Life, 1929-03-01 · page 34 of 36
Life — March 1, 1929 — page 34: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mixes advertising with fiction. The dominant feature is a large **Old Gold cigarette advertisement** featuring an actor (signed by "Director Marx," likely a stage director) endorsing the product. The ad uses a theatrical angle: it invites stage performers to help spread the message that Old Gold cigarettes soothe coughs—framing smoking as a *solution* to coughing in theaters, which disturbs audiences. This is darkly ironic product placement by modern standards. Below is a serialized story called "Old Muffer" (continued from page 7) about an elderly servant and domestic drama involving characters named Tom, Mary, and Humphrey. The page also advertises The Roosevelt hotel in New York and radio programming featuring Paul Whiteman's orchestra. The satire and humor are embedded in the cigarette ad's absurd logic: suggesting smoking *prevents* coughs rather than causing them—a marketing strategy that exploits public concern about theater etiquette to sell cigarettes.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
32 Life ee ;. e beaming on them, and again 7; Will the gentleman who just | foding' hea cater “toys ha and Mary laughing with him over ty absurdity of it. coughed, step to the box office | * te third sine stutes ft tea of the wild Tom brought a suitay When they came back from searchis, 99 chin, ... for a package of Old Golds?” | 322 soter bounded trom ie nr said: “Mary, that damned dog’s making fools of us.” " “T know,” said Mary, and there wa a funny light in her eyes. After dinner Tom called Humphre to the study. : “Humphrey,” he said. “Thanks » Muffer, Mrs. Holliday and I have bees ‘A year or 80 ago, when the er—we're going to be married t makers of OLD COLD ran some ff] ‘ morrow. We've er decided its ridic ads on the effect of coughing in ulous my coming here and going awa; theatres, Iwasgrateful.lammore | Car and coming here and going awa; grateful now that OLD COLD has - You've been with us a good many invited stage folk to help them f = don't ye think 20, joer bring'firstaid’informationtoour | he old ’man's frozen fe Played ore unhappy friends the ‘coughers.’ the old man's Frozen face.. Heisnd “I always did think so, sir—ha’s “My advice is that prevention is why I've ‘id old Muffer in the cellar” the best aid. Smoke oLp coLps. [& They soothe the throat and pre- x P “Can you give a sentence with ‘crow vent the ‘cough-tickle.’” | dile’?” f “Better than that.” se BL Mange as ae Pate) \ \ , ““My sweetie crocodile on her watch ; so alligator another!’ ” "Of course, I have never said those words from the stage — but in all kindness I have often wanted to offer this friendly help to some poor fellow whose cough was spoiling the enjoyment of those around him. Why not a cough in a carload? OLD GoLps are blended from HEART-LEAF tobacco, the finest Nature grows. Selected for silki- ness and ripeness from the heart of the tobacco plant. Aged and mellowed extra long in a tem- perature of mid-July sunshine to insure honey-like smoothness, io... OLD COLD PAUL WHITEMAN HOUR . . . Paul Whiteman, King of Jam, and bis ‘When thoughts turn to \estra, broadcasts the OLD GOLD hoar every Tucedey, from 9 to 10 P.M., Eastern Standard | the “Season” in New York a cinema of ane ening Srmem: vibrant impressions flashes before the | mind's eye .. . Opera at The Metro” eat a chocolate, light an Old Gold, and enjoy both! politan ... the stream of smart moton on the avenues... a fashionable gathering on an opening night... and The ROOSEVELT, where the verve of the metropolis is vividly reflected. gale 4 Old Mutffer 1100 Rooms—Single or En Suite © P. Lorillard Co., Eat. 1700 (Continued from Page 7) room at your own house. He made a mental note that had he ever a house again he'd see to it his guests were more comfortable. The following week old Muffer did another Houdini. When Tom arrived p this time, he had with him three army Gentiesax: Well, dear, whose little girl blankets and a quilt. Again the ere Jour De Canin Pied. tramping, again the heartbroken re- Dn month Pm mother’s, * turn, again the welcome by Muffer, 2 Everybody's Weekly again the dinner with Humphrey comicbooks.com