Life, 1929-05-03 · page 28 of 44
Life — May 3, 1929 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a theater guide—essentially a What's-On listing for Broadway shows circa the 1920s. The page reviews current plays, comedies, musicals, and movies with brief critical notes and ticket prices. **The satire is mild**: reviewers use sarcastic shorthand. "Bully hoke" means melodramatic nonsense; calling a show "Guildish" mocks the Theatre Guild's pretentious style. One review notes a critic went to see an actress because "she's grand," admitting bias. The tone is gossipy and irreverent—"bilge," "twaddle"—deflating Broadway's pretensions. **Notable context**: Several shows feature all-Black or all-English casts (unusual enough to specify). Prices range $1–$6.60, substantial sums then. The guide assumes readers know theatrical conventions and gossip. The small illustration at bottom shows a theater marquee, reinforcing the entertainment focus. This reflects 1920s New York's vibrant but commercially-driven theater scene.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
26 New York Life For Instructions on Life's Ticket Service See Page 28. WBinv in Hanv. Morosco. $3.85—Drinkwater as a comedian and he's not very funny. But it is worth a visit just for its excellent taste and pure English. WBrornens. Forty-eighth Street. $3.00—That handsome devil Bert Lytell in a protean réle of the good and wicked brother. Bully hoke. *Conriicr. Fulton. $3.00—Sat. $3.85—Some tense moments and fair to middling acting. WCourace. Ritz. $3.85—Fine kiddie heart stuff. Junior Durkin and Janet Beecher. WHartem. Apollo. $3.00—Red hot stuff of the Black Belt’s “rent parties” in a highly emo- tional all-colored drama. Journey's Exp. Henry Miller. $3.00—Sce this if you have to hock the family silver. It's the best of the season. All-English cast. Played in a trench. Man’s Esrate. Biltmore—Theatre and highly bespoke. Mita. Belasco. $5.50—If you like Lenore Ulric in anything, see this. Mysrery Square. Longacre—Summerish, the weather these days. Srrance Intercuve. John Golden—Put it on your list just to say you've seen a show starting at five with time out for dinner. *Srnver Scene. Playhouse. $3.85—Sat. $4.40— This is almost The Great American Drama you've been yelping for. #Secunrty. National. $3.00—Maryaret Anglin shows she can still act, but she picked a poor vehicle. *Sxivoine. Bayes. $3.00—Good enough to keep going despite premier hoots. Tie Love Duet. Barrymore. $3.85—Sat. $4.40—Ethel in a new Hungarian play. Re- viewed later. THE Act or Invocence. Empire. $4.40— Hoop \irts, tittering behind fans and Katie Cornell in Victorian twaddle. Tur Perrecr Atint. Charles Hopkins—If you like an unusual mystery play see this. Tue Camer Turovcn tHe Neepie’s Eve. Martin Beck—It has Marion Hopkins and Lire’s critic thinks she’s grand; so he may go around to see her. Unver mite Gasticirr. People’s Bowery— Another melodramatic revival and first class as bilge. Comedy ‘*Brrone You're 25. Maxine Elliott. $3.00— Sat. $3.85—A new one by the author of “The Barker.” Reviewed later. Caprice. Guild—Also Guildish and Lunt- fontanneish. Houiway. Plymouth. $3.85—Hope Williams, who is a society gal herself, in that kind of a play. A good evening so long as she's on the stage. WJonesy. Bijou. $3.00—Sat. $3.85—Reviewed in this issue. WKisirzer. Royale. $3.00—Sat. $3.85—Per- haps this should be listed next door, because Edward G. Robinson offers moments of fine drama. Ler Us Be Gay. Little. $4.40—Snappy and sophisticated with Charlotte Granville as funny as anything as the crotchety dowager. Francine Larrimore stars. Guildish ‘kLimmie Accioent. Ambassador. $3.00—Jay Price thought this funny, but he’s only been to two Tom shows and a Medicine Carnival. Meet Tue Prince. Lyceum. $3.85—Basil Sydney and Mary Ellis in one of Milne’s good ones. *Mars. Bumpsteap-Leicn. Klaw. $3.00—A Mrs. Fiske revival with that lady in sprightly form. My Girt Frivay. Republic. $3.00—A little broad but popular. ¥Suz Gor Wir Suz Wanten. Wallack's. $3.00 —They are giving special matinees. Eye and Ear *Bracksinos, Eltinge. $3.85 Sat. $4.40—A sepia revue that has as good music and dancing as will be found anywhere. *Fionetta. Earl Carroll. $6.60—An eyeful of beauty is all we can think to say about this one. Also Leon Errol. *Fottow Ture. Forty-sixth Street. $5.50— Don't go back to Weeping Willow without hearing Bert Lahr’s laugh and the “Cream in Your Coffee” song. *Herto Davpy. Cohan. music and girls, $4.4o—Lew Fields, *kHowp Everyriunc. Broadhurst. $5.50—It is the musical comedy ace—at least in the agencies. KLavy Fixcers. Liberty. $5.50—Louise Brown and Eddie Buzzell in almost a top notcher. *%kMusic ix May. Casino. $5.50—Tuneful “moon, spoon and girl” stuff, beautiful scenes, a hilarious comedian. You'll like it. New Moox. Imperial. $5.50—The best male chorus in town. Extremely melodious. Eve- lyn Herbert also. *Preasure Bounp. Majestic. $5.50—One of the best of the Shubert revues and, aside from Phil Baker and Jack Pearl, it is quite tuneful. ¥Tue Rev Rose. Shubert. $5.50—Walter Woolf in usual form in a usual operetta. *Sprixe 1s Herr. Alvin. $5.50—Good music, fair wise-cracking, the typical plot and the extremely coy Glenn Hunter. *Wuoopre. New Amsterdam. $6.60—Eddie Cantor is a nervous wreck and they take him way out west to make whoopee. And he does. Sports *Mavison Square Garven—Lire’s Ticket Serv- ice carries seats for all Madison Square Gar- den attractions. See Newspapers for special announcements, Movies Snow Boat (Tatxie) Universal—Reviewed in this issue. Tue Rainpow Man, (Tarxse) Sono-Art—Re- viewed next week. Coguetre. (Tatxie) United Artists—Mary Pickford cuts off her curls, puts her rompers in storage and becomes an adult talkie star You'll probably like her. Tre Wip Party. (Tarxit) Paramoun Clara Bow talks quite plainly and contin. ues to sell what the pe lic generally seems to consider sex-appeal. Tue Sprre Marxtace. (Sounn) Metro-Gold- wyn—Buster Keaton furnishes some hearty chuckles with the assistance of Dorothy Se- bastian and a set of false whiskers. Hearts wy Dixie. (Tatxie) For—An excel- lent study of the Southern rural negro. Good singing and a swell comedy per- formance by Stepin Fetchit. Broapway Metopy. (Tatxiz) Metro-Gold- wyn—The best of the song-and-dance talk- ies. A triumph for Bessie Love. Tre Iron Mask. (Sounp) United Artists— The sequel to “The Three Musketeers", but not quite as good. Two short talking se- quences by Doug Fairbanks for their adver- using value. Tre Fivinc Fret. (Sounn) Metro-Goldwyn —Ramon Novarro shows how Annapolis graduates become flyers. Exceptional aero- plane photography. Tre Sins or THe Farner. (Sounp) Para- mount—Even Mr. Volstead will like Emil Jannings as a bootlegger. A Woman or Arratrs. (Sounp) Metro-Gold- wyn—Greta Garbo and John Gilbert in a slightly purified version of “The Green Hat.” Greta is great. Weary River, (Tarxie) First National—An- other crook reforms through the power of music. Richard Barthelmess sings the theme song (or goes through the motions.) Tue Barxer. (Tarxre) First National—A really good talking picture. Milton Sills supported by lots of sex appeal. Recom- mended for adults, Tue Suopworn Ancrr. (TaLxinc sequencts) Paramount—Much better than the average. Nancy Carroll, Gary Cooper and Paul Lukas. Supper Clubs “Dressy. C Cover Charge. H Head Waiter. Axcpassapon Gaite, Park Avenue at srit. Nice quiet place to dance. * C.$1.50-2.00. Barney's, 85 West jrd. A swell place. swell orchestra. C.$2.00-3.00. H.Arnold. Casanova, 151 West s4th, Great hang-out C.$3.00. Cxus Ricinean, 157 West 56th. Olsen is back. C$5.00. Civ Praza, Plaza Hotel. Nice place. Popular at Tea Dances. Hricu-Ho, 35 East s3rd. Nice place. Good orchestra. °* C.$2.00-3.00. H.George. Lipo, 7th Ave. at s2nd, Very Park Avenue. *C$s5.00. H.Cabiati. Monrmarte, 205 West 50. dub in town and still popular. H.Charlie. (Continued on Page 32) Oldest supper C$3.00. comicbooks.com