows at Box-Office Prices Full Particulars in next issue Snow Boar, Ziegfeld—We doubt if this lasts the decade out. Turee Curers. Globe—Will Rogers, Wnoorte. New Amsterdam—Eddie Cantor, very comical. Repertory Ataways, 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 Tue Eartit Between. Provincetown—To be reviewed later. Movies Nore—If you are in New York and want to know where pictures recons- mended by this department are showin: call Plaza 9842 before 5 P.M. Cull on Saturday should be made before noon Hearts in Dixie. (Taine) Fox; Reviewed in this issue. Broapway Mrtopy, (Tatkixe) Metro-Gold- wyn; Swell musical comedy talkie. Bessie Love, Anita Page and Charles King. Don't miss it. Tre Troy Mask. (Soup) United Artists Doug Fairbanks as athletic as ever. Tite Fuvinc Freer. (Sounp) Metro-Goldwyn —Swell aeroplane photography, with Ra mon Novarro, Ralph Graves and Ani Page. Captain Lasn. (Sounn) For—Victor Mclag len charms the gals and Clyde Cook is very funny. Tue Sts or tHe Fariter, (Soux) Para mount—Emil Jannings in another remark able performance. It's about bootlegging A Woman or Arrairs. (Souxn) Metro Goldwyn—Greta Garbo's best. The story is really “The Green Hat"—but don't tell Will Hays. John Gilbert present but not important. Weary River. (Tatxinc) First Nationul— Richard Barthelmess as an attractive crook who reforms with the help of Betty Comp- son. Dick also sings (or makes you think he does). Tur Barker. (Tatxtne) First National—Suill ‘one of the best talkies. Leave the children at home. Aus Jinaty Vaventive. (TALKING Se- quences) Metro-Goldwyn—William Haines in high. Lionel Barrymore also good. Tne Stvcwwe Foot. (Tarxine) Warner Bro- thers—Al Jolson. If you haven't seen it you will, And take your handkerchief. Tur Parrtor. (Sound) Paramount—Scc it again. Tur Vixinc. (Sounn) Metro-Goldwyn—Not much story, but the color photography is excellent. (Continued on Page 24) comicbooks.com