Life, 1927-03-10 · page 15 of 38
Life — March 10, 1927 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page announces Life magazine's "Alibi Contest," a humor competition offering $100 weekly in prizes ($50 first prize, five $10 second prizes). The contest asks readers to imagine themselves as a woman named "Dolly" in a compromising situation: caught by her fiancé while dancing with another man. Contestants must supply an alibi—a plausible excuse for the infidelity. The cartoon (Alibi Number Thirteen) shows two young women at what appears to be a beach or resort, with one explaining her behavior to the other. The dialogue bubble hints at the comic premise: Peggy accuses Dolly of breaking her engagement promise, and Dolly attempts a creative excuse. This reflects 1920s-30s humor conventions: marital fidelity concerns, witty evasions, and the popularity of parlor games and word puzzles among educated audiences. The contest invited readers' comedic creativity around everyday social transgressions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life ALIBI CONTEST $100.00 Weekly in Prizes ALIBI NUMBER EIGHT Her Fiancé: you PROMISED TO DANCE WITH ME, AND THEN WENT AND SAT OUT FOUR DANCES WITH FRED TUPPLE. WHAT'S THE IDEA? She: WELL, YOU SEE, IT WAS THIS way... I’ve just joined the Skep- tics’ Society and we're testing out the old saw that ‘‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”” INCE this Contest started in Lire, Alibi-throwing has devel- oped from a serious habit into a pop- ular sport. Necessity has always been the mother of invention of ex- cuses: ladies and gentlemen did not think up Alibis because they wanted to, but because they had to. Now they can do it for fun—with no personal risk involved, and with the additional attraction of cash prizes for the cleverest excuse-con- cocters. Study the picture below. Place yourself in the position of the girl named Polly (you can do it without half trying). What would you reply to the rather embarrassing question propounded by Peggy? Remember that you are eligible to compete for this week’ even though previously you have taken no part in the Alibi Contest. Be sure to typewrite your answers, or write them clearly, briefly and legibly! The prizes are as follows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each Next week we will publish ALIBI NUMBER FOURTEEN, with a new sct of prizes offered. The win- ners of ALIBI NUMBER NINE will be announced in the same issue. Read the conditions carefully— and go to it! This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by Cuester W. Waker, Canaan, Vermont. Five second prizes have been awarded to the follow- ing: Cor. Beverty F. Browne, Baltimore, Maryland, for the Alibi: “My resolution toppled with Tupple’s tipple!” tsie Fonviette, West Palm Beach, Florida, for the Alibi: “Fred said he had heard some one say something nice about you and he was trying to think what it was.” Dr. Herman C. Meister, Brooklyn, New York, for the Alibi: “Fred was telling me what a wonderful fel- low you are and I was so interested I forgot all about you,” Hecu R. Tupuopr, Orillia, Canada, for the Alibi: “Tupple totes intriguing tipple.” R. H. Waite, Jr., Atlanta, Georgia, for the Alibi: “You said you didn’t want me running around with other men since we're engaged.” Conditions of the Contest E: ACH week we will publish a different picture in the ALIBI CONTEST—the picture this week being marked “ALIBI NUMBER THIRTEEN.” The first prize of $50.00 will be awarded each week to the contestant who, in the opinion of the Judges, farnishes the cleverest and most convincing conclusion to the sentence which starts, (Continued on page 34) —~—= wens 0 Peggy: LAST NIGHT YOU TOLD ME YOU’D SWUM THE CATA- LINA CH. L, AND TO-DAY YOU TOLD TOM THOMSON YoU ‘7 SWIM A STROKE. HOW COME? Polly: WELL, YOU SEE, IT’S THIS WAY. comicbooks.com