Life, 1927-05-05 · page 13 of 46
Life — May 5, 1927 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **puzzle/game page**, not a political cartoon. Life magazine is running a weekly "Alibi Contest" where readers submit creative excuses or explanations for awkward situations. **Alibi Number Twenty-One** (the featured puzzle) shows a cartoon scene: a stenographer (secretary) is being confronted at what appears to be a lunch counter or diner. She's caught leaving her office during work hours with a man, supposedly to attend her boss's club. The stenographer must now create a plausible alibi—an excuse explaining why she was out and who she was with. Readers submit their invented alibis in 25 words or less for a chance to win prizes (first prize: $50; five second prizes: $10 each). The humor depends on readers' cleverness inventing believable but unlikely excuses for socially compromising situations—a common entertainment format of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ALIBI NUMBER SIXTEEN He (heatedly): wuy pip you say you COULD PLAY THIS GAME WHEN you DON'T FE N KNOW THE DIFFER- ENCE BETWE! HEARTS AND SPADES? She (apologetically): wrt, you see, it’s THs Way...1’ve asked you a dozen times this evening what's trumps, and you gave me a dif- ferent answer every time. This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by James J. Haines, G6 Warren Street, Boston 19, Massachusetts. Five second prizes of $10.00 each have been awarded to the following: Fave Burcurterp, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for the Alibi: “You cross ine so much that I ought to have the bridge instinct.” Jack L. Rotu, Cincinnati, Ohio, for the Alibi: “I knew that card wasn't a heart, but I wasn’t sure whether it was a spade or a queen.” Manion G. Tuurston, Hampton Institute, Virginia, for the Alibi: “All summer I've been trying to learn which kind is trumps and after Iknow that, perhaps I can straighten out the others.” Ressetn Witxs, Detroit, Mich- igan, for the Alibi: “I was learning rapidly and then the installment man took our radio.” Tuomas E, Wittiamson, Dorval, Quebec, Canada, for the Alibi: “You led diamonds and you know I never return a diamond.” ALIBI CONTEST Conditions of the Contest on page 38 $100.00 Weekly in Prizes OR this week's Alibi, Garrett Price gives us a picture of a young gentleman in a peculiarly nasty pre- dicament. He is under the necessity of inventing an Alibi, or excuse, which must be so ingenious that the young lady will be unable to reject it. Put yourself in the unfortunate bookkeeper’s place, and decide what you would say. Remember, you ha ample time for the creation of your reply. He hasn't. If you can complete, in twenty-five words or less, his answer which be- gins, “Well, you sce, it’s this wa: * you are eligible for a prize, provided your an: are sufli- ciently clever and ingenious. Read the conditions on page 38 and note the date on which your answers must reach Lire’s offi The Judges will appreciate it if you will write your answers to dif- ferent Contest numbers on separate sheets of paper. The prizes are as follows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each ALIBI NUMBER TWENTY- TWO will be published in Lire next week, with a new set of prizes. Read the conditions carefully— and go to it! MIS CLUB. The Stenographer: wuy, recare! TAKE ME OUT BECAUSE YOU WERE LUNCHING WITH THE BOSS AT WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? The Bookkeeper: Wei, You see, IT's THIS WAY... You SAID YoU COULDN’T comicbooks.com