Life, 1926-09-23 · page 25 of 40
Life — September 23, 1926 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct pieces of humor: **"Lessons in New Yorkese: The Movies"** satirizes working-class New York dialect and cinema-goers' behavior. Two women attend a film, constantly interrupting each other with questions about the plot while also talking loudly—a common complaint about theater audiences. The exaggerated phonetic spelling ("Lookit," "Wassit," "inna") mocks New York working-class speech patterns. **"1926 Edition"** discusses an upcoming boxing championship, likely heavyweight title fight. The caption celebrates modern technology—radio broadcasts reaching millions globally in multiple languages—as a marvel of the era. A reader asks "What fight?" suggesting even this major sporting event wasn't universally known. **"The Wrong Shop"** is a brief joke: a woman enters what appears to be a hardware store asking for beauty supplies (powder, washer), and the clerk confirms it's not a beauty parlor, implying she's in the wrong place. The small cartoon below shows dating advice about physical affection, typical of 1920s humor about courtship.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
iblish, rears heck 1 in other rust lish t of gin vhich ledg- Lessons in New Yorkese The Movies “()LOOKIT Mae wecomein inna middleavva pitcha,” “Well setdown ennyhow Agnisand givvus ahunka chingum.” (Two minutes elapse.) “Lissen Mae Idamake hedna taila this pitcha. Wassit allabout?” “Saboutanuff offayou. — Givvita chanst willya?” “Wella liketa knowwassit allabout. Weshoulda comein inna beginnin.” “You shoulda wentout aforeit started. Choo ya chingum angivya tawnsils arest.” “Wassasense alookin atta pitcha ifya cantmake hedna tail outavit?” ““Imake hedna tail outa youwinna minnit. Cha shuttupan enjer yaself?” “HoweannI enjer meself fidunno wassit allabout huh? Wassa guy doinat fa?” “Ofa Gaw sakes Agnis — cha seetha guys sweet onna goil anny otha guys sweet onna goil anny goils sweet onny otha guy....” “Anyou got batsinya belfry. Assa goils fawtha.” “No yadodo tha goils fawtha is the otha guy.” “Wattotha guy?” m “The fatwun backawaysback.” “Idasee no fatwun back- aways back.” “Wellacourse ya don’t. Thawas twominnits ago at- least. These is movin pitchas yaunnastan Agnis — movin. Wunnafta anotha see?” “Well willyalook no w ifftainta ship. Wassa shipfa? Iguessis musbe anoosreel.”” »witainta noosreel itsa feetclia_piteha.” “Well Icanmake hedna tail outavit.”” “Well dontast —toomucha yaself.”” vokit thafat guys acaptin offa ship anne ainta goils fawtha attal. Anna goils gassaila pantson. Fi hadda shape likeat Mae Iwoodin gowaroundinno saila pants.” “Yoube gowinaroun inna stray jackit inna minnit.” “Well Icanmake hedna tail cutavit. Thisis terabil.” “Tsay itis.”” NCOME 18 FORTY THO! D—MY CAPITAL IS ONE MILLION.” “THEN WE WILL SPEND THE CAPITAL FIRST, DEAR, AND K INCOME FOR A RAINY DAY.” thAmerrican flagonna boatrite un- 1926 Edition derit tees neckinna. “Owissit all ova? FAS: Just think, in twenty-four “Yessits all ov. hours it will be all over. The “Gee—wuzzint it swell!” champion will have retained Henry William Hanemann. or lost his titlk. A hundred thousand spectators will have gone home thrilled or di gusted. A million or more radio listeners will have laid down the phones or silenced the loudspeaker and will have marveled at being able to have heard the thud of gloves, the roar of the crowd, and perhaps the knockout blow. Tens of millions will cagerly await the newspapers that they may read, in a dozen different languages, the round- by-round story of the fight. Pintaperpuian: What fight? Bill Sykes. The Wrong Shop FrARMERETTE: I want a file, a pint of paint, some powder, a washer, and some hose. Harpware Crerx: Sorry, Fndadile fine - i miss, this ain’t no beauty par- lor. “Weshouldna comein inna Gertie: 1 WONDER HOW 1 CAN RETAIN MY YOUTH- middle avva pitcha.” “Wellitsall ova now. See— Joan: KEEP YOUR CHEEK AWAY FROM YouR aguys neckinna goil ritunda FUL BLOOM. OTTO of the four- . wheeled sheik: Love ’em SWEETIE’S SHOULDER. and fliv ‘em, comicbooks.com