Life, 1927-06-02 · page 19 of 46
Life — June 2, 1927 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features Life's weekly "Alibi Contest," offering $100 in prizes for readers' creative excuses. The central cartoon (Alibi #25) depicts an office scene where a man with a black eye is questioned by coworkers about his injury. He claims innocence: "Well, you see, it was this way..." The satire mocks how people invent elaborate false explanations—"alibis"—to cover embarrassing situations. The cartoon plays on the universal experience of making unconvincing excuses. The contest invites readers to submit their own humorous alibis for everyday mishaps, with a first prize of $50 and five second prizes of $10 each. This reflects early 20th-century magazine culture of reader participation and humor.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
PRIZE WINNERS ALIBI NUMBER TWENTY Vestryman: We MisseED you IN CHURCIL THIS MORNING. YOUR WIFE stip YOU WERE HOME IL Golf Enthusiast: weit, you see, i's tits way... made a really remarkable recovery in the trap on Number One. This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by Joun Gitmore, 940 New York Life Building, Kansas City, Missouri. Second prizes of $10.00 each have been awarded to the following: Jean Jackson, Sea Cliff, Long Island, for the Alibi: “I was ill this morning, but this afternoon I'm able to get a round.” Mrs. H. C. Janvrtn, Boston, Massachusetts, for the Alibi: “I'm ‘trapped’ and am doing my best to get out of a bad ‘li Faye Crarxe Laws, Javana, Illinois; Esturr Reev, Mare Island, California; W. R. Francis, Lake Wales, Florida; Exise P. Mires, » North Carolina; Gerar- S. Bauman, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, for variations of the following Alibi: “My doctor said to keep in constant touch with him. He came out for a round of golf and I had to come along.” (The Conditions of the Contest will be found on page 41.) Life ALIBI CONTEST $100.00 Weekly in Prizes O one will deny that there are many perfectly blameless meth- ods of getting a black eye. The most law-abiding man in the entire universe may become the pro- prietor of one of these temporary disfigurements at any time, through no fault of his own. But — explaining the black eye! That, dear friends, is something en- tirely else again. It makes no dif- ference what sort of Alibi you choose to invent; one is as good as another, because no one will believe you any- way. If, however, you will come to the aid of the young man in the picture below, to the extent of supplying him with a clever and ‘ingenious re- ply to his tormentors, Lire will re- ward you with a cash prize. Complete, in twenty-five words or less, the young man’s answer which begins, “Well, you see, it was this way..." and send your conclusions in as the conditions direct. Prizes are as follows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each ALIBI NUMBER TWENTY- SIX will be published in Lire next week, with a new set of prizes offered. Read the conditions care- fully—and go to it. ALIBI NUMBER TWENTY-FIVE The Office Force (in chorus): weit, ED, WHERE DID YOU COL- LECT THE BLACK EYE? Ed: wewt, you see, 1T WAS THIS WAY... comicbooks.com