Life, 1927-02-03 · page 25 of 35
Life — February 3, 1927 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"A Little Chat with a Literate Man"** mocks someone who constantly cites things "read somewhere" rather than forming independent opinions. The joke: this pedantic person dismisses movies, Hollywood actors, and radio while defending everything through vague secondhand sources—satirizing intellectual pretension and blind deference to print authority. **"Judge Landis" portrait** offers political satire about baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis (named after the Civil War). The humor lies in his absolute power over baseball: he fined Standard Oil $29 million (a precedent the government couldn't use) and serves as baseball's unchecked "monarch." The reference to Will H. Hays suggests comparison to another powerful censor. The joke critiques his arbitrary authority and players' forced "respectful" address. **"Putting Her Wise"** is a simple joke about a woman using a pocket dictionary to understand French lessons—implying she's learning French primarily to decode her professor's romantic intentions rather than the language itself. The overall page ridicules intellectual pretension, unchecked authority, and naive romanticism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life A Little Chat with a Literate Man “TO zou get to the movies much?” “No, I don’t; I read some- where they were hard on the eyes.” “You don’t miss a lot. They're all rotten.” “You're wrong there, I think. I read somewhere that they're the com- ing art form.” “Perhaps you're right. Parade’ was good.” “Did you like it? I read some- where that it might have been a lot better.” “Well, maybe so. Say, I bet those ‘The Big Big Laughs of the Past JULIET DECIDES TO DO A BRODIE FOR ROMEO, wople have some high old ut there in Hollywood.” you're quite wrong. I read omewhere they all lead quiet lives t home.” “T suppose they have to. That act- ng must be pretty hard work.” “No, it isn’t. “I read somewhere cting to it. They just rast types, “That's all it is, I guess. The Radio will soon have it over them.” “No. Quite the reverse. I read somewhere that the sale of radio sets has fallen off.” “Hard times coming, maybe.” “No. Tread somewhere the country was nev- er prosper- 0 The One-Hundred-Per-Center (receiving call from “Then Cool- again sure.” “Not at all. I read somewhere that he hasn’t a chance at a third cll, it’s good weather we're having.” “I don’t know. I read somewhere that the average temperature in “Hell!” “You shouldn't say that. I read somewhere that there isn’t any such place.” W. W. Scott. Journalistic Portraits Judge Landis E is an upright little man with whi hair, named after the Civil War. Between April and Oc- tober he sits in a box at a baseball park, where he leans over the railing and talks to Babe Ruth. Be- tween October and April he issues statements, He once fined the Stand- ard Oil Company twent nine million but the Govern ment attorneys have been unable to use this as a prece- dent in any recent oil cases, He is the only absolute monarch left since the War, with the solitary exception of Will H. Hays. He is called ‘Judge’ be- se he once occupied the Federal Bench in Illinois and some of his associates think it safer to keep the habit of referring to him re- spectfully. But Judge Landis’s real title is Commissioner be- cause his main business is seeing that baseball players do not take commissions. McC. H. London): 1 can’t idge will have it ME WHO WAS WHAT THIS BOZO’S DRIVING AT. TALKING ENGLISH! A Pertinent Question “NY boy says he’s going to marry M y ighter and paddle 1 own ¢ * remarked the first mil- lionair “Yes,” replied the second. which of us for the canoe “But be expected to pay Putting Her Wise LLA: So the professor said this 4 little pocket dictionary would be a great help to you with your French lessons? Betta: That's what he gave me to understand, THAT WASN'T NO QBOE,- THAT WAS MY comicbooks.com