Life, 1926-06-17 · page 24 of 44
Life — June 17, 1926 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a satirical comedy sketch from *Life* magazine depicting a classic "con man" character type popular in early 20th-century American humor. The scene shows two street-smart men ("The Wise Guy" and Harry) reuniting on Broadway. The Wise Guy boasts about his schemes, including tricking someone and recently getting married. The joke's punchline reveals his wife is unhappy (claiming a headache), and when a blonde woman emerges from a nearby store, Harry recognizes her as the Wise Guy's wife—who ducked into the store specifically to avoid her own husband. The satire targets the boastful con artist archetype: someone who prides himself on outsmarting others but is himself cuckolded or evaded by his own wife. The humor relies on irony—the "slick" operator is fooled by the people closest to him. The working-class dialect and Broadway setting emphasize this as urban American comedy of that era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
~ eee, A gt tig Prt Rainstc? Scene: Broadway in the Forties, HE WISE GUY: Well, Harry! Well, "Tv old son-of-a-gun! Harry: Ya big stiff, how are ya? Tue Wise Guy: Gooling 'em, kid! Harry: You was always the slick one, big boy. Tue Wise Guy: You know me, Harry. In an’ out, in an’ out! . Harry: Well, they was never no one what could put anything over on you. Tue Wise Guy: But I gotta laugh, Harry. Harry: Go ahead, I'll laugh with you. Tue Wise Guy: Well, there was this guy, see! And he has a pretty slick little proposi- tion—oh, nice! It had a shape like a pretzel. So I let him think he is stringing me along, and then right at the psycholagle moment, I double-crosses him! Harry: Sweet mamma! Tne Wise Guy: Right to his face I says, George! tii — | nb iit Broadway L ife THE MAN WHO ONLY LEFT A NICKEL, AND HAD TO COME BACK FOR HIS BOOK The Wise Guy “Ya big crook,” I says, “what are ya gonna Tue Wise Guy: She ain't feeling so good, Tr do about it, ya big crook?” I says. And of She got a kind of a sudden headache, like takir course he ain't got no more comeback than a__I didn’t speak to her—the maid says she was of n derby hat has warts. Harry: Haw! Haw! Haw! T'll say. Tue Wise Guy: Saay—I almost like to forget to spill ya the big dirt. I up and got married. Pretty sweet, lying down tryin’ to get some sleep. Harry: ‘Stoo bad. other time, George. Tue Wise Guy: You seddit. You got to meet her, Harry. You be crazy about her. Well, some Harry: No, f'gossakes! Harry: I beleeve it. You know Tue Wise Guy: That's me—look me over, your way about, son. So long, I kid. And oh, baby, some mommer! No give you a ring. kiddin’, Harry, the littke woman's a pip! Tue Wise Guy: You do that Harry: Trust you to pick 'em! Tue Wise Guy: Well, if I say so meself, she’s class. Saay, lissen, I wancha ta meet her. Wait, I give her a ring and we go right up now. little thing. So long. (He goes off. A beautiful blonde emerges from the store next to the cigar store.) Tue Bonne: Has he went? Harry: Has who went? THIS 1S HOW | Harry: I don’t mind if I do, (The wise Tue Bronve: My husband, brain- MOXY NIG. guy disappears into a cigar store to telephone. less! OFS OF He emerges in due time.) Harry: Your husband! So that’s MM vanty | Tue Wisr Guy: Aw, that's a tough break. why you ducked into the store like — twandue—ay Harry: ’Smatta? that! THE INTEL \ comicbooks.com