Life Laughs Last: 200 More Classic Photos from the Famous Back Page of America’s Favorite Magazine

230 Pages·1989·15.88 MB·English

by  Philip B. Kunhardt Jr.

ilARIN COUNTY FREE LIBRftRY
31111010964276
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lore Classic pnotos rrom tne Parrtous sac
of America's Favorite Magazine
Philip B. Kuniiardt, Jr.
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LAST
LilllGHS
200 More Classic Photos from the Famous Back Page
of America's Favorite Magazine
By B.Kunhardt,
Philip Jr.
Simon and Schuster
New York • London • Toronto • Sydney •Tokyo
Simonand Schuster
Simon &SchusterBuilding
RockefellerCenter
1230AvenueoftheAmericas
NewYork,N.Y. 10020
Copyright © 1989 byTimeInc.
All rightsreserved
includingtherightofreproduction
in wholeorin partin anyform.
LIFEisaregisteredtrademarkofTimeInc. Used with permission.
SIMONAND SCHUSTERand colophonareregisteredtrademarks
ofSimon & SchusterInc.
GeneLightdesigned and
producedthisbook.
GedeondeMargitay was
picturecoordinator.
Gretchen Wessels wasin
chargeofpictureresearch.
Manufactured in the United StatesofAmerica
12345678910
Library ofCongressCataloging in Publication Data
ISBN 0-671-67092-1
1
Contents
Introduction 6
Chapter 1 Is Proud to Round Up a Varied Assortment FOR OPENERS 8
Chapter 2 Illustrates How This Book Is Already GOING TO THE DOGS 32
Chapter 3 Has a Habit ofMAKING FACES 46
A TRICKY ASSEMBLAGE
Chapter 4 Attempts to Put Together 64
MEOW
Chapter 5 Is Nothing Less Than THE CAT'S 82
Chapter 6 Claims to Be a Gentle Treatise on LOVE 'N' STUFF 100
Chapter 7 Is Quick to Point Out Some ofLife's LITTLE INDIGNITIES 116
A PACK OF TRUNKS
Chapter 8 Takes Pleasure in Presenting 142
Chapter 9 Keeps an Ear Out for Some CHOICE CHATTER 154
Chapter 10 Sets Aside a Moment to Glance at Some REAL SPORTS 174
HORSING AROUND
Chapter 1 Shows Appreciation for the Fine Art of 194
MIXED BAG
Chapter 12 Bids a Fond Farewell with This 208
—
INTRODUCTION
When the forerunner of this dogged cats, catty dogs and a tures that follow were taken by
book was published in 1987, lot ofhorsing around. Chimps, amateurs or by newspaper
LIFE SMILES BACK was such deer, mallards and a kangaroo photographers with an eye
an instant success that Simon are all part of the fun. As well cocked for the unexpected or
&
Schuster immediately re- as osculation escalation and in- the bizarre. The names of the
quested a sequel. Here it is vidious retribution. Can a first- people who took the pictures
LIFE LAUGHS LAST-222 graderdo his studies with a lion and the dates they originally
more funny photographs from breathing down his neck? Will appeared in LIFE are printed
the final page of America's fa- a wedding happen under wa- in small t>pe right beside the
vorite picture magazine. Titled ter? Is ajaywalkingcrate a haz- photographs. You can blame
Miscellany, this page has been ard? Proceed at your own risk me for the words. Occasionally
used for years by LIFE to sign for the answers. a pun, an alliteration or a play
off each issue. It is designed to For the most part, the pic- on words is lifted straieht out
make the reader of the maga-
zine, no matter what its con-
tent, conclude it with a smile
or, better still, with a hearty
laugh.
life's editors have de-
fined the Miscellany page in
the following manner. "We
consider humor the prime in-
gredient. The picture is usually
—
a very simple one an animal
caught in a human predica-
ment, a human trapped by the
unexpected, a trick of the lens
whereby a perfectly ordinary
event recorded on film at just
the right angle becomes ridicu-
lous and thereby laughs out
loud at all ofus."
In plain words, on the
pages ahead is an outlandish
mixture of crazy doings, tan-
gled limbs, weird sights, pre-
posterous faces, lost perspec-
tives, nutty places, fishy tears,
improbable perils, minor dis-
In a 1953 issueofLIFE,this picture(withoutracquet)ran inastory
paragements, helping trunks,
entitled "CollegiateCat"ReaderJoan Houston ofSmith College
did somedarkroom doctoringand cameup withafelinetennis
player. Picturesthat havebeen tampered with likethisonewerenot
allowed toappearin thisbook. Allowed,though,were pictures
that hadthe M/sce/Zan^ humorbutoriginallyappeared
elsewhereinthemagazine.
.
of the original magazine, but that get their laughs from re- feast of spirited animals and
most of the time the headlines touchingorcut-and-paste tech- beguiling children along with
and captions had to be newly niques. Those images can be some unsuspecting grownups
conceived to marry pictures engaging but they are not real. in for a surprise. The humor is
that had hardly met before. In- They are cartoons. The differ- basic—down to earth, simple,
formation about the contents ence between LIFE LAUGHS obvious—animals acting like
of each picture, usuall> long LAST and a book of cartoons people, older people acting
outdated, has been cut to the is that all the sights here really like children, sudden indigni-
bone. And no tricks are re- happened. That makes them ties, the very large or the very
vealed. By tricks mean no doubly funny. small, more than one of the
I
tricks ofthe eye or the camera. There is something marvel- same thing, exaggerations, the
This book has carefully kept ously unpretentious about this incongruous, the impossible,
We
away from those little cheaters collection ofpictures. Here is a somebody in a fix. laugh,
sometimes with relief, and we
quickly show the pictures to
others. While anger and sor-
row are usually best experi-
enced alone, humor is gregari-
ous—we want to share what
amuses us.
In the chapters that follow,
the juxtapositions of the pic-
tures are contrived to add to
the humor. Our lives are filled
with odd, unlikely combina-
tions, but they are seldom fro-
zen for us so that we can take
joy in them.
in strange ways, this book
of humor has its serious side.
shows our special relation-
It
ship and affinity to other mem-
bers of the animal kingdom. It
makes us consider the paradox-
es in our own li\es. Its amusing,
often tenderglimpses somehow
enlarge us and make us more
human. And most important of
all. it helps us not to take our-
Often LIFE'Scontributorsreconfirmed theauthenticity oftheir
selves too seriousl>
picturesby keepingthe editors updated on theirchildren or pets.On
page34you will find theclassic photoofa German dog named Sepp on
allfourscarryingfourcupsand saucerson his nose(above). Afew
monthsafterit was published,contributor D.Olin followed up witha
second pictureshowingSepp's progress.Now hecould balancean even
biggersnoutfulstandingon his hind legs.
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