Life, 1927-12-29 · page 25 of 41
Life — December 29, 1927 — page 25: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *Life* magazine contains several satirical cartoons mocking early 1920s American life: **"The Cat's Whiskers"** jokes about marital discord—a husband complains his wife hasn't spoken to him in weeks, with the punchline being silence is "good news." **"A Couple of Chicago Gangsters Go Hunting"** references Prohibition-era organized crime, depicting mobsters in a vehicle during a violent encounter, with dark humor about the dangers of their lifestyle. The other cartoons satirize Hollywood pretension, missionary work, and domestic anxieties. The humor relies on period-specific references: the "cat's whiskers" slang, Chicago's notorious gangster violence during Prohibition, and silent-film industry stereotypes. Modern readers would need context about 1920s slang, Prohibition, and organized crime to fully grasp these jokes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Tur Car's Waisrens First Car: My wife hasn’ en to me in weeks. Srconn Car: Well, Joe, don’t forget that no mews is good mews. “Hey! Get tha hell out from under there—where wo ab if this thing should fall?" A Covere or Cuicaco Gancsrers Go Huntine 41 comicbooks.com