Life, 1927-07-28 · page 13 of 36
Life — July 28, 1927 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page presents "Alibi Number Thirty-Three," a cartoon contest where readers submit humorous excuses (alibis) for everyday situations. The illustrated scenario shows a domestic scene: a father discovers his daughter sitting in a darkened room with a young man, the lights deliberately turned off. The daughter's caption reads: "But, Daddy, dear—you see, it's this way..." The humor relies on the obvious implication of impropriety (unsupervised intimate time with a suitor) and the daughter's attempt to fabricate an innocent explanation. Readers compete by submitting clever alibis under 25 words to explain the suspicious scenario. This reflects early-20th-century courtship anxieties and parental concerns about young women's behavior with unmarried men—a socially fraught subject of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Life PRIZE WINNERS | ALIBI CONTEST | Conditions of the Contest on page $100.00 Weekly in Prizes ICTURED below are two lova- © Assist her, in twenty-five words or ble young people who have just less, to complete the answer which a little chat, or some i n. If your ¢ ire sufficiently clever and ir For some reason, the lights have you will be a prize-winner been turned out. They have just are as follows: been turned on again by the girl's father. Girls’ fathers are often in- First Prize, $50.00 credibly thick-headed in their atti- tude toward lovable young peopl Five Second Prizes of who like to have little chats, or $10.00 each something. They are always demanding ex a ——~ __ planations. ALIBI NUMBER TWENTY-EIGHT The daughter, portrayed below by Mr. Leonard Holton, is in the posi Stern Father: 1 casuep THIS tion of having to furnish an explana offered ALIBI NUMBER THIRTY FOUR will be published in’ Lire next week, with a new set of prizes CHECK FOR YOUR HUSBAND, AND IT'S — tion, an excuse. or—as we have nick ad_the conditions carefull COME BACK MARKED “INSUFFICIENT — named it—an Ali FUNDS.” WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Young Married Daughter: weer, pap, You see, it’s THis way. . It says “insufficient funds’ on our check because we kept an insufficient k on our funds. This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by Miss K. E, Watrace, Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. Second prizes of $10.00 each have been awarded to the following: Outer A. Hevverce, St. Louis, Missouri, for the Alibi: “John is so witty and this is just one of his snappy come-backs.” R. D. Mean, Portland, Oregon, for the Alibi: “Hubby knows how hard it is to get money from a bank but he thought a shrewd business man like you could do it.” B. M. Loxn, Norfolk, Virginia, for the Alibi: “It must be a mistake. All Henry's cheeks come back marked ‘No such account.’ ” Mus. P.O. Poour, Hendersoncille, North Carolina, for the Alibi: “ was so blue and I suggested th forget everything and make believe he was back in college, and he did Warrer Wosvs, Trona, Califor- Father: wwat? sittin HERE WITH ALL THE LIGHTS TURNED nia, for the Alibi: “When it comes out? a's surpriseo! to cashing checks, it's a wise father Daughter: wet, pavvy, DEAR—VoU sex, 1T's THIS WAY who NOES his own son-in-law. comicbooks.com