Life, 1927-11-24 · page 26 of 44
Life — November 24, 1927 — page 26: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three separate humorous pieces typical of *Life* magazine's satirical content: **"Oft in the Stilly Night"** presents a comedic phone conversation where a man desperately tries to discourage a friend (Joe) from visiting by fabricating increasingly absurd excuses—a broken piano, smallpox, leprosy—highlighting the social awkwardness of unwanted social calls during this era. **"Sonnet from the Siamese"** is a mock-romantic poem that builds elaborate praise for a woman's beauty before the punchline: the speaker's actual response is simply telling her to "go home and dress"—satirizing the gap between flowery male sentimentality and practical reality. **"The All-Absorbing Topic"** jokes that a young woman preparing for marriage cares more about obtaining blueprints for Henry Ford's new automobile design than learning about married life—mocking both the era's fascination with Ford's innovations and young women's consumer interests. The fish cartoon appears decorative, not satirical.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
24 Oft in the Stilly Night “H ELLO...Yeh...Say. what's the big idea of calling me up this time of Sure, Yes, Joe, There's a million names in Why do you always pick my number when you ?.....Noa; Joe, you can’t bring the night? Tin sleepy I can tell you are book the phone get this we ang over to my house... The player- piano’s broke. Yes, the baby broke it with an axe And iy wife has. small- pox Really, you better not come -Yes. I feel I think 0, > over. terrible, too. it’s leprosy Joe. Not a thing in house. Not a First Fish: was tur GUY THAT cCAVGUT you 4 Goop PisHEeR- i ee re MAN? half-past three Second Fish: ou, It's. Thursday PRETTY PAIR, HUT You OUGHT TO HAVE SEEN THE BIG ONE 1 GOT AWAY FROM now. .T know it was Wednesday just a little while ago. But it's Thursday now No, Joe. I don't want you to come alone... There isn’t a drop in the house. ‘The drank it all...Yes, Joe. Smallpox is highly contagious. ..Aw, shut up, Joc, and go to bed RL N OST husbands are generous to a fault— if the fault’s their own, Sonnet from the Siamese HEN gowned at dusk you go abroad. my dear Frail fabric sways upon delighted air With soft commotion, tremulously fair; Your garments shine like stardust clustered near Your perfect self, a moment swinging clear, Then sweeping se to every contour there While shadows trace your lovely litheness where Swift shimmered flutings drop and disappear. When I behold you thus, my soul is stirred With burning words that will not be denied, Till all a husband's latent tenderness Leaps forth in speech, as you have often heard, Leaps forth!—so strongly is the message cried “For heaven's sake,” I say, “go home and dress.” RV. The All-Absorbing Topic MOTHER: Since you are to be married, 42 1 think I should tell you something of the great secrets of life. Davouter: Oh, don't bother, Mother. Bert has a friend who has a cousin who has a friend who knows somebody who knows Henry Ford and he says he ean get a blue- print design of the new car any time. Sharp. N Hollywood an affirmative answer turneth away wrath, He: DEAR, THERE'S THE SOUTHERN CROSS UP THERE Shes sit. t suppose iy MARKS TIE SPOT WHERE SOME HEAVENLY BODY WAS FOUND. comicbooks.com