Life, 1927-07-07 · page 26 of 42
Life — July 7, 1927 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features Life magazine's ongoing "Alibi Contest," a participatory humor feature where readers submit creative excuses. The main cartoon shows a porter and passenger at a train station—the porter failed to wake the passenger before the Memphis stop, and readers must invent a humorous alibi (excuse) the porter could offer. The contest awarded $100 weekly in prizes ($50 first prize, five $10 second prizes). The page shows previous winning alibis—mostly jokes about black eyes, garters, and romantic mishaps used to explain various injuries or predicaments. For modern readers, this reflects early 20th-century humor conventions: slapstick scenarios, flirtation-related embarrassments, and the expectation that readers would actively participate in creating jokes. The contest itself was wildly popular—Life extended it beyond the planned ten weeks due to reader demand, suggesting this interactive format was highly engaging for the magazine's audience.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
22 | PRIZE WINNERS x ALIBI NUMBER TWENTY-FIVE The Office WELL, ED, WITERE Force (in chorus): pip you COLLECT THAT BLACK EVE? Ed: weit, you see, rr was Tits way...I was looking at the eclipse of the moon through a telescope and the image stuck. This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by Epwarn A. Apter, Ji, 1086 University Place, Schenectady, New York. Although only five second prizes are announced in this Contest, the Judges decided that nine answers were worthy of prizes—and awards of $10.00 cach are therefore made to the following Montreal, Canada, I ran against the end R. Contins, for the Alibi of a limb, Genevieve Dyen, Nev City, for the Alibi at of alteres Ranen Wo Buisr. Phila vhia, Pennsyleania, for the Mibi vu know the big blonde down the street whose husband is in China York “Closed on ac well, he isn't C.J. Seumauss, Forest Hills, Long Island, for the Alibi: “I was tying my girl's shoelace Jast night ind her garter snapped York, “L stooped to lace the Lewis Friore, Ver for the Alibi wife's shoe Jerome ind her garter snapped.” Rosert W. Fux, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, for the Alibi: “IT met a fellow black eve and asked him where | tit. Do vou want me to with a give you his answer? (Continued on page 35) ALIBI CONTEST Conditions of the Contest on page 35 $100.00 Weekly in Prizes V THEN we started the ALIBI CONTEST, we expected to run it for ten weeks. Our readers, however, refused to allow us to stop there. The Thirtieth Alibi is ac cordingly presented below A thoroughly pathetic situation is depicted. The wanted to angry traveler who et off at Memphis is say- ing a few things to the porter who cted to call him in time The porter has to think up an Mibi, or excuse, which will appease Otherwise, the poor porter will get no tip. the passenger's wrath to his ind supply him with an Alibi which will enable him to collect his fifty cents? Tf you can do it’ weil Can you come assistance, enough, it will be worth fifty dollars to you. Six cash prizes are awarded cach week. judges hand out more observe by looking over the winners of Alibi Number ‘Twenty-Five. The regular prizes are as follows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each ALIBL NUMBER THIRTY- ONE will be published in Lire next week, with a new set. of offered. Read the and go to it! Sometimes, the generous as you will prizes conditions carefully— [ ALIBI NUMBER THIRTY Passenger: 1 TOLD YOU TO CALL ME BEFORE WE GOT TO MEMPHIS—AND WE'RE Porter: WELL, Sait, YOU PULLING OUT OF Wat's THE IDEA? MEMPHIS NOW. SER, IT WAS DIS WAY. comicbooks.com