Life, 1928-02-16 · page 8 of 38
Life — February 16, 1928 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon satirizes hotel detectives as bumbling, overzealous characters who spend their day following suspicious guests, only to discover they're innocent people (a traveling salesman, a District Court Judge). The detective accepts numerous drinks throughout the day, becoming progressively intoxicated by evening. The lower section, "Going Down!," describes an elaborate stage magic trick where Cupids and flowers dissolve into water drops from a fountain, forming a large sphere that breaks apart to reveal a beautiful dancing girl. The text emphasizes the visual spectacle and graceful choreography of this theatrical illusion. Both pieces mock pretension—one through incompetent law enforcement, the other celebrating theatrical artifice and entertainment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“Let’s go over to Joe's house. He has some good pre-war liquor.” “Really? I didn't even know he was sick.” Going Down! HE andience sat enthralled at the magnificent scene. A Greek god- dess appeared from nowhere and touched a lighted taper to a fi cracker held by a silk-clothed nese page. There was a blinding flash, followed by a shower of sparks which, by the magic of the were transformed into myris ored drops of water spraying from a fountain in a fairy garden. Little Cupids played gleefully, throwing balls of crushed flowers at each other. Suddenly the balls came together and dissolved into one large sphere, which broke into many parts, each forming a beautiful girl. The girls danced —a slow and stately minuet at first, and then a ravishing tarantella, the dancers swaying and turning at such a pace that it was all the eye could do to follow them. Once again the Greek goddess ap- peared. Smiling graciously, she sur- veyed the bewitching scene, then slowly raised her beautiful arms. The dancers stopped dead in their tracks, and as their lithe and grace- ful bodies formed the words, “WORLD NEWS EVENTS,” the scene slowly dissolved into a picture of the Elks Marching at Sacramento. Joseph Fulling Fishman. A Day with a Hotel Detective 6 A. M.—Gets up, eats breakfast, tells off-color joke to waiter. 8 a. m.—Sits down in lobby of ho- tel and listens to traveling salesman tell off-color joke. Accepts drink. 10 a. m.—Follows suspicious-look- ing character out rear exit, only to find he’s the iceman. Accepts drink. 12 st.—Shoots craps with bellboy. 2 p.mM.—Tells off-color joke to elevator man. 4 p.m.—Follows suspicious-look- ing character upstairs, only to find he’s a District Court Judge. Ac cepts drink. 6 p. M.—Becomes slightly polluted and retires to room for half an hour. 8 p.m.— Tells off-color joke to waitress and gets back two in return. 10 p.m.—Bawls out patron for putting gum under chair. Accepts drink. 12 p.m.—Tells off-color joke to hotel ‘clerk. Accepts drink and re- tires for the night. V.C.0. To the Last Peso IRST CITIZEN: Do you be lieve the war debts ought to be collected ? Seconp Citizen (slightly misin- formed): Yes, sir. Nicaragua should be made to pay in full. PATHETIC figure—the fellow who went to Scotland to get a liberal education. “Well, Sammie, how about entertaining the customers with a little juggling?” “Not to-night, Joe. I’m not in a juggler vein.” comicbooks.com