Life, 1929-06-07 · page 22 of 48
Life — June 7, 1929 — page 22: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains multiple satirical pieces mocking 1920s social attitudes and domestic life. **"The Letters of a Modern Father"** depicts a wealthy father refusing to fund his daughter's desire for separate households with her new husband (Wilfrid). He complains about supporting her previous two husbands and now her brother's college-engaged fiancée. The satire targets post-WWI economic anxieties and rapid changes in marriage/divorce customs—the father represents old-fashioned values clashing with modern independence. His reference to "bootlegger" expenses alludes to Prohibition-era excess. **The top illustration** appears to show a model posing for an artist, with flippant commentary about whether the pose is acceptable—satirizing both the modeling industry and casual attitudes toward female nudity. **"Sounds Like It, Anyway"** mocks saxophones as noise-makers. **The burglar cartoon** shows a thief assuring companions his bride is just checking he's genuinely working nights—joking about marital distrust and crime. Overall, the page satirizes modern marriage instability, financial pressures, generational conflict, and Prohibition-era social upheaval.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ments. You do not explain what that has to do with you and Wilfrid. As a matter of fact, your soul and his could expand in the kitchen of a din ing car during the second call to luncheon. I uy to be a good father. You used to say that heaven gave you Wil- frid, but you knew perfectly well it was me all the time. But I won't maintain him apart from you. Be- sides, I am going to have some ex. traordinary expense. Your — brother Sheridan writes from college that he is engaged to a girl who is specializing in English. He says they like the same things. So you and Wilfrid be good chil- dren, at least until I see what those things are going to cost me. Your Affectionate Father, —McCready Huston. One cause of divorce is that after a man marries he can’t support a boot- legger in the style to which the boot- legger has been accustomed. “Waiter, bring me an order of mov- ing-picture tea.” “What's that, lady?” @ “Just tea and cinema toast.” Mover: Is this pose all right? Sounds Like It, Anyway Fectern: | dunno “ lady—I'm just the I's an ill wind that blows most saxo- janitor. phones. The Letters of a Modern Father My Dear Daughter: Your idea about you and your new husband separating and setting up in- dependent establishments is fine and 1 would say go ahead, except for one drawback. I can’t afford it. Your pen must have slipped when you wrote of two independent homes; what you meant was dependent. When Wilfrid and you were married, I agreed to support him in the manner to which you had been accustomed by your two earlier husbands; but what I had in mind was an old-fashioned home with a single overhead. . I notice you say in your letter that ss so many famous writers and artists Burctar: Don't be alarmed, folks—it's just me bride. She wants to find their souls demand separate apart- satisfy herself that I really put in me nights burglin’. y comicbooks.com