Thursday, November 26, 2009

57 Books from the University Book Sale: Books 18-20

Biography Edition — three lovely ladies to spice up your Thanksgiving

Yours for: you tell me!

Title: Red Carpet for Mamie Eisenhower (Popular Library G164, 1956)
Author: Alden Hatch
Cover artist: photo!


  • Note to Mamie — hire a portrait painter next time. You are lovely, but this photo makes you look like a girl nervously awaiting her prom date
  • Love the Marilyn Monroe / stripper gloves. The bangs ... not so much
  • I'm hoping "folksy" means something different than it does today (where it's code for "white and backwards")

Title: The Elizabeth Taylor Story (Hillman MF-1, 1961)
Author: Alan Levy
Cover artist: photo!


  • Superior book design compared to the other two bios today. Love the font and alternating colors on the title, and the 90-degree tilt to the author's name. Plus, the photo's hot
  • This book is numbered "MF-1," which would be a badass name for a private plane
  • Yowza!
  • I must tell you that Alan Levy is the "author of Operation Elvis" (acc. to the title page)

Title: There Goes What's Her Name: The Continuing Saga of Virginia Graham (Avon V2153, 1966)
Author: Virginia Graham
Cover artist: photo!


  • "There goes what's her name ... you know, the one who looks like a drag queen with a tidal wave of shellacked hair..."
  • I love the false modesty of the title. "Aw shucks, I'm a nobody but OMG HERE COMES MY NAME IN BIG YELLOW LETTERS!"

Page 123~ (from "... What's Her Name")

It is almost as unheard of to be sentimental in today's world as it is for a teen-ager to stand when an adult walks into the room.

Almost as uncommon as the hyphenated spelling of "teen-ager."

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

6 comments:

JRSM said...

I'm just glad that the other two books didn't follow the Taylor in having rather more bosom-revealing photos on the back.

Larry said...

I seem to recall a single beauty mark on Liz, now I gotta read the bio to see how she either generated a matching mole on the other side of her face!

Ms Avery said...

"Intimate?" ...ew.

Deb said...

Virginia Graham used to have a talk show in the late sixties/early seventies. I don't remember her looking so much like a drag queen, though. Jeez, those eyebrows remind me of Divine.

Marla said...

I feel very loutish that I've never heard of Virginia Graham, television's brightest personality.

Frank said...

Dame Edna sure has been around a long time.