Life, 1927-02-03 · page 5 of 35
Life — February 3, 1927 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains several humorous sections typical of Life's satirical format: **"Legal Murder"** criticizes extreme torture methods, referencing historical Chinese torture chambers while condemning their inhumanity—a commentary on judicial cruelty. **"Big Laughs of the Past"** presents a joke about pain inflicted on the disabled, reflecting era-typical dark humor now considered offensive. **"Efficiency"** jokes about transatlantic divorces among wealthy women, satirizing the leisured class's marital instability. **The comic strip** labeled "Efficiency" depicts a domestic scene with a servant, showing class dynamics and servant-employer relations of the period. **"She Followed Him Perfectly"** is a dialogue-heavy satirical piece about admiration and marriage, likely mocking romantic conventions. **"Nowadays"** contains brief satirical quips about media suppression and Prohibition—referencing 1920s alcohol ban enforcement. The overall tone reflects 1920s-era American satirical humor and social commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Lifrve Legal Murder HELPLESSLY bound on the burning sands of a desert island in the far South Seas lay a huge hulk of a man writhing in torture, while about him danced two fiends taking ghoulish delight in the agony they were inflicting. It was a sight to bring pain to a heart of stone, yet not a hand was raised in aid of the victim. Never since the unimaginable _ bar- barities performed in ancient Chinese torture chambers had such inhuman suffering been im- posed upon a mor- tal frame. But life still remained—the vital spark still gleamed_ fitfully — and until blessed Big Laughs of the Past UMconsere es ness should arrive the paid torturers applied to the full every devilish me- chanical contrivance of pain that a diseased intelligence could conce: Yet all things must come to an end, Eventually that giant body gave a last spasmodic twitch, then lay silent. One of the two demons prodded it tentatively with a hot iron, “L tink, Fritz,” he remarked when he failed to evoke an answering stir, “der Captain iss ge-oudt!” “Choor, Hans,” replied his satanic mate, “trow alretty acup vater in der oldt geezer’s face und gif anodder toin mit der tumscrews vile I tink up someting else fonny ve shouldt pull on him neggst Sunday.” Tip Bliss. CAIN KNOCKS ABEL FOR A ROW OP ONE-ROOM BUNGALOWS. Efficiency M°': GRAMERCY: It's just wonderful to be able alk across the Atlantic. Mus. Park: I wouldn't be surprised any day to hear that you could get one of those Paris divorces without the trouble of going over. THE HOME LIFE OF A COMIC STRIP ARTIST **She Followed Him Perfectly ”’ SHE: I simply can’t stand Shaw, can you? ‘7 He: Well, he’s awfully clever, don’t you think? Yes, he i yfully clever, but I don’t know. One of the greatest minds of the age. Oh, of course. I admire him tremendously. Don’t you, though? I simply adore him— have! Don't you abominate Mencken? Sue: Oh, I simply loathe him—I can’t tell you how I detest him! He: But don’t you love the way he lampoons one- hundred-per-cent. Americanism as ied by our sterling go-getters? { WANT FIVE. POUNDS YES,MAAM. SHALL | “s Isn't it rich? Well, of OF ROUND STEAK SEND IT,OR. WILL course I adore Mencken—I always YOU ROLL IT HOME? have! Lloyd Mayer. Nowadays ILLIS: I asked the reporter to suppress that article. Gituis: Did he do it? Wiis: Practically. He didn’t put it on the sporting page. ROHIBITION may not succeed but it drys its best. comicbooks.com