Life, 1927-03-17 · page 15 of 43
Life — March 17, 1927 — page 15: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page announces **Life magazine's "Alibi Contest"** — a humor competition asking readers to submit clever excuses for embarrassing situations. **Alibi Number Nine** (left): A waiter explains why his income doubled after half an hour. The joke: he ordered American cheese and Dutch cheese, then "took it out to get it naturalized" — a pun on immigration/naturalization. The humor mocks both the waiter's absurd scheme and contemporary anxieties about foreign goods. **Alibi Number Fourteen** (right): A movie star explains having a wife and child despite claiming bachelorhood. The illustration depicts confusion at a doorway; his excuse plays on Hollywood's reputation for deception. These alibis satirize everyday dishonesty through exaggeration, reflecting 1920s American humor about social pretense and questionable logic.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Li PRIZE WINNERS ALIBI NUMBER NINE Restaurant Patron: My WAITER DISAPPEARED HALF AN nove 1Go! WHAT’s BECOME OF 11M? Waiter: weit, you ser, sin, 17's THIS WAY... You ordered American cheese and we only had Dutch, so he has taken it out to get it naturalized. This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by G. F. Extiot, St. Clare Apartments, Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Five second prizes have been awarded to the following: C. D. Beers, Baltimore, Maryland, for the Alibi: “The place was padlocked and it took half an hour to reor- ganize under new management.” Wittiuam H. Bett, St. Louis, Missouri, for the Alibi: “You ordered wild turkey, sir, and your waiter is out now teasing one.” for the Karurren M. Hearp, Corington, Georgii Alibi: “He's one of a rapidly disappearing class. Warren Heatu, San Francisco, California, for the Alibi: “The chef is French, and whenever any one orders cabinct pudding, he makes it up fresh from a different recipe.” Lovisr C. Woop, Indianapolis, Indiana, for the Alibi: “He believes that the true glory of service lies in self- effacement.” Next Week We Will Announce the Winners of ALIBI NUMBER TEN ALIBI CONTEST Conditions of the Contest on page 40 $100.00 Weekly in Prizes HA4vE you tried your hand at Alibi-throwing—the new National Sport? It is good fun and good practice (you never know when you may need Alibis for personal use) ; furthermore, it’s profitable. The picture below shows a handsome film star in an embarrassing predicament. Can you suggest a clever explanation for him to use in this emergency? Have a try at it. Remember that all answers to ALIBI NUMBER FOURTEEN must reach Lire’s office before 12 noon on March 31, 1927. The prizes are as follows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each ALIBI NUMBER FIFTEEN will be published in Lire next week. Read the conditions carefully—and go to it! ALIBI NUMBER FOURTEEN [| She: you TOLD ME THAT YOU’RE A BACHELOR, IN THAT CASE, HOW DO YOU ACCOUNT FOR THE WIFE AND CHILD? He (a movie star): weit, you see, IT’S THIS WAY... comicbooks.com