Life, 1928-02-16 · page 14 of 38
Life — February 16, 1928 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes the popularity of dangerous thrill rides at amusement parks and carnivals. It depicts a loop-the-loop ride labeled "THE DIP OF DEATH," with riders experiencing the extreme G-forces at the bottom. The accompanying dialogue mocks movie-theater patrons' gossip, particularly references to Tom Mix (a famous silent film cowboy star) and discussions about various movies including Jackie Coogan and "New York—Where It's an Ill Wind That Blows No Saxophone." The overall satire conflates two contemporary obsessions: extreme mechanical thrills at amusement parks and entertainment-obsessed moviegoers. The "trial wife" joke at the bottom appears unrelated social commentary typical of Life magazine's miscellaneous humor pages.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE DIP jOF DEATH “They tell me you have a trial wife.” “Well, she’s a trial to me.” saleslady said there wasn't another model like it in town but Lucille found one just like it for three y-five at The Boston Store.”...“No, Grandma, n't boy scouts. Those are the United States n you see, Frances? Would you like to trade seats with me, Frances? Frances, are you sure you can see all right? “Mamma, will Tom Mix have his gun?” ... “This ain't ‘Flaming Flappers.’ Let’s get our money back.”...‘‘Frances, did you hear Movies that John Gilbert was Jackie Coogan’s grandfather?” -.-"I love the prologues at this theatre. Sometimes they last for two hours.”...“Mamma, is Tom Mix an Indian?...“Behave! People are watching you, Hubert!”... ¥ York—Where It’s an Ill Wind That Blows No Saxophone.’ I don’t know what that means, Grandma. Maybe it means that they're in New York now et’s talk. I love to talk at the movies, don’t you? “Hubert, keep your hands to yourself!” .++“When does Tom Mix come on, Mamma?” R. L. comicbooks.com