Life, 1927-10-20 · page 28 of 48
Life — October 20, 1927 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page showcases *Life* magazine's popular "Alibi Contest"—a humor competition running eleven months. Readers submit creative excuses ("alibis") explaining absurd situations depicted in cartoons. **Alibi Number Forty** (prize winner): A husband claims he used his razor to open a quart bottle, explaining his dull blade. The joke: his wife misunderstood his advice about "getting an edge" by "opening a quart"—implying drinking alcohol sharpens one's wit. **Alibi Number Forty-Five** (the contest prompt): A boy is trapped in a tree by a small dog, contradicting his earlier boast that nothing frightens him. Readers must complete his embarrassed explanation in 25 words or fewer to win prizes ($50 first prize, $10 second prizes). The contest reflects *Life*'s satirical humor style: playing on misunderstandings, marital dynamics, and masculine pride. These were apparently popular enough to sustain an eleven-month run before retiring to launch a new contest.
📄 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 NUMBER FORTY He: asvst Look av THAT Razor!!! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN USING IT FOR Now? She: weit, you ser, it’s Tus way... You said the proper way to get an edge on was by opening a quart, so I tried it out. This Alibi, which wins the first prize of $50.00, was submitted by Acuert S. Partnivee, Room 309, 11 Pemberton Square, Boston, Massachusetts. Nine second prizes of $10.00 each been awarded to the following: Eveenr Euwer, Parkdale, Ore: gon, for the Alibi: “We're just back from our ation, and I suppose everything at home is bound to seem dreadfully dull for a while.” Mus. A. A. Campnety, Portland, Oregon; C. Cynit Fauex, Calgary, Canada; Mrs. E. Huntinoton Har nis, N York City; Manroarer T. Herat ew York C Mrs. Sam- uri Horr Hoveson, Lavaca, Ala- bama; E. M. Kenney, Maryville, Missouri; Manoir S. Leex, Col- lingswood, New Jersey; and Dos- atp M. Vance, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, for variations of the Alibi: “Long association with you has made it lose its temper.” (Nore: Owing to the number of variations on this idea, the Judges awarded four extra second prizes this week.) A_ $2500.00 PRIZE CONTEST will be announced soon! Q'VERYTHING must end some- time, even contests, and Lirr takes this opportunity to announce that the problem pictured below will be the last one in the Alibi Contest series. This Contest, which has run over eleven months and has had al- most one hundred thousand answers, will be retired as soon as the winning Alibis have been published, to make room for a new Contest which will be described in an early issue. As this will be the last chance our readers will have to compete in fur- nishing Alibis for the needy, we want every possible one of them to join in the sport. Remember, you don’t have to have competed before; every picture is a contest by itself. In this picture we have a situa- tion which just cries out for a fit- ALIBI CONTEST Conditions of the Contest on page 41 ting Alibi. The boy friend, the one in the elm, had once told his girl that nothing on earth could make him flinch. But look at him w. Her dog has chased him up a tree, and she wants to know where his bravery went to. What can he s: He has already started on his Alibi, but he is hard up to finish it. If you can help him to complete ion, in twenty- five words or less, you will be elig- ible to win one of the extremely use- ful prizes, which are as follows: First Prize, $50.00 Five Second Prizes of $10.00 each Read the conditions on page 41 carefully—and go to it! an ingenious exp ALIBI NUMBER FORTY-FIVE She: you TOLD ME THAT YOU WEREN’? AFRAID OP ANY LIVING THING. AND YET POOR LITTLE FIDG SEEMS TO HAVE YOU PRETTY WE SCARED. The Boy Friend: weir, you 8 comicbooks.com