Life, 1921-07-28 · page 30 of 34
Life — July 28, 1921 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine (a satirical weekly) collects brief humorous anecdotes sourced from newspapers and magazines worldwide, mocking human folly across various social situations. The jokes target: **Criminals and justice**: A prisoner promises to wear gloves on his next heist—satirizing criminals' lack of genuine reform. **Business ethics**: A bankrupt defendant refuses to reveal his credit secrets lest competitors learn them—mocking dishonest business practices. **Marriage and gender**: A wife saves her husband's cigar money by quitting smoking, then spends his savings on a gold cigarette case—lampooning female hypocrisy and materialism. **Class commentary**: A reference to "the great meddle class" criticizes middle-class busybodies. **Theater mishap**: Managers of *Uncle Tom's Cabin* productions absconding with actors' pay—exposing theatrical industry fraud. The advertisements (Egyptian Deities cigarettes, a building illustration) are secondary. The page's humor relies on audience familiarity with contemporary social types and concerns: fraud, marital discord, and working-class struggles.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Such Carelessness It was visiting day at the jail and the uplifters were on deck. “My good man,” said one kindly lady, “I hope that since you have come here you have had time for meditation and have decided to correct your faults.” “I have that, mum,” replied the pris- oner in heartfelt tones. “Believe me, the next job I pull, this baby wears gloves.” —American Legion Weekly. His Trade Secret Tue Court (during bankruptcy pro- ceedings): Kindly inform the court how you managed to keep your credit open. DEFENDANT: Certainly. But allow me to suggest that I impart this infor- mation behind closed doors. There are several of my competitors present and I have no desire to teach them the secret. —Karikaturen (Christiania). Thrift and Self-denial Hiccins: My wife induced me to quit smoking and save my cigar money. Wiccins: And have you saved much? Hiccins: A hundred dollars. But my wife took it and bought herself a gold cigarette case. —Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Very True “An Old-Fashioned Woman” writes in to ask, “What is a stadium?” A stadium, madam, is a large ball park with a uni- versity attached—Boston Transcript. “Look here, waiter. We've been waiting over half-an-hour.” “Can't help it, Mum; this isn’t the divorce court.”—Reproduced from Punch (Lon- don) by arrangement with the proprietors. Married Life “Do you share your husband's :sor- rows?” “Yes, he blames me for everything.” —Louisville Courier-Journal. America is now witnessing the rise of the great meddle class. . ; —Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. Through the Back Door The manager of an “Uncle Tom’; Cabin” company intentionally forgot to pay the members of the company their usual salaries—and “skipped” with all the money. The players, as soon as they discoy- ered the true situation, unleashed the blood-hounds used in the play and sent them on the trail of the missing manager, The blood-hounds caught up with the manager, but the latter corralled them and formed a Number Two company of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” —Theatre Magazine. Something New Tue Actress: I have driven three men to the dogs, obtained two divorces and won six lawsuits, and my pear! neck- lace has been stolen twice—I don’t know what else I can do to set the world gaping. Her MAnacer: parts perfectly. —Le Journal Amusant (Paris). Knew His Bible Brickiayer: ’Op it—we can't ‘ave you a-blowin’ that trumpet round ‘ere, Boy Scout: Why? Bricktayer: "Tain’t safe—you know wot ’appened to the walls of Jericho, don’t yer?—Tit-Bits (London). A Bad Character “Why did you fire your cashier?’ “Well, in the first place, he didn’t know anything, and in the second he was capable of everything.” —Kasper (Stockholm). Try learning your Lire_is published every Thursday, simultaneously in the United States, Great Britain, Canada and British Possessions. Patent Office. $5.00 a year in advance. current copies, 15 cents. Lane, London, E. ingland. Title registered in Additional postage to foreign countries in the Postal Union, $1.60 a year; to Canada, 80 cents. Single Back numbers, after three months from date of publication, 25 cents. Issues prior to 1910 out of print. The text and illustrations in Lire are copyrighted. For Reprint Rights in Great Britain apbly, to Lire, Rolls House, Breams Buildings, Fetter The foreign trade supplied from Lire’s London Office, Rolls House, Breams Buildings, London, E. C. 386-388 St. James Street, Montreal, Canada, No contributions will be returned unless accompanied by stamped and addressed envelope. Lire docs not hold itself responsible for the loss or non-return of unsolicited contributions. Canadian distributor, J. R. Tanguay, Notice of change of address should reach this office two weeks prior to the date of issue to be affected. “Che Utmost in Cigarettes People of culture and_ refin PREFER_) Deities to any other cigarette “Plain End or Cork Tip ement invariabl ae Just as riveter Jim reached the twenty-third floor a strike was called. comicbooks.com pS