Life, 1929-08-09 · page 14 of 44
Life — August 9, 1929 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains two distinct items: **"Why Not Theme Songs for Books?"** is a humorous list proposing movie-style theme songs for classic literature—a satirical jab at 1920s-30s Hollywood's practice of creating catchy songs for films. The titles are absurd pairings (e.g., "Ulysses Gantry" paired with a whoopee song). **"Almost Saved"** is a cartoon story about a last-minute reprieve from execution. A condemned man awaits the gallows when a horseman arrives with news—a "Book-of-the-Month" selection. The joke appears to mock how book clubs and literary selections were viewed as trivial cultural pursuits, insufficient to save even a condemned man's life. The satire critiques middlebrow American culture's obsession with fashionable reading.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“No matter what they sav, that modern furniture never seems homey to me.” Almost Saved Everything was ready for the execu- tion. The condemned man stood upon the gallows. Below, in the courtyard. the crowd leaned forward expectantly. Suddenly the sound of a galloping horse was heard from without the pri- son walls. The warden raised his Why Not Theme Songs for Books? “Elmer Gantry” (Makin’ Whoopee) “Cradle of The Deep” (My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean) “AML Quiet on the Western Front” (1 Faw Down and Go Boom) “Story of Philosophy” (The Best Things in Life .tre Free) “Henry The Eighth” (That's Mv Weakness Now) “Scarlet Sister Mary” (Red Hot Mama) “Adam And Eve” (Leaf Me With a Smite) “Trader Horn” (Ole Man River) Automatic toasters climinate burned toast. percola tors make fool-proof coffee and egy-boilers have learned self-control, but breakfast isn’t: safe vet be cause there's no device to stop a wife from saying, “Write me a check before you go.” arm, staying the hand of the execu. the back of the exhausted animal tioner. Hope lighted up the face of the condemned man. The word “re prieve™ passed from mouth to mouth. Through the arched doorway a dusty horseman rode on a foaming. panting horse. “Where is Johnson Jones?” the horseman inquired as he alighted from The warden dramatically pointed to the man upon the gallows. Quickly the horseman ascended the scaffold steps. When he reached the top he held forth a small package. “Here's your Book-of-the-Month, sir,” he sid to the condemned man. Geo. S. MacManu:. comicbooks.com Py Se LO