Life, 1927-07-21 · page 24 of 38
Life — July 21, 1927 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features Life magazine's "Alibi Contest," a humor competition where readers submit witty excuses for awkward situations. The main cartoon (Alibi Number Thirty-Two) shows a man confronting his romantic rival: he's discovered another man's name carved on a tree alongside his sweetheart's, and demands an explanation. The joke is that the woman must provide a clever alibi—a plausible excuse for the incriminating evidence. The caption sets up her predicament: she's caught red-handed. The page also shows winning alibis from previous contests, including one involving Cecil B. DeMille (a famous Hollywood director of the era). These demonstrate the contest's appeal: readers competed to create the most ingenious explanations for compromising situations, often playing on contemporary references like Hollywood culture and romantic mishaps. The $100 weekly prize ($50 first place, five $10 second prizes) indicates this was an active, popular feature readers participated in regularly.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
20 Life Conditions of the Contest on page 30 | ALIBI CONTEST $100.00 Weekly in Prizes T[ ULE picture below shows a young Jady by the name of Jane Smith, who suddenly finds herself in serious difficulties with her boy-chum. It seems that he has found some- thing pretty incriminating carved on the old oak you have to do is to complete, in one of the prizes, which are as fol lows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each \ You will have a try at helping ALIBI NUMBER THIRTY- PM | cr out—of that we feel certain, All THREE will be published in Lars next week, with a new set of prizes offered. Read the twenty-five words, or less, her reply, | and if your conclusions are suth conditions carefully ciently clever and ingenious, you win and go to it! | | he || =| x ALIBI NUMBER TWENTY-SEVEN Newly Arrived Fiancée (in Holly WERE ALIBI NUMBER THIRTY-TWO | WROTE ME YOU RIGHT-HAND. wood): You CCH. B. DEMILLE'S DOING HERE? Star: MAN. WHAT ARE you Would-Be Movie HONEY, YOU SER, IP WAS THIS WAY I sent DeMille a birthday card on Christmas. WELL, This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by Crantes Wittis, 59 West 86th Street, New York City. Five second prizes of $10.00 each — | have been awarded to the following J. Cis Coxroy, Port New York, for the Alibi Mille said: ‘1 think T can s without a right-hand man. you agree?" Of course T said: * sir.’ | Riemann He Laxpe Chicago, | Ilinois, for the Alibi: re wasn't | iny future in it beeause every day — | was ‘yes-sie’ day.” Mrs. BoM. Retnonp, Wyncote, Pennsylvania, for the Alibi: “I'm just doubling for my double while a my double doubles for me. C.K. Stave, Mamaroneck, New York, for the Alibi: “His success de pends on knowing what the crities who really matter think, and so he's put me here to keep him informed.” . . He: you TOLD MET WAS TIIE ONLY MAN you EVER LovED— Monroe R. Urrox, San Fran AND THERE'S YOUR NAME, WITIL FRED GRAY’S. HOW ARE YoU cisco, California, for the Mibi: “The GOING To Lava that ove? kleigs were ruining my aye's and She: WELL, SWEETHEART, YOU SEE, IT WAS TIS WAY... Mr. DeMille discharged me comicbooks.com