Life, 1927-04-14 · page 12 of 38
Life — April 14, 1927 — page 12: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features Life's "Alibi Contest," a humorous puzzle where readers submit creative excuses to explain awkward social situations. **Alibi Number Thirteen** (left): Shows two women in conversation. The winning entry (by I. Shepard of Massachusetts) addresses why someone claimed they could swim the Catalina Channel yesterday but couldn't swim a stroke today—the alibi being they didn't want Tom to know they could swim. **Alibi Number Eighteen** (right): Depicts a dining scene where someone must explain ordering fifty dollars' worth of ginger ale and sandwiches. The joke hinges on creating a plausible excuse for this extravagant order. These contest entries satirize the everyday social excuses people make to cover embarrassing contradictions or suspicious behavior—a relatable form of 1920s-era humor that prizes clever, inventive explanations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
TS ARRAY ALIBI NUMBER THIRTEEN Peggy: ast NIGUT YoU TOLD ME you'D SWUM THE CATALINA CHANNEL, AND TO-DAY YOU TOLD TOM THOMSON YOU COULDN'T sWI3t A STROKE, NOW COME? Polly: WELL, you see, It’s THIS WAY... I told Tom I couldn't swim, just to see what kind of a ‘“‘line’’ he'd throw to me. This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by I. Sueparp, 25 Westbourne Terrace, Brookline, Massachusetts. Five second prizes of $10.00 each have been awarded to the following: Anprew M. Caroruers, Chattanooga, Ten- nessee, for the Alibi: “Tom said he was found guilty in an oil suit, and I didn’t want him to know I was in one too.” Grace Cornwatt, Mill Valley, California, for the Alib I can only swim in salt water and when Tom’s around even the water gets fresh.” Mrs. Erma H. Eppy, Princeton, N. J., for the Alibi: “I thought it would improve his arm action, and give me more of a kick.” W. H. Layne, Notre Dame, Indiana, for the Alibi: “Tom think’s he’s pretty hot and I want to get him in the water and extinguish him!” Atice Prenperoast, Saint Paul, Minne- sota, for the Alibi: “Tom Thomson is so bashful; I was manufacturing an opportunity for him to embrace.” ALIBI CONTEST Conditions of the Contest on page 30 $100.00 Weekly in Prizes OCTORS, lawyers, mer- chants, college presidents, scientists, soldiers, sailors and plain citizens of both sexes have competed in this amusing pas- time since Lire printed Alibi Number One. The situation depicted below by our Mr. Holton shows a night club brigand who is being called upon for an Alibi. Help him to deliver a suffi- ciently clever and _ ingenious explanation—one that will ef- fectively silence the outraged patron, Frame your answers in twenty-five words or less and mail them in to the ALIBI CONTEST EDITOR. Remem- ber, it is not necessary to have submitted previous answers, The Contest is open to any one, any time. Read carefully the conditions on page 30 (they are not the complicated kind) and go after one of the prizes, which are as follows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each ALIBI NUMBER NINE- TEEN will be published in Lire next week, with a new set of prizes offered. -—— ] ALIBI NUMBER EIGHTEEN wicEs! Waiter: =. 4 Qa 44> The Sucker: FIFTY DOLLARS FOR GINGER ALE AND SAND- HOW DO YOU FIGURE THAT? WELL, YOU SEE, SIR, IT’S THIS WAY... comicbooks.com