Life, 1924-04-03 · page 53 of 60
Life — April 3, 1924 — page 53: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page combines literary satire with advertising. The left side reviews Arnold Bennett's novel "Riceyman Steps," a satirical poem mocking the book's plot about miserly Londoners. The poem itself contains dark humor—the characters are so stingy they literally starve to death ("malnutrition"), and their servant Elsie escapes by marrying a "shell-shocked Joe" (a World War I veteran). Below the review is a single-panel cartoon illustrating a Le Ruy Blas (Paris) quote mocking fake diamonds sold at genuine prices—the imitation is so perfect, they charge the same amount. The cartoon shows figures examining jewelry, satirizing consumer deception. The page's dominant content is a Palmolive Shaving Cream advertisement urging men not to buy yet, but instead test the product with ten free shaves. The ad uses pseudo-scientific claims ("Chief Chemist," "130 formulas tested") to establish credibility, a common early 20th-century marketing tactic.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Rhymed Reviews Riceyman Steps By Arnold Bennett George H. Doran Co. Tue Steps arise in Clerkenwell (So Bennett says—I've never been there), Where now the humbler people dwell Though Charles the Second kept Nell Gwyn there Beside the Steps there used to be A bargain bookshop, dark The And well-to-do, id dingy wher,—neat enough to see awful was stingy To him it seemed a noble game » lure the nimble guinea sackward ; “Earlforward” was the creature's name,— Tt really backward.” should have been “Count- He felt the prick of Cupid's barb When forty-gettin; o-fifty And wooed and wedded Mrs. Arb A widow pretty near as thrifty » run their house Engaged the faithful slavey A sweeter-natured lass ull seck f Chelsea, the canny twain Elsie; in vain Cricklewood to Her hair was black, her eyes were blue Her life had been a hard and glum one: But strong she was and kind and true, And always taking care of some one In chilly rooms, on mehgre fare twenty pounds a year as wages She served that penny-pinching pair, Till, after months that ages, seemed like Those misers died of being so, — The doctors called it “malnutrition” : And Elsie married shell-shocked Joe. lad of docile disposition “OUR DIAMONDS HAVE T RITY, THE SAME WEIGHT AND THY SAME SPARKLE AS THE GENUINE AR TICLE, AND IN ORDER TO MAKE THE IMITATION PERFECT, WE SELL THEM FOK EXACTLY THE SAME PRICE —Le Ruy Blas (Paris) LIFE - ee 10 Shaves F R E E See Coupon Don’t Buy Yet First prove our claims—Make this ten-shave test By V. K. Cassady, Chief Chemist GENTLEMEN: The claims we make on Palmolive Shaving Cream we know So we never ask men to buy. We never druggists sell it. All we urge or offer tate it Su ten-shave test price It is better than we expected We are masters of soap making In Palmolive S the leading toilet soap of the world. We learned wh Shaving Cream. We worked 18 months tc We made up and tested 130 formulas bef« meet those di e we Satisfied out Men were amazed HOW IT EXCELS in Lather 250 times $—Extre 3—Maintains its creamy” f ten minutes on the face J the fin that well-groomed look. T ample we are sending free Cream, There are new to you. Clip « PALMOLIVE SHAVING CREAM _ touch to shaving luxury. we hay men. tshow Leaves the * every man Who shave ; 10 SHAVES FREE and a Can of Palmolive After Shaving Talc The PALMOLTY Dept. B-700, 360 N. Mich comicbooks.com