Life — September 1, 1927 — page 26: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a humorous comic strip about vaudeville performers' offstage lives. The title indicates it features "Señor Alphonso Yodel, the Bird Imitator, Calls the Cat." The joke centers on a vaudeville act: Alphonso Yodel is famous for imitating birds (calling "Kitty! Kitty!" and later "Hyah kit'nit!"). The comic shows him attempting to call a cat using his bird-imitation skills, which proves ineffective. The final panels depict the chaos that ensues—the cat appears and creates confusion with the gathered crowd, with someone calling "Peep! Peep!" The satire mocks the disconnect between stage personas and real life: a skilled bird imitator cannot control an actual animal, despite his professional expertise. It's gentle humor about the gap between theatrical talent and practical reality.