Life, 1927-08-11 · page 24 of 36
Life — August 11, 1927 — page 24: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features Life's "Alibi Contest," a humor competition where readers submit creative excuses for awkward situations. The winning entries showcase stereotypical dialect humor common to early 20th-century American comedy. **Alibi Number Thirty** (prize winner): A porter uses exaggerated Black dialect to excuse missing a passenger's stop, claiming he confused the passenger's call with the rising Mississippi River. **Alibi Number Thirty-Five** (current contest): Shows a husband who failed to mention household disasters—a dead canary, cat-eaten goldfish, and departed maid—while his wife vacationed. Readers must supply his excuse in 25 words or less to compete for $50 first prize. The humor relies on dialect comedy and marital mishap tropes. The contest offers $100 weekly in prizes, with winners published the following week. This reflects early-1900s popular entertainment standards, including racial stereotyping in comedic presentations that would be considered offensive today.
📄 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 THIRTY Passenger: TOLD YOU TO NLL ME HEFORE WE GOT TO MEMPHIS—AND werk PULLING OUT oF MEMPIS Now, WHAT'S Tite ipa? Porter: WELL, S\tt, You see, IT was mis way...Ah heard the Mis- sissippi rising and Ah thought it was you. This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by B. Harrison Winrienn, 419 Thirty-first Street, Woodeliff, New Second prizes of $10.00 each have been awarded to the following Trex Cianwate, Bellport Beach, Long Island, for the Alibi: “When I called, ‘Memphis! Here's where you git off! yelled, “Not - me! N r's gwine to tell me where Cartes AL Exone, Salisbury, Pennsylvania, for the Mibi: “You're mistaken, mista, you don’t mean me, ‘cause I got off at Jackson and dis ama new porter which you am talk ing to.” Manton Gotpnsaitit, Lisbon, Ohio, for the Alibi: “Why—why—why, for de Lawd’s sake, boss, did you-all say Memphus? 1 fought you said brekfus’.” Exissneti MeMenrpo, Jamaica, New York, for the Alibi: “IT called yo’ an’ T told yo’ to get off at Mem- phis but you'd be surprised wheah you done told me to get off at.” D. FL MeKenna, San Francisco, California, for the Alibi: “IT done called you twice and sez, ‘Memphis. sah, but you jes’ sez, ‘Tell him I'm in conference, an’ went back to sleep. Life ALIBI CONTEST Conditions of the Contest on page 28 $100.00 Weekly in Prizes MMEDIATELY below, you will find Alibi Number Thirty-Five, in which a husband needs your assist ance, It will be readily seen that he is in rather a mess. All you need do is observe the picture and at least part of the mess will be apparent. He must explain to his attractive wife why he didn't inform her of the shocking conditions in the home He must invent, without delay Alibi, or excuse, which will be suf- ficiently clever and ingenious to ay pease her. Maybe, with your assistance, he Complete, in twenty-five words, or less, his answer to her charge and, if your conclusions are among those which the Judges deem best, you will win one of the cash prizes, which are as follows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each ALIBI NUMBER THIRTY- SIX will be published in Lire next week, with a new set of prizes offered. Read the conditions carefully— and go to it! : THIRTY-FIVE | | Wife (back from vacation): you WroTe Mr THAT EVERYTHING WAS ALL RIGHT AND 1 COME BACK TO FIND THE MAID QUIT, THE CANARY DEAD, THE GOLDFISH EATEN BY THE CAT, AND POKER CIUPS AND CIGARETTE BUTTS ALL OVER THE HOUSE. Husband: weir, vou ser, IT WAS THIS Way comicbooks.com