George Price – A New Yorker State of Mind

Far-Fetched Faulkner

Above: New Yorker book critic Clifton Fadiman (right) characterized William Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom!" as a "penny dreadful tricked up in fancy language." Fadiman was not alone among contemporary mainstream critics in his assessment, although today the novel is considered a masterwork of Southern Gothic literature. (Wikipedia/J.R. Cofield Collection, University of Mississippi Library)

With its non-linear timeline, winding prose, and multiple unreliable narrators, William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! left many critics wondering what to make of the author’s ninth novel, including The New Yorker’s Clifton Fadiman, who had a near-visceral response to Faulkner’s “shuddery inventions.”

October 31, 1936 cover by **Perry Barlow.**

Although today the novel is widely considered a literary masterpiece, in 1936 Fadiman saw the dense, labyrinthine style of Absalom, Absalom! as nothing more than an empty facade for a melodramatic plot and characters resembling a “mince-pie nightmare.”

The novel explored the rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen, a poor man who ruthlessly carves out a plantation empire in 1830s Mississippi. Told entirely in flashbacks consisting of fragmented memories and differing perspectives, the novel is psychologically bleak and violent, with nearly every major character meeting a tragic end. Following are excerpts from Fadiman’s review:

OXFORD MAN…Above, **William Faulkner** at his 1844 Greek Revival home, Rowan Oak, which he purchased in Oxford, Mississippi in 1930; below, at work in his study. The mid-1930s were a difficult time for Faulkner. His writing was often interrupted by trips to Hollywood, where he sought additional income writing screenplays (Faulkner was constantly in debt), and in 1935 his brother Dean was killed in a plane crash. Consequently this period included a number of heavy drinking benders. *(genteelandbard.com/life.com)*

Faulkner had some history with The New Yorker: A Nov. 21, 1931 “Talk of the Town” entry titled “Oxford Man” featured a thirty-four-year-old Faulkner living in a Tudor City apartment, working on his novel Light in August. “Talk” noted his service in the Canadian air force, which he joined in 1915 (he broke both legs in a crash) and that he “sometimes flies a rather wobbly plane owned by a friend in Oxford.” As for his writing style, “Talk” offered this quote from Faulkner: “Ah write when the spirit moves me, and the spirit moves me every day.” The piece also noted that “Only a few of the townspeople know he writes at all; most of them think he’s lazy.”

Here’s a second excerpt from Fadiman’s Oct. 31, 1936 review, in which the critic concludes that Faulkner “is a clever hand at fitting up a literary asylum for the feeble-minded.”

FLYBOY…A 1931 “Talk of the Town” profile, attributed to **Charles Cooke** and Harold Ross, noted Faulkner’s writing habits, his ties to his hometown, and his time in the Canadian Air Force. *(espresso.pt)*

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Chattering Mysteries

Those are the words E.B. White used to describe aisles of calculators, addressographs, and electric tabulation machines being operated by women clad “in purest white satin” at a business show on Eighth Avenue.

AN ILLUSION OF THE SENSES was achieved by scores of machines clacking away at a Manhattan business show, according to **E.B. White**. At left is an Addressograph machine, circa 1930s, and at right, a census worker using an IBM Type 1 mechanical key punch, 1940. *(americanbusinesshistory.org/officemuseum.com)*

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At the Movies

Get the Extra-large Popcorn

They say movies are getting longer these days, but the Thirties had its share of lengthy screen epics, including a nearly five-hour running time for the 1934 French adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel Les Misérables. Initially released as three films premiering over three consecutive weeks, the full, unedited film ran a total of 281 minutes. Apparently the 1936 American release, reviewed here by John Mosher, ran for just under three hours, which Mosher called “a crime against nature.” He did, however, pronounce it “a fine film.” He also reviewed a German musical comedy, Amphitryon, and some uninspiring “plain American” films.

GOING HUGE FOR HUGO…Clockwise, from top left: **Florelle** as Fantine in *Les Misérables*; blockade scene from the film; **Harry Baur** as Jean Valjean; French movie poster, 1934. *(imdb.com)*

Mosher grew weary of reading the subtitles in the German film Amphitryon, a surprising satirical musical that somehow got made even after the Nazis took over the reigns of the Ufa-Atelier studio; however, the coming year would see a further tightening of domestic repression (including film) under Reich leadership.

SOME LAST LAUGHS…**Willy Fritsch** and **Käthe Gold** in the 1935 German musical comedy *Amphitryon.* The movie was filmed in German and French, which is probably why Mosher thought it was a French production. (en.kinorium.com)

The “plain American” films reviewed by Mosher included a mystery, a revue, and a musical featuring opera singer Marion Talley, who years earlier had received some rough treatment from The New Yorker.

STANDARD FARE…Clockwise, from top left: *The Charge of the Light Brigade* starred **Olivia de Havilland** and Errol Flynn; **Jean Arthur** and Joel McCrea in *Adventure in Manhattan*; **Bob Burns** and **Martha Raye** in *The Big Broadcast* of 1937; **Marion Talley** and **Michael Bartlett** in *Follow Your Heart*; **Victor McLaglen** and **Binnie Barnes** in *The Magnificent Brute.* *(britannica.com/theblondeatthefilm.com/imdb.com/tubitv.com/ebay.com)*

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Polymath Porter

The multi-talented composer/songwriter Cole Porter was the latest celebrity to receive a mini bio in the opening pages…illustration by Abe Birnbaum…

…and on the subject of theater, Al Frueh offered his impression of the Talullah Bankhead vehicle, Reflected Glory...

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From Our Advertisers

Various retailers were gearing up for the coronation of England’s King Edward VIII, and the folks at Yardley’s were busy packaging their lavender-scented soaps and perfumes for royalty-starved Americans, “safeguarded in original royal wrappings”…this “Edwardian” campaign would be scrapped just weeks later when Edward would abdicate the throne (on Dec. 10) and run off with American Wallis Simpson…

…the makers of Beech-Nut chewing gum made a splash with this full-page ad touting their traveling “Smallest Show on Earth”…

…Canadian Club continued its world tour with a stop in Kuala Lumpur…

…No-Mal ran another back-of-the-book ad promoting its scientific “pick-up”…the chief ingredient, according to this spot, was dextrose (even safe for infants!), but it doubtless also contained caffeine and Lord knows what else…

…no extra stimulation needed for our cartoon section, beginning with Mary Petty…

…there were a couple of Halloween-themed spots by Susan Willard Flint…

…and Charles Addams...

…a sampling of other spot drawings…Victor de Pauw, Doris Spiegel, and John Groth…

…Alain gave us the true meaning of “table tennis”…

…George Price anticipated a long winter…

…Gardner Rea showed us an Englishman who found Manhattan life a bit too invigorating…

…Alan Dunn posed a question regarding authorship…

…Peter Arno might be referring to something akin to The Great Stork Derby here…

…one of Helen Hokinson’s “girls” sought to stay “off the record”…

…and Hokinson again, casting a vote in the 1936 General Election…

…Whitney Darrow Jr was also thinking about elections, and a clean shave…

…and we close with James Thurber, and an inquiring reporter…

Next Time: The Instant Home…

National Treasure

Above: Detail of a mural by William Gropper, "Construction of a Dam," 1939, located in the U.S. Department of the Interior. (gsa.gov)

Sociologist and urban design critic Lewis Mumford was well known for his strong convictions regarding the development of cities, but he also applied those convictions—namely his ideas of organic balance—while writing “The Art Galleries” column for The New Yorker.

October 17, 1936 cover by William Steig.

Mumford (1895–1990) was neither a traditionalist nor a modernist, but rather a proponent of art and architecture that was human-scaled and that honestly reflected the times and places it which they were created. In his Oct. 17 column he cited Washington’s new Supreme Court Building as a prime example of sham architecture, and lamented a “certain staleness” in an exhibition of the U.S. Treasury’s Relief Art Project, which commissioned numerous murals and sculptures for installation in federal buildings. Excerpts:

SUPERANNUATED CLASSICISM was the term **Lewis Mumford** used to describe new buildings in Washington, D.C., and suggested (in jest) commissioning murals to cover their outside walls, including those of the new Supreme Court building, completed in 1935. According to the Federal Judiciary Center, the building was designed on a scale in keeping with the importance and dignity of the Court and the Judiciary as a coequal, independent branch of the United States Government, and as a symbol of “the national ideal of justice in the highest sphere of activity.” *(fjc.gov)*

Although Mumford noted the “hacks and mediocrities” of Treasury-sponsored art, he also noted the inclusion of a number of distinguished artists. The problem, it seemed to him, was not the artists but rather the outmoded, monumental murals they were commissioned to create.

MONUMENT MEN…Clockwise, from top: mural by **William Gropper,** *Construction of a Dam,* 1939, located in the Department of the Interior; mural created in 1937 by **Peppino Mangravite** for the U.S. Post Office in Hempstead, New York, depicting the arrival of British dirigible R.34 with the first air mail in 1919; **Ernest Fiene** painting from 1938 depicted a wildfire battle, one of a set of four Fiene oil-on-canvas murals at Interior. *(gsa.gov/livingnewdeal.org)*

Mumford concluded: “We need a type of painting that is flexible and renewable…capable of renewal every month, or as often as a Japanese changes a kakemono.”

THE ART OF IMPERMANANCE…**Lewis Mumford** wrote that public art should change as often as the Japanese change their *kakemono. (britannica.com)*

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Been There, Done That

E.B. White gave voice to New Yorker mascot Eustace Tilley in 1927 when Tilley bade farewell as the author of “The Talk of the Town.” White also checked in on Tilley in a 1932 “Notes and Comment” column, recounting how Tilley almost lost his silk top hat to the tax man. Tilley turns up again in this week’s “Notes,” this time appearing quite inebriated and refusing to attend a star-studded party at the Waldorf:

HO-HUM…Not even Benny Goodman and a bevy of Hollywood stars could distract **Eustace Tilley** from his drink and a tin of oysters. (bennygoodman.com)

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Stunt Pilots

I’m not sure which “Talk of the Town” writer went up on the airplane, but either Eugene Kinkead or Russell Maloney hopped aboard an American Airlines charter in a publicity stunt that involved flying a group of reporters above a ship (the S.S. Santa Paula) that was carrying two Hollywood stars—newlyweds Joan Blondell and Dick Powell.

AHOY THERE!…Newlyweds **Joan Blondell** and **Dick Powell** greet admirers as they arrive in New York aboard the S.S. *Santa Paula.* A *New Yorker* writer was flying somewhere overhead. *(godsandfoolishgrandeur.blogspot.com)*

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Gielgud’s Gig

After enormous success on the London stage, John Gielgud brought his Hamlet to Broadway’s Empire Theatre, where he was paired with Lillian Gish as Ophelia. Robert Benchley was there for the action. Excerpt:

ACTING ROYALTY…The queen of the silents met the king of the stage when **Lillian Gish** joined John Gielgud for Broadway’s production of *Hamlet* at the Empire Theatre. The play ran for 132 performances, a record at that time for a Shakespeare play on Broadway. *(James Grissom via facebook.com)*

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At the Movies

Some light fare at the cinema, with Shirley Temple cranking out her thirteenth starring role in Dimples, and Mary Carlisle teaming up with Lew Ayres for some shore leave hijinks in Lady Be Careful.

EIGHT-YEAR-OLD FILM VETERAN **Shirley Temple** and co-star **Frank Morgan** featured on a lobby card promoting Dimples; at right, **Mary Carlisle** and **Lew Ayres** in *Lady Be Careful. (eBay.com/facebook.com)*

A quick note about the actress, singer and dancer Mary Carlisle (featured above): Best known for her roles as a wholesome ingénue in 1930s musical-comedies, she was with us until just eight years ago. The last surviving WAMPAS Baby Star, Carlisle died at age 104 in 2018.

AGELESS…Publicity photo of **Mary Carlisle**, circa 1930s. *(facebook.com)*

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Saving Face

Famed stage actress Blanche Yurka had some choice words for Frank Sullivan after she read his Sept. 26 humor piece, “Save Your Face, Miss Blondell”…

WHAT ABOUT ME?…**Blanche Yurka** (left) called out **Frank Sullivan** for his attentions to “movie cutie” **Joan Blondell**. Yurka (1887–1974) was an acclaimed actress known for her intense commitment to both stage and screen roles—she even learned to knit (center image) so that she could play the role of the vengeful Madame Defarge in the 1935 film adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities. (tmdb.org/michaelbalter.substack.com/sspl.org)

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The latest mini-bio from the calendar section featured famed violinist Friedrich “Fritz” Kreisler (1875–1962)…illustration is by Hugo Gellert…

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From Our Advertisers

We begin with this full-page advertisement for Heinz tomato juice, which featured a photo of a man who resembled playwright/actor Noël Coward…the person in the ad is not identified, but Coward was known for endorsing products from time to time, including Bulova watches and Rheingold beer…

…another ad illustrated by Margaret Sommerfeld, who produced promotional artwork for Saks…

…and another full page ad for Old Gold illustrated by pin-up artist George Petty…

…the Old Gold ad marks a departure from a long series of Petty-illustrated ads that were more in the pin-up style and featured a leering little man rather than a handsome masher:

…most cigarette ads still targeted the growing market of women smokers, including this line of smokes manufactured by Benson & Hedges…

…Ozzie Nelson was a famed bandleader until he reached even greater fame on his own radio series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, launched in 1944, and his television show by the same name, which ran from 1952 to 1966…

…if Ozzie Nelson wasn’t your thing, you could tap your toes to Paul Draper’s dancing ensemble or Shep Fields’ “Rippling Rhythm Orchestra” at the Hotel Pierre…

…some advertisers persisted in running wordy appeals for their products, including the execs at the Chrysler, who thought consumers could be swayed by the story of a nineteenth-century amateur chemist who accidentally refined coal tar and spawned a billion-dollar industry…

…the makers of the luxury brand Packard continued to stay afloat during the Depression by marketing lower-priced models like the Packard Six…

…lower-priced options were also featured in this ad from an organization called “Living American Art,” which offered “faithful” color collotype reproductions by modern artists, including New Yorker contributors Peggy Bacon and Reginald Marsh…

1936 lithograph of Peggy Bacon’s *The Nosegay,* featured in the ad above. *(posted on Facebook Marketplace)*

…and we have another striking Abe Birnbaum caricature (of stage actress Gertrude Lawrence) for Stage magazine…

…imagine entering this dining room while aboard a Grace Line Santa liner…not a waterslide or buffet line in sight (this was the same liner that Joan Blondell and Dick Powell took on their honeymoon from California to New York)…

…Otto Soglow continued illustrating ads for WOR radio…

…which segues to our cartoonists, beginning with a spot by Arthur Getz…

…a caption-less entry by Alain…

…Alain again, with a puzzling challenge…

…a horticultural mystery courtesy of Helen Hokinson…

…Charles Addams presented an ideal client to this fortune teller…

…Carl Rose got a little spooky…

…Gardner Rea served up an Olympian boast…

…Peter Arno drew up a doubtful doctor…

…Whitney Darrow Jr illustrated the power of motion pictures…

…George Price sampled the latest styles in ice bags…

…Barbara Shermund went shoe shopping…

…and we close with the first New Yorker cartoon by Douglas Borgstedt (1911–2001), and a good one at that!…

Next Time: The President’s Mystery…

Mirror, Mirror

Above: In his review of Tallulah Bankhead's performance in "Reflected Glory," Wolcott Gibbs noted that she was a force to be reckoned with: ..."she would pull any home in the world down around her ears in ten minutes, and after that perhaps eat the children." (newyorker.com/facebook.com)

Broadway’s fall season was still young when the Morosco Theatre staged Reflected Glory, featuring Tallulah Bankhead in a role that mimicked her famously flamboyant lifestyle.

October 3, 1936 cover by **Robert Day.**

The play, which ran for 127 performances, was not well-received by the critics, but audiences loved it, and especially those who, in the words of critic Wolcott Gibbs, “would be enchanted to spend the evening just watching (Bankhead) knit a sock.”

Bankhead (1902–1968) also appeared in films (she won a New York Film Critics Circle award in 1944 for her performance in Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat), but she was mostly known for her stage acting and her wild lifestyle—drugs, alcohol, and lots of sex with both men and women; she was candid about her vices, including the claim she smoked 120 cigarettes a day.

ART IMITATES LIFE…Clockwise, from top left: **Tallulah Bankhead** in promotional photo for *Reflected Glory*; Bankhead played Muriel Flood, a flamboyant, self-absorbed actress who constantly dramatizes her own life both on and off stage; author and director George Kelly wrote *Reflected Glory* specifically for Bankhead; Broadway’s Morosco Theatre (demolished 1982). *(cinemaclassico.com/jacksonupperco.com/Wikipedia)*

Early in her career Bankhead, an Alabama native, moved into the Algonquin Hotel and quickly made her way into the orbit of the famed Algonquin Round Table—so, she was well-known to Gibbs, who noted in this excerpt that Bankhead’s only competition in Reflected Glory was William Brisbane, a man with a face “as mad and vacant as the moon.”

MAD MATCH…**Wolcott Gibbs** noted that **William Brisbane** was **Tallulah Bankhead’s** only competition in *Reflected Glory.* *(themovieb.org/npg.org.uk)*

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The Yankee Clipper

Baseball was mostly ignored in the early years of the New Yorker, but every now and then the magazine would feature a famous personality from the game, in this case Joe DiMaggio, who in 1936 would set a franchise record for rookies by hitting twenty-nine home runs (in just 138 games).

DIZZY AND JOE D…Yankees rookie **Joe DiMaggio** meets with Cardinals pitcher **Dizzy Dean** at the All-Star Game in Boston July 7, 1936. *(AP Photo)*

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Right of the Right

In his “Notes and Comment,” E.B. White took issue with a proposal by the New York Board of Aldermen to ban right-hand turns against a red light (the board ultimately approved the ban).

SEEING THE LIGHT…City officials examine new traffic lights on Fifth Avenue, 1933. *(Golden Age Of Travel via facebook.com)*

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At the Movies

Based on a 1929 novel by Sinclair Lewis, the William Wyler-directed Dodsworth was acclaimed by critics as one of the best films of the year. New Yorker critic John Mosher wholeheartedly agreed:

SHE SAID, HE SAID…At left, **Ruth Chatterton** and **Walter Huston** portrayed a couple in a declining marriage in Dodsworth; at right, retired auto magnate Sam Dodsworth (Huston) reconsiders the life he has made for himself. *(torontofilmsociety.com/YouTube.com)*

COMPLICATIONS…While travelling on the RMS *Queen Mary* to England, the Dodsworths find romantic companions—at left, Sam finds a soulmate in Edith Cortright (**Mary Astor**), while Fran flirts with a younger Englishman, Captain Lockert, played by **David Niven.** It was Niven’s first sizable role—he was a lieutenant in the British Army before coming to Hollywood in 1935. (eBay.com/film-foundation.org)

Mosher also reviewed a mixed bag of films, including the “wicked comedy” La Kermesse héroïque (Carnival in Flanders) featuring French opera star Françoise Rosay as a mayor’s wife who cleverly thwarts potential troubles from visiting Spanish soldiers.

BAWDY FUN was how John Mosher described the schemes of a mayor’s wife in *La Kermesse héroïque (Carnival in Flanders)—c*lockwise, from left: **Françoise Rosay** (seated) organizes the village women to tame some visiting soldiers; **Betty Grable** and John Arledge in the crime drama Don’t Turn ’em Loose; *La Croisière Jaune* (*Yellow Expedition*) documented a 1931-32 French trans-Asian expedition organized by Citroën to promote its rugged Kégresse track vehicles; **Jack Oakie**, **Bennie Bartlett** and **Fred MacMurray** in The Texas Rangers. (mubi.com/imdb.com/radiofrance.fr/csfd.cz)

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From Our Advertisers

Fall advertising continued its uptick in the magazine, with many splashes of color including this carpet ad that greeted readers on the inside front cover…

…R.J. Reynolds continued to roll out endorsements from society mavens…here Anne C. Rockefeller stated that Camels gave her “a delightful sense of well-being”…

…more Colonel and Duchess archetypes turn up in this issue, on behalf of Ruppert beer…

…the Warwick Hotel (Philadelphia), and College Inn tomato juice “cocktail”…College Inn had softened the appearance of their Duchess…

…since she was last spotted in The New Yorker in 1935 (detail)…

…after a blazing hot summer, the brewers of Rheingold figured this image would still appeal to parched New Yorkers…

…a back of the book ad from Johnston & Murphy, quoting an unidentified author regarding some childhood wishes…

…John Held Jr. was one of the earliest contributors to The New Yorker—from 1925 to 1932 his woodcut-style cartoons and fanciful maps were frequent features…by 1936 Held had turned his talents to painting, book illustration, and the occasional advertisement, here on behalf of Macy’s…

…our illustrators and cartoonists for this issue include Christina Malman…

…a caricature by William Auerbach-Levy for the calendar section’s mini bio…

…another Richard Taylor–Morris Bishop collaboration…

…more historic moments from American Industry, with Rea Irvin…

…Alan Dunn had an M.C. Escher moment on the turnpike…

…Helen Hokinson made a big ask at the beauty parlor…

…Ned Hilton drew up a big man with a big complex…

…Leonard Dove offered a challenge and a unique perspective at the subway station…

….Barbara Shermund’s modern women thrilled to the sights of Manhattan…

…George Price turned this trio into a quartet…

…and we close with a terrific, terrifying moment at the World Series, courtesy Peter Arno…

Next Time: Road Warriors…

Can-Can in Cleveland

Above: Postcard image of the "Avenue of Presidents" at the 1936 Great Lakes Exposition in Cleveland, Ohio. (youtube.com)

Before the days of mass communications, millions would flock to various world’s fairs and expositions to see the latest inventions, experience the boosterism of the host city, and seek out the thrills of a carnival ride or peep show.

September 26, 1936 cover by Constantin Alajalov.

Along with the major world’s fairs such as Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, smaller cities also hosted expositions to “boom” their standing in the world—Omaha’s 1898 Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition attracted 2.6 million people, including President William McKinley, and three years later Buffalo’s 1901 Pan-American Exposition would draw eight million—McKinley was there, too, but his visit (and life) would be cut short by an assassin’s bullet.

In many cases these expositions commemorated anniversaries that marked the progress of a particular city or geographic area. Such was the case of Cleveland’s Great Lakes Exposition, which was created to commemorate the centennial of Cleveland’s incorporation as a city while giving a boost to a region hit hard by the Depression. The exposition was visited by The New Yorker’s Eugene Kinkead, who was an editor and writer of the magazine’s “The Talk of the Town” section for many years. Here are brief excerpts from his visit:

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE…Clockwise from top left: Poster for the Great Lakes Exposition; the most popular attraction was Billy Rose’s Aquacade, a 5,000-seat theater-restaurant that featured diving and synchronized swimming (the Aquacade was also a hit at the 1939 New York Wold’s Fair); star attractions at the Aquacade were Olympic champion swimmers **Eleanor Holm** and Johnny Weissmuller, pictured here with **Billy Rose**; the “Streets of the World” showcased the cultures of more than forty different countries—it also featured the “French Casino,” a restaurant/nightclub that drew massive crowds to its “Girl Revues”—naturally, the scantily clad performances and nude can-can dancers created a major stir among more modest expo attendees. *(chicagovintageposters.com/clevelandmemory.org)*

OTHER DIVERSIONS…Above: the can-can dancers who caused quite a stir at the French Casino, located in the “Streets of the World” section. Below: One of the blimps the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company featured at the exposition rises in the background of “Streets of the World.” Visitors could purchase tickets for three dollars (roughly $65 today) to take a scenic flight over downtown Cleveland, the exposition, and Lake Erie. *(clevelandmemory.org)*

EXPO BY NIGHT…Clockwise, from top left: Postcard view of the main entrance to the Great Lakes Exposition, backlit by the “Aurora Borealis”—a spectacular light display created by powerful searchlights and colored beams; a tower sponsored by Cleveland’s famed Higbee’s Department Store; photograph of the main entrance at night. *(clevelandmemory.org/clevelandhistorical.org)*

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Relax, Joan

New Yorker regular Frank Sullivan found inspiration in a newspaper article featuring actress Joan Blondell lamenting the “surprised look” she thought was permanently fixed on her face. Sullivan suggested that Blondell “must live a pretty secluded life” not to notice a world “full of startled faces.” Alluding to the coming war in Europe, he suggested that in a year or two “everyone will probably look like ZaSu Pitts.”

PUT ON YOUR WAR FACE…**Frank Sullivan** reassured **Joan Blondell** (center) that soon everyone would wear the expression of actress **ZaSu Pitts** (left). *(imdb.com/sspl.org)*

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At the Movies

As previously noted, costume dramas were big in 1936, and critic John Mosher was less than enthusiastic about many of them, but he found Nine Days a Queen (Tudor Rose in the British release) a sensible affair, noting that “English studios manage to dress up their historical pageants with a care and a suggestion of authority…”

TEMPORARY CROWN…*Nine Days a Queen* (aka *Tudor Rose*) tells the story of **Lady Jane Grey’s** brief reign as the queen of England before she loses her head. Left: **John Mills** as Lord Guilford Dudley and **Nova Pilbeam** as Lady Jane Grey. At right, executioners seek forgiveness from Lady Jane ahead of their grisly task. Critic John Mosher liked the film, but Graham Greene (critic for *The Spectator),* wrote that he had “seldom listened to more inchoate rubbish…” *(oldhollywooddiary via instagram.com)*

Mosher found the musical comedy Sing, Baby, Sing a minor entertainment, and dismissed the screwball comedy My Man Godfrey as “nonsense.” Mosher was in the minority on that latter opinion: Godfrey was one of the most acclaimed comedies of 1936, nominated for six Oscars. In 1999 the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

PAIRING OFF…**Alice Faye** and Adolphe Menjou in *Sing, Baby, Sing.* **Carole Lombard** and **William Powell** in *My Man Godfrey.* Lombard and Powell were briefly married from 1931 to 1933, but remained close friends after their divorce. (eBay.com/pbs.org)

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From Our Advertisers

The inside front cover greeted readers with this romantic image from Richard Hudnut cosmetics…

…the makers of Lucky Strikes used a bit of romance themselves to inspire more women smokers…

…the folks at Birds Eye took out this advertisement to extol the virtues of frozen fish…

…an odd ad from Green Giant, using the image of an annoying little man to sell peas…one imagines the woman calling “Pa, git yer shotgun”…

…the Parc Vendome advertised its apartments as a great place to keep fit, everything from calisthenics to sun-lamp treatments…

…a couple of one-column ads from the back of the book…at left: founded in 1935, Cadaco was known for transforming real-world sports into table-top versions…on the right: John-Frederics was a partnership between hat designer “Mr John” Harberger and Frederic Hirst…John-Frederics hats were famous in Hollywood, including the green velvet bonnet worn by Vivien Leigh in 1939’s Gone with the Wind…

This 1938 edition of Cadaco’s Bas-Ket featured spring-loaded levers that propelled a ping-pong-like ball toward a basket. (etsy.com)

…Scribner’s magazine, a product of publisher Charles Scribner’s Sons, tried to head off declining circulation by hiring a new editor-in-chief, Harlan D. Logan, who sought to modernize the format to compete with contemporary lifestyle magazines…the publisher took out this cheeky full-page ad to draw attention to the “new” Scribner’s…

…founded in January 1887, the magazine saw its strongest sales when Teddy Roosevelt was a contributor from the 1890s to about 1910…despite Logan’s efforts, the magazine folded in May 1939…

The October 1936 issue of *Scribner’s* marked a change in editorship and design of the magazine. This cover was by American graphic designer **Thomas Cleland.** *(vintage.es)*

…archetypes like the pompous British Colonel and the haughty Duchess seemed to be everywhere in the 1930s, whether they were foils in screwball comedies or wealthy aristocrats laughably out-of-touch and obsessed with past glories (Peter Arno knew that trick well)…if you’ve followed these posts for awhile you know they are often seen in New Yorker advertising as well…

…which makes a nice segue to our cartoons, starting with Arno…

…the calendar section featured this illustration by William Auerbach-Levy for the mini bio of popular bandlander and pianist Eddy Duchin…

…Victor de Pauw opened up the magazine with this painterly illustration…

…some spot art from fashion illustrator Alice Chamalian…

…and Richard Taylor…

…caption-less entries from Alain…

…and Robert Day…

…Leonard Dove supplied a clarification for this sugar daddy…

…William Steig gave us various types of “woe”…

…George Price delivered a surprise at the Automat…

…Otto Soglow pondered the meaning of dreams…

…and we close with some scandalous fashion gossip, courtesy Helen Hokinson…

Next Time: Mirror, Mirror…

Sunlubbers

E.B. White grew up along the coast of Maine and had a lifelong love of sailing. He did not, however, have much regard for those who came to the water simply to bask in the sun.

White led off his column with some sharp words about the “sunburned man” who did not come by his tan honestly, like an athlete or explorer, but rather spent his weekends “frying” to cover his “bankrupt dreams.” White was also critical of “the weekend guest” who brought noise rather than tranquility to the seaside.

E.B. WHITE’S NIGHTMARE…At left, the West Bathhouse at Jones Beach is the backdrop for this circa 1930s image of New York beachgoers; at right, sunbathers play cards on Orchard Beach, known as the “Riviera of the Bronx,” circa 1930. *(facebook.com/Patchogue-Medford Library)*

Ever critical of innovation, E.B. White also lamented the rise of such “conveniences” as paper towels and powdered soap dispensers.

A FEW OF MY LEAST FAVORITE THINGS…Always wary of the newfangled, **E.B. White** preferred cloth over paper towels, bar soap over powdered; glass rather than Dixie Cups, and old-fashioned water coolers glittering with cracked ice. Clockwise, from top left: Ad for Scot paper towels, 1935; 1930s powdered soap dispenser; Dixie Cups, 1931; **Eleanor Powell** and **Fred Astaire** take a break at an old-fashioned water cooler during filming of *Broadway Melody of 1940*; detail from an ad for a Frigidaire electric water cooler, 1936. (witness2fashion/urbanremainschicago.com/lafayette.edu/tcm.com)

One more item from “Notes,” this referring to theatrical producer and director Jed Harris, who was peeved when a nostalgic reference in his new comedy, Spring Dance, failed to elicit laughter from a first-night audience at the Empire Theatre. E.B. White sided with the audience, and wondered if playwrights in the “television theatre of 1950” would someday reference “Greta Garbo and the Sixth Avenue elevated.”

RELAX, JED…Learning that Broadway producer and director Jed Harris was upset about an audience’s lack of reaction to a nostalgic reference, **E.B. White** suggested that the director’s protest was a mere “squeak.” *(History of Cinema via Facebook)*

* * *

At the Movies

Gary Cooper finally showed off his gift for gab in Paramount’s drama The General Died at Dawn. Critic John Mosher called the film “lively,” and noted a “glimpse” of New Yorker short story writer John O’Hara in a cameo appearance.

TROUBLE IN CHINA…**Gary Cooper** and **Madeleine Carroll** portrayed lovers in war-torn China who seek to stop an arms shipment in *The General Died at Dawn*; at right, Cooper in a scene with **Akin Tamiroff**, who portrayed warlord General Yang. The film was directed by **Lewis Milestone** and written by **Charles G. Booth** and Clifford Odets. *(imdb.com/ebay.com)*

CAMEO…*New Yorker* short story writer and novelist John O’Hara played a minor role as a newspaper reporter in *The General Died at Dawn. (John Fronza via Facebook and YouTube)*

The title of MGM’s The Gorgeous Hussy suggested something racy, but as Mosher noted, it “unexpectedly turns out to be about Andrew Jackson.”

SEX SELLS…MGM played up **Joan Crawford’s** role as a “hussy” in this theatrical poster for *The Gorgeous Hussy*, but these were the days of the Hays Code and things wouldn’t get more racy than the scene at right, with **Robert Taylor** as Andrew Jackson and **Crawford** as the “hussy,” Peggy Eaton. *(imdb.com/mubi.com)*

* * *

From Our Advertisers

It was time to get that fall hat, and Stetson had three smart-looking lids for the man about town…

…and here’s a not-so-smart ad from the makers of Talon zippers…no doubt some of the wags on The New Yorker’s editorial side got a kick out of this…

…and this strange ad from Lord & Taylor…not sure what they were trying to convey with that peeled-back corner…

…Jane Engel founded a popular women’s and children’s apparel shop during the Great Depression (in 1930) with just $400 to her name. She grew the business from a single shop on Madison into a successful chain of more than thirty locations…

JEWEL BOX…The flagship Jane Engel Building at Madison and 79th was designed by **Roy C. Morris** in the Art Moderne style—the generous use of glass brick filled the interior with soft, diffused light. The shop closed in 1955 and was demolished two years later. *(New York Public Library)*

…the makers of the luxury brand Packard made sure Depression-strapped buyers could still afford one of their automobiles, which ranged in price from $795 to $3,420 (in 2026 equivalent to roughly $19,000 and $83,000, respectively)…no doubt The New Yorker’s bean counters appreciated the revenue from these five consecutive full-page color ads…

…bourbon distillers continued to compare the accomplishments of famous men to the quality of their tipple…

…as the folks at Hockanum Mills continued featuring fine woolens in upscale, seasonal settings…

…and the makers of leaded gasoline continued their series featuring homespun images juxtaposed with attendants gassing up cars in the background…at first I thought this was one image superimposed over another, but more likely the gas pump is a prop…also, an odd detail on the left where children appear to be feeding (or teasing) a baby bear restrained by a leash…

…we move on to our cartoonists, beginning with Richard Decker…

…also in the calendar section was this illustration by William Auerbach-Levy for the mini bio of Fred Perry (1909–1995), British tennis star who won ten Majors, including three consecutive Wimbledon Championships from 1934 to 1936…he was the first player to win a “Career Grand Slam” which he completed at the tender age of 26 in 1935…Perry was also the world champion ping-pong champion in 1929…

FRISKY FRED…**Fred Perry** was one of the leading bachelors of the 1930s and his off-court romances were reported in the world press—including one with actress **Marlene Dietrich.** Perry was also known for his popular line of sports attire. Above: Perry hugs the championship cup after his U.S. Open victory at Forest Hills, 1936. (Wikipedia)

…an assortment of spot drawings…clockwise, from top left, Arthur Getz, Victor de Pauw, and Barbara Shermund (arguably not a spot drawing, but not really a cartoon either)…

…no signature on this, but it appears to be the work of Perry Barlow, which always reminded me of another artist known for his rural types, Robert McCloskey…

…James Thurber illustrated a public display of disaffection…interesting use of perspective here…Thurber seems to violate all the rules yet the effect is masterful…

…speaking of effect, George Price in the subway…

…Peter Arno continued to explore a familiar theme…

…Carl Rose imagined the home life of a mermaid…

…Barney Tobey’s Miss America gave a plug to her sponsors…

…Alan Dunn gave us a view of a pre-preview…

…Dunn again, with a rare cartoon featuring a known personage…

…Barbara Shermund revealed a surprise at the teller window…

…Mary Petty got creative at the hat shop…

…and Petty again, as we close with her modern take on higher education…

Next Time: Through the Looking Glass, Darkly…

Wherefore Old Romeo?

Above: Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer played the lead roles in George Cukor's 1936 adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." In retrospect, these major stars were miscast; Shakespeare's original play identified Juliet as thirteen years old (soon to be fourteen), while scholars estimate Romeo to be around sixteen. Howard was forty-three and Shearer thirty-four when the film was released. (pinterest.com)

Although Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer were too old to play Romeo and Juliet as lovesick teenagers, in 1936 audiences and critics didn’t seem to notice or care. What did keep audiences away from the big budget Romeo and Juliet was the perception that it was too “arty.”

August 22, 1936 cover by **Ilonka Karasz.**

Indeed, New Yorker film critic John Mosher suggested that “vulgarians” would miss the finer points of this meticulously made film—director George Cukor even secured the services of William Strunk Jr. (of Elements of Style fame) to ensure linguistic accuracy.

This dedication to the finer points of the play obviously didn’t apply to the choice of the principal actors—a middle-aged Romeo, a thirty-something Juliet, or a 54-year-old playing Romeo’s best friend, Mercutio (John Barrymore). In the days of the studio system, it was assumed that big productions needed equally big, established actors attached to them, regardless of age. Also, Shearer was producer Irving Thalberg’s wife.

THE ART OF ARTIFICE…Clockwise from top left: Lavish sets and a star-studded cast made Romeo and Juliet MGM’s most expensive sound film up to that time; the famed balcony scene between **Leslie Howard** and **Norma Shearer;** Shearer in a scene with **Ralph Forbes**, who played a kinsman to the prince. *(imdb.com/moviemusings.uk/britannica.com)*

Mosher described the film as a “sensible” presentation and praised the 34-year-old Norma Shearer for her youthful appearance. “Actually, for once, we see a Juliet who is a girl,” he wrote. Writing for Literature/Film Quarterly, Allison Kellar notes that “with the help of costumes, props, and lighting, Shearer effectively appears as the young Juliet.”

RAPIER-TONGUED…Top: Mercutio (**John Barrymore,** left) challenges Tybalt (**Basil Rathbone**) to a duel and is subsequently slain (this is when Mercutio speaks those famous words, “A plague o’ both houses!”); **Leslie Howard** and **Norma Shearer**; MGM promotional poster. *(moviemusings.uk/tvtropes.org/imdb.com)*

For years MGM’s “Boy Wonder,” producer Irving Thalberg, had pushed the studio to make the film, but MGM head Louis B. Mayer believed (correctly, it turned out) that the masses would consider Shakespeare too highbrow. Mayer was also concerned about a big budget picture in those lean Depression years, but somehow Thalberg won him over (the film lost almost a million dollars, roughly equivalent to $25 million today).

HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS…At left, *Anthony Adverse* director **Mervyn LeRoy** and his wife, **Doris Warner**, accompany **Norma Shearer** and her husband **Irving Thalberg** at the Los Angeles premiere of *Anthony Adverse*, July 29, 1936. A month and a half later Thalberg would die from a congenital heart condition at age 37. (*see below*). (Wikipedia)

Romeo and Juliet would have its world premiere on Aug. 20, 1936 at New York’s Astor Theatre. The West Coast premiere followed on Sept. 14—that same night legendary MGM producer, Irving Thalberg, husband of star Norma Shearer, would die suddenly at the age of 37. Needless to note, the Los Angeles opening was deeply somber.

Now, just for kicks, here are the ages of actors who have portrayed Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers in more recent films:

FOLLIES OF YOUTH…Clockwise, from top left, with ages in parentheses: **Claire Danes** (17) and Leonardo DiCaprio (22) in *Romeo + Juliet* (1996) **Hailee Steinfeld** (17) and **John Booth** (21) in 2013’s *Romeo & Juliet*; **Clara Rugaard** (27) as Juliet and **Jamie Ward** (35) as Romeo in 2025’s Juliet & Romeo; **Olivia Hussey** (16) and **Leonard Whiting** (16) in *Romeo & Juliet* (1968). *(imdb.com/heyuguys.com/wikipedia.org/reddit.com)*

MGM spent a lot on the marketing of Romeo and Juliet, including this full-page ad in The New Yorker that included an endorsement from the magazine’s theater critic, Robert Benchley:

There were other, less-hyped films available for those allergic to Shakespearian drama. Mosher again:

ALL SYSTEMS GO…Clockwise, from top left: **Dennis Moore** (left) and **Humphrey Bogart** prepare for a bumpy ride in *China Clipper*; **Barbara Stanwyck** and **Robert Taylor** in *His Brother’s Wife. (dailymotion.com/blu-ray.com/imdb.com)*

* * *

Getting Out of Town

Food critic Sheila Hibben headed to Long Island to do a little restaurant-hopping, checking out Dahlstrom’s Greentree Lodge on the Jericho Turnpike. Dahlstrom’s was a popular Swedish restaurant that served food smörgåsbord-style. This concept for displaying a variety of self-serve dishes would not become widespread until the smörgåsbord was introduced to the general public in the Swedish Pavilion at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

A RARE TREAT…Dahlstrom’s Greentree Lodge on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington, LI, was a popular Swedish restaurant that served food smörgåsbord-style from the 1930s through the 1960s. *(Frank Leist via Facebook.com)*

Closer to home, Hibben visited the Battery Park Restaurant, a “perky little kiosk sort of place where you can sit outside…and drink your beer while enjoying whatever air is stirring on the North Atlantic.”

MADE IN THE SHADE…The Battery Park Restaurant, circa 1936. (eBay.com)

* * *

Cheers Before Tears

In her continuing report on the Berlin Olympics, Janet Flanner noted that some German fans—despite their country’s “megalomaniacal nationalism”—were polite about the “monotony of the American victories,” and even offered cheers for the French bicycling team (whose country would be invaded by theirs in less than four years).

CYCLING GREATS…The French cycling team (left to right) **Robert Charpentier, Guy Lapebie, Jean Goujon** and Roger Le Nizerhy celebrate after winning the team race at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. The Frenchmen delivered a historic performance, capturing seven total medals (three Gold, two Silver, and two Bronze). Charpentier was the star of the team, becoming a triple Olympic champion across road and track disciplines. *(Wikipedia)*

Flanner also noted some not-so-happy events that would occur following the games, including initial steps by the Nazis that would lead to the systematic seizure and forced transfer of Jewish real estate and property to the Third Reich’s leaders, citizens, and collaborators. It seems unlikely that Flanner was unaware of at least some of this plan, although she never explicitly mentions that this “real-estate adjustment” was directed solely at Jewish property owners.

THE UGLY TERM “Aryanization” referred to the forced transfer of Jewish-owned homes and businesses to the Third Reich’s leaders, citizens, and collaborators. Above, the formerly Jewish-owned store Gummi Weil was expropriated and transferred to non-Jewish ownership (Stamm and Bassermann). Frankfurt, Germany, 1938. (Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz)

* * *

From Our Advertisers

We begin with Seagram’s, promoting their signature whiskies and “soft-stilled” gin…

…White Rock continued to feature their clever and colorful John Holmgren-illustrated ads…

…Rheingold offered up their “Keglined” canned beer as a summer refresher…

…Wamsutta Mills of New Bedford, Massachusetts became the world’s largest cotton-weaving plant by the end of the 19th century…their iconic “Supercale” sheets (introduced in 1935) typically featured a 200-thread-count…

…William Randolph Hearst’s New York American (soon to merge with Hearst’s New York Evening Journal) boasted a lineup of writers including short story writer and journalist Damon Runyon, movie gossip columnist Louella Parsons, Forbes magazine founder B.C. Forbes, and “Cholly Knickerbocker“—a pseudonym used by society writers, in this case by Maury Henry Biddle Paul…

…another Flit ad by Dr. Seuss, this time an illegitimate child saves the roof over his head by whipping out some insecticide…

…Stage magazine featured caricatures by Sam Berman to promote its “Great Expectations” issue…

…Susan Willard Flint opens up our illustrators and cartoonists section…

…joined by James Thurber…

…and spots by Garrett Price…

…Richard Taylor…

…and Christina Malman…

…Leonard Dove drew up a stylish scarecrow…

…and a woman who knows what she likes…

…Robert Day found more than scenery on a trip to Yellowstone…

…Barney Tobey exchanged some quick greetings on the omnibus line…

…Charles Addams gave us a case of equatorial insomnia…

…Ned Hilton’s inker had some editing to do…

…George Price gave new meaning to being “in the doghouse”…

…Rea Irvin revealed another advance in American ingenuity…

…Louis Priscilla published the third of a total of three cartoons he contributed to The New Yorker from 1933 to 1936…Priscilla was also a magazine illustrator and a teacher at the Art Students League of New York…

…Helen Hokinson’s club ladies hoped to wow Edna St. Vincent Millay with some of their own poetry…

…and to close…if you’ve seen photos of Coney Island beaches in the 1930s, you know Peter Arno isn’t exaggerating much here…

Next Time: Epic Adversity…

Bottoms Up!

Above: E.B. White had a bone to pick with whiskey distillers who tried to establish "quick antiquity" by naming their products "Old Something-or-Other." That was not true for these two brands—Old Grand-Dad was introduced in Kentucky in 1840, while Old Overholt debuted in Pennsylvania in 1810, making it America's oldest continually maintained whiskey brand. Both are now subsidiaries of Japan's Suntory Global Spirits. (alcohol professor.com/pinterest)

With the official end of Prohibition on December 5, 1933, brewers and distillers raced to ramp up production and revive brands that had lain dormant for more than a decade. Distillers of aged spirits like rye and whiskey were especially keen to invoke history and tradition when marketing their tipple.

August 15, 1936 cover by **Paul C. Robertson.**

In some cases newer distilleries made generous use of the word “Old” in their branding, according to E.B. White in his “Notes and Comment.” White also called out the folks at Seagram’s, who compared the character of Thomas Jefferson to that of their “V.O.” whisky (no “e” in spirits tied to British distilling traditions—Scotland, Canada, Japan, Wales, India). Most egregious, however, was the ad’s claim that Jefferson helped to draft the Constitution. White explained:

HE DID WHAT?…**E.B. White** called out the Seagram’s ad (left, from the July 25 issue of The New Yorker) for its historic inaccuracy (the distiller erroneously credited **Thomas Jefferson** for the Constitution; at right, the character and leadership of the Founding Fathers (and other early American leaders) were oft-employed metaphors for a number of whiskey brands, including James E. Pepper. (facebook.com)

GOLDEN OLDIES…Here are more examples of historic figures being associated with fine spirits…at left, in 1960 the makers of Old Crow (founded 1835) depicted the genocidal **Andrew Jackson** pouring a glass of the stuff for Martin Van Buren; at right, in 1937 the makers of Old Taylor (1887) used quotes and themes from **Thomas Paine’s** revolutionary writings to promote their Kentucky Straight Bourbon. *(bourbonbanter.com/etsy.com)*

While we are on the subject of ardent spirits, let’s take a look at these excerpts from “The Talk of the Town” (attributed to Eugene Kinkead and Russell Maloney), which told the story of a private detective who had a nose for liquor— disguised as hair tonic.

A SIP WITH YOUR SHAVE…During Prohibition (1920–1933), high-alcohol hair tonics like Rexall 93 (containing up to 24% alcohol) were legally sold as cosmetics but were frequently bought and consumed by people seeking a cheap, accessible substitute for bootleg liquor. The photo at right is of a 1930s barbershop—it is not implied that these fine gentlemen were involved in such illicit activities. *(ebay.com/pinterest.com)*

A closer look at the Rexall label—the makers made sure “24% Alcohol” was clearly visible. Folks known as “strainers” would run hair tonics like these through bread, cloth, or charcoal to filter out poisonous additives, obviously a dangerous practice.

* * *

Doggy Downer

The legendary Kress “five-and-dime” stores, with more than 250 locations across twenty-nine states, served the needs of regular folks, but the designs of its stores were anything but pedestrian. This was especially true of its Fifth Avenue location, a 1935 Art Deco masterpiece. Given its lofty address, it was no place for one to order a lowly hot dog. E.B. White explained:

DECO EDIFICE…**Samuel Henry Kress** believed his department stores should function as works of public art that elevate the shopping experience for ordinary people. The company maintained an in-house architectural division, under the leadership of architect **Edward F. Sibbert**, that designed iconic, custom buildings, including the 1935 flagship S. H. Kress & Co. store on Fifth Avenue and 39th Street, an Art Deco masterpiece rendered in granite, bronze, and stainless steel; at right, a view of the store’s Ladies Lounge. Sadly, the building was razed in 1983. (*Museum of the City of New York/New York Public Library)*

* * *

Merely Mortal

Janet Flanner filed her second report from the Berlin Olympics, where America’s Black athletes dominated the track and field events (ESPN’s Larry Schwartz credits Jesse Owens for “single-handedly crushing Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy”). Flanner noted attempts by propagandists to make sense of the beating they received, including likening the American athletes to wild animals “living in a state of innocence.” Excerpts:

CONQUERING HEROES…Eighteen Black athletes went to Berlin as part of the U.S. team in 1936. Clockwise, from top left: Standing are high jumpers Dave Albritton and **Cornelius Johnson,** hurdler **Tidye Pickett,** sprinter **Ralph Metcalfe,** boxer Jim Clark, and sprinter **Mack Robinson**…in front, weightlifter **John Terry** (left) and long jumper John Brooks; **Jesse Owens** captured four gold medals and became the hero of the Olympics—his long jump (26 feet 5-1/2 inches) was an Olympic record; the American press reported widely on the friendship between Owens and his German long jump competitor **Carl Ludwig (“Luz”) Long**…Long was killed in action during World War II; the faithful offer their ugly salutes at the opening of the games. (webs.org/Bundesarchiv Koblenz/ushmm.org/history.com)

Flanner also reported on the great fanfare at the opening of the games, including “seventeen searchlights, from far outside the arena…a lofty birdcage of streaming light beams.” One wonders if those same searchlights were deployed during the war four years later, when RAF Lancaster bombers began their night bombing campaign of Berlin.

* * *

At the Movies

Last week we saw Lionel Barrymore in drag (as an old woman) in The Devil Doll. This week he resurfaces as a senile old warhorse in The Road to Glory, a Howard Hawks war film with a screenplay co-written by William Faulkner (the film also featured Frederic March, who had star billing in three major films in 1936). John Mosher found the film “presentable,” but nothing special. The same went for Down Under the Sea, a film concerning sponge divers who battle over the affections of a woman (Ann Rutherford).

WERE THEY SPONGE WORTHY?…Clockwise, from top left: **Ann Rutherford** finds herself torn between two sponge divers vying for her affections in *Down Under the Sea* (aka *Down to the Sea*); divers Ben Lyon and Russell Hardie surprise Rutherford with a “native necklace” in the film; **Frederic March, Lionel Barrymore,** and Warner Baxter in *The Road to Glory*; **June Lang** with March in *The Road to Glory. (eBay/silverscenesblog)*

Mosher also took in Jailbreak, a minor noir picture about racketeers, cops and newspaper reporters.

SERIOUS BUSINESS…**Barton MacLane**, **June Travis** and Joseph Crehan in *Jailbreak. (IMDb.com)*

* * *

From Our Advertisers

The inside front cover featured a wholesome image of a roadside stand on behalf of leaded gasoline…the makers of Ethyl, which boosted octane ratings and stopped engine knocking, deliberately hid or omitted the word “lead” in their advertising…I don’t miss the Ethyl, but I do miss those roadside stands…

…Warner Brothers took out a full-page ad to trumpet the East Coast release of their epic drama Anthony Adverse, which would go on to win four Academy Awards…

…the original torch singer Helen Morgan lent her endorsement to a budget cigarette brand in this back of the book ad…at this point her career would be headed on a downward spiral, ending with her death in 1941…

…the makers of the Dominican rum Siboney competed with Cuban rival Barcardi with this colorful full-page ad illustrated by American graphic artist Ervine Metzl…

…Barcardi placed this front cover advertisement in Aug. 1, 1936 New Yorker (illustrated by George de Zayas)…

…James Thurber kicks off the cartoons with two terrific spot drawings…

…this spot drawing by Victor de Pauw recalls my favorite childhood book, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel (1939), by Virginia Lee Burton…

…I’m not sure if one would call this a spot drawing or a caption-less cartoon, at any rate, Garrett Price aptly illustrated the dangers of swimming beyond the bouys…

…Rea Irvin demonstrated the perils of dognapping in this multi-panel entry…

…William Steig celebrated summer in the city…

…Helen Hokinson drew up an urgent social connection…

…Denys Wortman looked in on the trappings of motherhood…

…Alan Dunn showed us one effect of long-distance travel…

…and Dunn again, with a man who’d rather not ask questions…

…and leave it to Charles Addams to draw up The New Yorker’s first Medusa-themed cartoon…

…before we continue, here are other interpretations of the mythic Gorgon from The New Yorker…this one by Lars Kenseth is from Jan. 21, 2019…

…this is by Ali Solomon (Oct. 29, 2025)…

…and from May 3, 2025, this terrific caption contest cartoon by Jason Adam Katzenstein (and the winning caption by Peter Sergison, Durham, NC)…

…and here’s a timely cartoon by Daryl Seitchik that was rejected by the magazine…

…we go back to 1936 with George Price and a plucky salesman…

…Chon Day made an unappetizing find at the fish market…

…Gardner Rea looked in on a summer stock performance…

…Peter Arno drew up a Milquetoast unwittingly ordering a knuckle sandwich…

…and we close with some racy decor, courtesy Richard Taylor…

Next Time: Wherefore, Old Romeo?…

Better Living Through Fiction

Above: Introduced by the American Tobacco Company in 1917, the iconic slogan "It's Toasted" became the cornerstone of Lucky Strike marketing in the 1930s. The company claimed their heat-curing method (as opposed to sun-drying) removed tobacco's "corrosive acids." This 1933 Lucky Strike advertisement was illustrated by Hayden Hayden. (wash.edu)

In May 1936 the Advertising Federation of America (AFA) celebrated the 25th anniversary of its “truth in advertising” movement, highlighting the work of vigilance committees that encouraged advertisers to avoid government intervention through self-regulation. As one can imagine, such voluntary efforts were largely ignored.

July 11, 1936 cover by **William Steig.**

The celebration was short-lived, for later that year the Food and Drug Administration’s Ruth Lamb, published American Chamber of Horrors: The Truth About Food and Drugs. Lamb, who was head of public relations for the FDA, based her publication on a FDA traveling exhibit that exposed dangerous, poisonous, and deceptively marketed cosmetics, foods, medicine, and medical treatments. Lamb played an important role in advising Congress on new regulations that culminated in the Wheeler-Lea Act of 1938, which expanded the Federal Trade Commission’s unfair competition mandate to include consumer protections from “unfair or deceptive acts or practice.” That same year, Congress also passed the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, requiring pre-market safety testing and prohibiting false therapeutic claims.

BLISTERS INSTEAD OF BEAUTY…In 1933 the makers of Lash Lure mascara promised women a permanently made-up look using aniline dye on eyelashes. Tragically, Lash Lure contained p-phenylenediamine, which caused horrific blisters, abscesses and ulcers on the face, eyelids and eyes of Lash Lure users. It even led to blindness in some women. *(livingnewdeal.org)*

Apparently Lamb hadn’t yet published her American Chamber of Horrors when E.B. White filed his July 11 “Notes and Comment.” He did, however, pen this satirical take on the AFA’s sanctimonious commitment to the “truth.”

…Otto Soglow provided this apt illustration along the bottom of White’s “Notes” column…

HORROR SHOW…The FDA’s Ruth Lamb displays some of the worthless and harmful products in her “Chamber of Horrors.” Lamb was instrumental in advising Congress on new drug and food legislation. *(Wikipedia)*

BUYER BEWARE…Clockwise, from top left: In the 1930s Othine promised to remove brown spots and lighten skin; the active ingredient was mercury; Bred-Spred was a line of beautifully colored “jellies” that did not contain the industry standard of 50 percent fruit/juice to qualify as jelly. Indeed, they had no fruit or juice at all—just artificial colors and flavors, and in the case of the “strawberry flavor” pictured above, a few hayseeds were added to simulate strawberry seeds; a circa 1930 ad claiming substantial weight loss simply by listening to a record. (fda.gov/brandingstrategyinsider.com)

Quackery was not confined to the smaller companies. Big Tobacco made outlandish claims regarding the health benefits of smoking…

BIG MONEY from tobacco companies financed these splashy ads from the 1930s, including, from left, Lucky Strike’s weight-loss claims; Philip Morris asserted they used a different type of moistening agent that also prevented throat irritation—these ads were aimed at easing smoker anxiety about deep inhaling; R.J. Reynolds claimed their Camels did everything from aiding digestion to easing one’s nerves. Many of the ads featured famous athletes claiming they could smoke all they wanted and still perform at their peak. (Stanford.edu)

* * *

A Quiet Place

E.B. White (in “Notes and Comment”) revealed a hallowed spot in the city where he could gather his thoughts on hot summer mornings…

REFUGE FROM THE HEAT AND DIN…This apartment building’s courtyard at 277 Park Avenue offered E.B. White a place to ponder on a summer day. Built in 1905 and designed by McKim, Mead and White, the apartments were demolished in 1964 and replaced with a glass tower. (mcny.org)

* * *

On Your Mark

“The Talk of the Town” visited the new Randalls Island Stadium (later renamed Downing Stadium). Built with WPA funding, the stadium hosted the Men’s Olympic Track and Field Trials where Jesse Owens qualified for the Berlin Summer Games.

READY TO RUN…Aerial photo of the new Randalls Island Stadium taken on July 10, 1936, the day before the Olympic trials; at right, **Jesse Owens** at the stadium’s Olympic tryouts—Owens dominated the competition by winning the 100-yard dash, the 220-yard run, and the broad jump. He would go on to win four gold medals at the Berlin Games. (Associated Press/randallsisland.org)

* * *

Ach Du Lieber

In his column “Of All Things,” Howard Brubaker offered his thoughts on the state of higher education in Nazi Germany:

* * *

Haggard and Debonair

Margaret Case Harriman profiled talent agent and theatrical producer Leland Hayward (1902–1971), a kid from Nebraska City, Nebraska who would become a renowned playboy (married five times) and agent to scores of Hollywood actors. He would also produce the original Broadway stage productions of South Pacific and The Sound of Music. Excerpts:

ALL SMILES…at left, **Katharine Hepburn** with agent/boyfriend **Leland Hayward** arriving at director **George Cukor’s** home, circa 1936; Hayward with wife number three Margaret Sullivan⁣, circa 1940. *(instagram.com/alchetron)*

* * *

Juvie Justice

For the column⁣ “A Reporter at Large” (titled “Gamins”), Morris Markey looked in on the workings of the Children’s Court on East Twenty-second Street. Beginning with the sixth paragraph is an example of how teen pregnancies were addressed in New York ninety years ago. Excerpts:

Markey examined the possible outcomes of unwed mothers and fathers, and concluded that the Children’s Court was a realistic and kindly way to deal with these issues as well as a range of juvenile offenses. History seems to be on Markey’s side; for its time, the Children’s Court offered a progressive approach that kept minors from the horrors of the prison system.

STILL STANDING…The Children’s Court building on East Twenty-second Street was visited by **Morris Markey** for his column. Today it serves as Newman Hall for CUNY’s Baruch College. *(J.C. Rice via nypost.com)*

JUST SOME KIDS HANGING OUT…**Arnold Eagle’s** Federal Art Project photo, “Boys Climbing the Fire Escape of a Deserted Building,” 1935. *(mcny.org)*

* * *

Some Lawn Tennis

American journalist and sports radio personality Cedric E. Adams (known as “Ced,” hence the initials below) occasionally provided tennis commentary for The New Yorker. Here he takes in Wimbledon, where he found the men’s matches dull and the women’s memorable.

THREE’S A CHARM…In 1936 Fred Perry won the men’s singles title at Wimbledon for the third year in a row, while Helen Jacobs’ “cool tactics” helped her capture the women’s title. (facebook.com/findagrave.com)

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At the Movies

Laurence Olivier (1907–1989) was a rising star of the London stage when he moved to Hollywood in the early 1930s. Not making the breakthrough he had hoped for, he returned to London for stage and film work, including the 1935 film Moscow Nights, which was released in the U.S. in 1936 as I Stand Condemned. Critic John Mosher still wasn’t wowed by Olivier, but found the film better than average.

SPIES LIKE US…**Laurence Olivier** and **Penelope Dudley-Ward** in I Stand Condemned. Directed by Anthony Asquith, the film concerned a wounded officer who falls in love with his nurse. *(rotten tomatoes.com)*

Mosher also reviewed a “minor melodrama,” Forgotten Faces.

A GAMBLER AND A STRIPPER were portrayed by **Herbert Marshall** and **Gertrude Michael** in *Forgotten Faces*. (*mubi.com*)

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From Our Advertisers

Illustrator Jon Whitcomb sketched up this happy scene to promote this “Smart French Drink”…

…as noted in our lead story, cigarette manufacturers made all sorts of health claims connected to heavy smoking…

…now this was the way to travel…sadly the U.S. has largely abandoned reliable rail service…

…from the back of the book, enticements to escape the city into the countryside…

…another Dr. Seuss Flit ad, anticipating his 1954 bestseller Horton Hears a Who…

…on to our spots, we start with a summer stock-themed woodcut by Susan Willard Flint…

…escaping the heat with Christina Malman…

…on to our cartoonists, we begin with caption-less entries by Constantin Alajalov…

…Daniel ‘Alain’ Brustlein…

…George Price…

…and Otto Soglow…

…Alan Dunn gave us a man seeking order in chaos…

…and Helen Hokinson gave us a woman turning chaos into order…

…another from Hokinson, anticipating a scene from The Music Man…

…and we close with Peter Arno, and a surprise announcement…

Next Time: Platoon Platitudes…

Highfalutin Absurdities

Above: Margaret Mitchell poses with her award-winning novel, c. 1938. Mitchell won the National Book Award for Fiction for Most Distinguished Novel of 1936 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937. Gone With the Wind was the only novel she published in her lifetime. (britannica.com)

Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel Gone With the Wind and the 1939 film it inspired have both served as controversial reference points for cultural critics and scholars, particularly for the stereotypical and derogatory portrayals of African Americans in the 19th century South.

Ninety years later the novel still proves divisive; it also remains one of America’s most-loved books. Worldwide, more than 30 million copies have been printed in the U.S. and abroad.

In 1936 the novel quickly rose to the top of fiction bestseller lists, and was generally well received by critics. Novelist and literary critic Louis Kronenberger (1904–1980), who sat in for Clifton Fadiman in The New Yorker’s book section, praised the novel for its “highfalutin absurdities,” calling it a “masterpiece of pure escapism.” Kronenberger wrote that Gone with the Wind provided “a kind of catharsis…of all the false sentiment and heady goo that even the austerest mind somehow accumulates and periodically needs to get rid of.” He correctly predicted that the novel would be “very feverishly discussed” once people found the time to read its thousand-plus pages. Excerpts:

GOO GONE…Clockwise, from top left: Reading *Gone With the Wind* will clear one’s “heady goo,” according to critic Louis Kronenberger; **Margaret Mitchell** (1900–1949) seated before a selection of Gone With the Wind translations; an example of a German version of the novel—*Gone With the Wind* was translated into at least forty different languages with eight hundred unique international printings. *(azquotes.com/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/georgiaencyclopedia.org)*

IT HAS HOW MANY PAGES?!…**Clark Gable,** who portrayed Rhett Butler in the 1939 film adaptation of *Gone with the Wind,* has a look at **Margaret Mitchell’s** doorstop of a book. Mitchell was not involved in the screenplay or film production. *(yahoo.com)*

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Tweet From Tinseltown

Apparently actress Mary Astor was a New Yorker reader, having read an E.B. White “Notes” column that mentioned his stained-glass hummingbird feeders.

FOR THE BIRDS…A *New Yorker* column by E.B. White inspired actress **Mary Astor** to feed Hollywood’s hummingbirds. (Wikipedia)

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Going, Going, Gone

A “Talk of the Town” piece co-written by A. J. Liebling and Russell Maloney tracked down what remained of the Central Park Casino, which had been demolished under the orders of Parks Commissioner Robert Moses.

Moses hated former Mayor Jimmy Walker, and by association he hated Walker’s favorite haunt, the Central Park Casino. Despite pleas from preservationists to save the famous Art Deco supper club, which had been beautifully rebuilt by the late designer Joseph Urban, Moses moved as quickly as possible to demolish the building. Following a public auction, the iconic horseshoe-shaped bar and some interior fixtures were acquired by the Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey and subsequently installed beside the park’s wave pool.

FROM GLITTER TO RUIN…Clockwise, from top left, the Central Park Casino on the evening of Sept.10, 1935; interior images of **Joseph Urban’s** elegant Art Deco designs; workers remove windows and interior fixtures as demolition commences in May 1936. *(nycgovparks.com/centralpark.org/mcny.org)*

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Maddy Returns

It’s a shame that writer Maddy Vegtel is largely forgotten today. She wrote with great wit and verve, and was well known in the 1920s and 30s for her Vanity Fair profiles and for her articles about Holland, her native land. A contributor to The New Yorker from 1926 to 1956, she published this casual in July 4 issue.

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Bad Men and Mad Men

The poet Ogden Nash shared his thoughts on the summer political convention season:

THE LORD’S ANOINTED…**Ogden Nash** (center) observed this belief in the political animal; at left and right, the Democratic and Republican nominees for president in 1936, **Franklin D. Roosevelt** and **Alf Landon**. (Wikimedia/poetryverse.com/Wikipedia)

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At the Movies

Critic John Mosher was on board for MGM’s musical-drama disaster film San Francisco, which told the story of a saloon keeper, a singer, and a priest caught up in 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

SHAKING IN THEIR BOOTS…Clockwise, from top left: MGM poster for San Francisco touts the first-time pairing of **Clark Gable** and Jeanette MacDonald in a film; scene from the film featuring, from left, **Gable, Jack Holt, Spencer Tracy** and **MacDonald**; the film included stunning effects, including an earthquake montage sequence that interspersed scenes of wreckage with the faces of terrified victims; Gable assesses the carnage in a scene from the film. *(imdb.com/kittypackard.wordpress.com)*

Mosher offered a tongue-cheek assessment of Shirley Temple’s appearance in her latest film, The Poor Little Rich Girl, noting that “There’s not the slightest indication of aging in Miss Temple.” The child star was just shy of eight years old when she filmed the picture. As for the The White Angel, Mosher found the Florence Nightingale biopic—with Kay Francis in the title role—”a little schoolbookish [and] quite on the dull side.”

THAT YOUTHFUL GLOW…Top photo: Critic **John Mosher** found **Shirley Temple** still able to “delight her tremendous public” in *The Poor Little Rich Girl*—she is seen here with co-stars **Jack Haley** and **Alice Faye**; Below: **Kay Francis** and **Ian Hunter** in *The White Angel*, a film about Florence Nightingale’s pioneering work as a nurse during the Crimean War. *(tcm.com)*

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From Our Advertisers

Sunscreen as we understand it today wasn’t available to New Yorkers in 1936, so they relied on zinc oxide and other mineral applications to avoid sunburns…however, Eugene Schueler, founder of L’Oréal, developed the first tanning oil with UV radiation-filtering properties in Europe in 1935 (active ingredient was benzyl salicylate), and later marketed it to the U.S. as Ambre Solaire…the brand is still sold today…

…Stage magazine continued to promote their 1911 throwback issue…

…the back cover belonged to Liggett & Myers, offering another romantic couple enjoying their Chesterfields…

…we open the cartoons with Richard Taylor, who felt the heat as summer took hold in the city…on July 4, 1936, the official high temperature in Central Park reached an unseasonably warm 93 degrees F (34 c), hitting 106 F (41C) five days later on July 9…that mark remains the city’s all-time absolute highest temperature…

…Otto Soglow’s spot art showed us how one well-heeled family escaped the hot city…

…while Susan Willard Flint offered a woodcut if a quiet cobbled street…

…Tom Holloway showed us how one posh kid delivered the Saturday Evening Post (Holloway was a cartoonist for the Post, contributing just two drawings to The New Yorker, both in 1936)…

…the woman’s expression says it all in this Helen Hokinson cartoon…

…George Price gave us a saleswoman who saw one two many pool floats…

…Gardner Rea drew up a vast estate for a man who (almost) had it all…

…Fritz Wilkinson did some deep sea swan diving…

…Gilbert Bundy found a clue at the gentleman’s club…

…Mary Petty went all out for the Fourth of July…

…and we close with Peter Arno, and the miracle of birth…

Next Time: Better Living Through Fiction…

Meet Father Divine

Above: Father Divine points to a Crum Elbow Estate sign (in Highland, NY) in July 1938. His followers purchased the 500-acre spread from anti-New Dealer Howland Spencer...the property was located directly across the Hudson from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Hyde Park family home. That same summer Father Divine would also buy a fifty-room double dwelling in New York City. These and other locations served as integrated "heavens" for his followers. (Wikimedia Commons)

America has long been fertile ground for various religious denominations, sects and cults. Although the U.S. Religion Census has cataloged more than 370 distinct religious groups and bodies in the U.S., there are tens of thousands of independents scattered across the country.

Some of these remain small, while others grow into megachurches often organized around a charismatic leader. Such was the case with Father Divine (1876–1965), aka Reverend Major Jealous Divine, aka George Baker.

His life as George Baker of Valdosta, Georgia came to an end in 1907 when he became known as “the Messenger.” He parted ways with the Baptist church, declared himself a god, and was asked to leave Georgia after his 1914 arrest for lunacy. He led his followers to Brooklyn and later to a commune in Sayville, New York (Long Island), where he founded the International Peace Mission movement and came to be known as Father Divine. By the early 1930s his small and predominantly black congregation had grown into a multiracial and international church.

So intriguing was his story that The New Yorker published a lengthy, three-part profile written by St. Clair McKelway and A.J. Liebling. Here are excerpts from Part One (illustration by William Cotton):

A DEFT DUO…**A.J. Liebling** (left) and **St. Clair McKelway**, both acclaimed journalists, co-authored the three-part profile of **Father Divine**. Liebling (1904–1963) was closely associated with The New Yorker, joining the magazine in 1935 (he was also a well-known gastronome); McKelway (1905–1980) served as *The New Yorker’s* managing editor for journalistic contributions from 1936 to 1939 and wrote for the magazine for forty-seven years. *(Wikipedia/sfgate.com)*

DIVINE’S PATH…Clockwise, from top left: After relocating to Brooklyn in 1914, **Father Divine** married his first wife, **Peninniah**—they are shown here admiring his portrait; Father Divine led large gatherings centered on food—here he entertains guests at a summer retreat in upstate New York in 1938; following the death of **Peninniah**, the 70-year-old Father Divine married 21-year-old **Edna Ritchings** in 1946—she took the name “Mother Divine, with Father Divine claiming she was the reincarnation of Penninah; in 1953 Father Divine was given a hilltop estate (“Woodmont”) in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, by follower John Devoute. The estate is the center of the International Peace Mission movement, a shrine to Father Divine’s life, and a meeting place for the few remaining followers. *(thecityroot.com/Newark Public Library/hsmcpa.org/Wikipedia)*

How did Father Divine come to believe he was a god? This excerpt offers some insights into his early development:

One of the perils of this kind of thinking is that it can lead to the formation of dangerous cults. Jim Jones, the notorious leader of the Peoples Temple, heavily modeled his early church activities and authoritarian structure on Father Divine’s example. Jones even attempted to take over the International Peace Mission after Father Divine’s death—in 1971 he tried to convert the Peace Mission’s followers, claiming he was the reincarnated Father Divine. His takeover attempt was thwarted by Mother Divine, who went to the media and publicly denounced Jones and the Peoples Temple. In 1974 Jones and his followers would relocate to a Guyana commune he called Jonestown. Four years later Jones would lead the mass murder-suicide of 909 Jonestown inhabitants.

AT ODDS…**Jim Jones** (left, circa 1970) attempted to take over the International Peace Mission after **Father Divine’s** death, but was publicly denounced by Mother Divine. At right, **Mother Divine** giving her first interview following the death of Father Divine in 1965. (Wikipedia/temple.edu)

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At the Movies

The media has always thrived on crime stories, feeding the public’s insatiable desire to be tantalized; once sated, they often demand swift justice. Take the heavily publicized 1933 case of two San Jose, California men who were accused of kidnapping and murdering a department store heir. Rather than wait for justice to be served, an angry mob broke into the jail and lynched the accused. Fascinated by the story, MGM screenwriter Norman Krasna pitched it as a potential film.

That film would become Fury, German director Fritz Lang’s first American project. Prior to fleeing the Third Reich in 1933, Lang was perhaps best known to Americans for his pioneering 1927 silent sci-fi film Metropolis and the 1931 thriller M. Lang sought to demonstrate how a decent and civilized man could become filled with vengeance and hate. Although critic John Mosher could see how the film had been tampered with by studio execs (and the Hays Code), he was nevertheless impressed by Lang’s direction and by the performances of lead actors Sylvia Sidney and Spencer Tracy.

WRONG TURN…Clockwise, from top left: In *Fury,* **Spencer Tracy** played gas station owner Joe Wilson, who drives west to reunite with his fiancée—the dog seated to his right is **Terry**, the same Cairn Terrier who played Toto in *The Wizard of Oz*; while camping outside a small town, Joe is arrested by a creepy local deputy (**Walter Brennan**) on suspicion of kidnapping a child; a mob forms and tries to burn Joe in his cell; in the confusion of the fire he escapes and seeks vengeance on the mob, but in the end finds peace with his fiancée (**Sylvia Sidney**). (imdb.com)

Peter Lorre, who was famously directed by Fritz Lang in the 1931 German thriller M, was starring in Alfred Hitchcock’s Secret Agent, which also featured John Gielgud (already famous as a London stage performer), Madeline Carroll, and Robert Young.

SECRETS AND LIES…Clockwise from top left: **Peter Lorre, John Gielgud, Madeline Carroll,** and **Robert Young** in *Secret Agent;* Carroll with Young, who played a German mole; Carroll, Gielgud and Lorre amid the wreckage of a train; Lorre in a scene with **Lilli Palmer.** *(imdb.com)*

Mosher briefly mentioned a new Fred MacMurray/Carole Lombard comedy–mystery, and the return of two silent movie stars.

CHOOSE YOUR PARTNER…The second of four films **Fred MacMurray** made with Carole Lombard between 1935 and 1937, *The Princess Comes Across* featured Lombard doing a clever take-off on **Greta Garbo**; silent-film veterans **Harry Carey** and **Hoot Gibson** stood for the ideals of the Old West in a culture clash with scientific crime-fighting in *The Last Outlaw.* The film was a remake of a 1919 silent film originally written and directed by John Ford. (imdb.com/csfd.cz)

* * *

Beer Bottle Battle

E.B. White (in his “Notes and Comment”) seized on the battle between bottle and can manufacturers as an apt metaphor for the jousting of Republicans and Democrats ahead of the November elections.

FOAMING AT THE MOUTH…Competing ads from Collier’s magazine circa 1935-36 illustrate the battle between can and bottle manufacturers. Ninety years later, beer drinkers still debate the merits of glass over cans. *(boakandbailey.com/ebay.com)*

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From Our Advertisers

In 1936 whisky was still firmly in bottle form, and the makers of Canadian Club—through a series of ads—wanted to let us know you could enjoy their tipple almost anywhere in the world…

…this woman poses an interesting question, considering the fellas are riding atop a dusty stagecoach in the Arizona heat—in formal attire no less…

…over the years we’ve seen a lot of Adolph Teidler’s work for the Bermuda Board of Trade…Teidler (1886–1981) was also well known for his Saturday Evening Post covers…

…here’s an example of Teidler’s work for the Bermuda Board of Trade from the Feb. 22, 1936 issue of The New Yorker…

…the Zenith Radio Corporation touted their modern, streamlined “Zephyr” radio by industrial designer Robert Davol Budlong…

A restored Zenith 10-S-147 Zephyr chairside radio. (Pete Johnson–Zenith Radios Enthusiasts and Collectors via Facebook.com)

…Frank Quail Jr was a prominent automotive illustrator active from the 1920s through the 1930s. He was well-known for his work with luxury automobile brands such as Cadillac, LaSalle and Packard…here he conjures up a breezy seaside image for Cadillac’s more affordable LaSalle model (most of these ads were two-page spreads, with promo copy on the right-hand page)…

…and more Dr. Seuss on behalf of Flit insecticide…

…we begin the cartoon section with some spot art…here are two by Arnold Hall…

…and one from Richard Taylor…

…Alain referenced the upcoming heavyweight bout at Yankee Stadium between Max Schmeling and Joe Louis…their two fights in 1936 and 1938 were international sensations…