Life, 1928-07-19 · page 17 of 40
Life — July 19, 1928 — page 17: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The top cartoon shows train passengers worried about safety, with the caption joke about chewing gum on tracks—a light domestic humor piece about travel anxieties. The "Explorer Relief" section satirizes newspaper sensationalism. It mocks media coverage of polar expeditions, suggesting reporters obsess over finding missing explorers while ignoring the actual search efforts. The cartoon below depicts various European professionals (hotel proprietor, dress maker, cafe owner, perfumer, jeweler, department store clerk) surrounded by scattered American tourist goods—satirizing American tourists abroad who ostentatiously display wealth and fail to respect local customs, treating Europeans as service providers rather than equals. The caption explicitly criticizes American tourists for "inflicting themselves on the sensitive Europeans." "The Invitation" is a humorous dialogue about a couple negotiating weekend plans, showcasing domestic relationship comedy typical of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Moonlight in Tennessee—Creole Queens in New Orleans—Camp Meetin’s in Georgia, and Real Estate in Florida. ‘Another thing that got me was learn- ing that “My Blue Heaven” por dusty in a music publishing house desk on Broad- way for three years before the alleged weisenheimers gave it a chance to breathe. That's the ugly part of Tin Pan Alley, Willard. And you've got to have a cal- loused heart to take the rebuffs and re- bukes that come with trying to place a chune. The gag which really put over “My Blue Heaven,” according to the mob, was the punch line—“There’s Molly and me—and the baby makes three.” You and I had better quit trying to be fip and outsmart the other fellow ‘with wisecracks. What Mr. and Mrs. General Public want, it appears, is the sob stuff and they are willing to pay for it. They kid that guy Edgar Guest around New York, you know, because he writes what they call tear-jerkers, but I am thinking seriously of asking him how it is done. I'm so weary of being a wisecracker— which is another way of spelling Wi Walter Winchell. EXPLORER RELIEF Aviator: Did you think of an original stunt to keep me in the public eye? Press Acent: You bet. You can head a party to look for the expedition that tried to find the party searching for the relief outfit that went to the assistance of HoTEL RESS CAFE PropRieTOR Hy MAKER OWNER “For goodness’ sakes, 1 wonder what's holding this train?” “Gee, Ma, I hope it ain't the chewing gum I threw on the tracks!” the aviators who tried to find the aviator who went to look for the aviators who were searching for the North Pole. DEPARTMENT STORE PER, = FUmER OEweLER STORE. If thoughtful American tourists would only send their pocket-books abroad and not inflict themselves on the sensitive Europeans, The Invitation Sue: Are you going out of town for the week-end? He: Yes, I'm going to the country. Sue: Oh, how mean of you! I was go- ing to invite you to dinner. He: Well, if I'd only known—I sup- pose I could still change my plans. Sue: Oh, I wouldn't have you do that forthe world because I mean I know how it is when you've made plans. He: Well, I'll probably be back Sun- day in time for dinner. Sue: You'll probably want to stay over until Monday morning. I know how it is. He: Well, I really ought to be coming back Sunday afternoon, Sue: Well, of course I'd adore to have you to dinner Sunday night but I know you're just trying to be polite so’s not to cum ppaint me and I wouldn't think of spoiling your week-end by asking you to come back Sunday because I know when you get to the country you'll want to stay over until Monday. He: Well, I guess probably I will. Lloyd Mayer, Ix Chicago—here today and gun to- morrow, comicbooks.com