Life, 1929-02-08 · page 18 of 44
Life — February 8, 1929 — page 18: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This satirical page from Life contains several humor pieces typical of 1920s-30s American magazine comedy: **Top cartoon**: A movie producer ("Movie Magnate") addresses press representatives, announcing he's planning an "epic" about Noah's ark with a theme song—satirizing Hollywood's obsession with grandiose, commercially-driven projects. **"The Danger Line"**: A Philadelphia policeman explains how he saved $13,000 from a modest salary by reading newspaper horse-racing advertisements and betting on winners. The District Attorney expresses skepticism, and the officer claims he saved the money from toothpaste—absurdist humor mocking both police corruption and get-rich-quick schemes. The other items are brief jokes about birthday greetings, a pawn shop scene, and a California political reference to Calvin Coolidge. The humor relies on contemporary social observations about commerce, entertainment, and urban life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Movie Macnate: I that th’ next epic called you gents of th’ press in to tell you we're gonna shoot’s th’ Bible. All we're waitin’ for is th’ theme song. SCOTCH BIRTHDAY Birthday greetings, lassie, Merry Christmas, too; Happy New Year, Easter gladness,— All, I speed to you. Incident'ly, ‘twould be fine If you'd be my Valentine. CARD A PATHETIC SCENE Tears were streaming down the movic actress's face. Reverses had come—she was in a pawn shop. Slowly, silently she drew from her pocket a little package, and laid it down on the counter before the cyes of the hardened pawn-broker. “How much?” she asked, and wiped her eyes with a tiny handkerchief. She was pawning her six wedding rings. William Sanford. Nit: Out in California they seem to still want Calvin Coolidge for president. Wit: How do you know? Nit: Why every license plate has “Cal. 1929” on it! ins { Tuen there was the musician who had become so accustomed to playing in disappearing orchestra pits that he forgot to jump when the boat sank. “Bobby, your Aunt Jane sends her love to you.” “Yes, I know—she always does,” MESSAGE Sister: What does your card say? Brotner: This is the mountain from which the ancients used to throw their defective children, Wish you were both here. Dad. The Danger Line A Puttapetputa policeman was called be fore the grand jury to explain the source of a $33,000 bank deposit out of a five- dollar-a-day salary in two years. He had heard a fellow policeman ridiculed when he credited his increased income to pick- ing winning race horses and decided he ‘must find some other explanation. And being a constant reader of the newspaper and magazine advertisements he was pre- pared when the District Attorney asked: “And now, Snellton, how many win- ners did you pick to make up your $33; | 0002” | “None at all, Judge. I never gamble,” the policeman answered. . “What?” the Judge exclaimed. “Then, how do you account for it?” “Well, Judge,” the policeman explained, “I saved it from my toothpaste money.” comicbooks.com