Sunday, September 28, 2014

Paperback 821: Tiger Street / Trevor Elleston (Lion Books 207)

Paperback 821: Lion Books 207 (PBO, 1954)

Title: Tiger Street
Author: Elleston Trevor
Cover artist: Uncredited

Yours for: $25

Lion207

Best things about this cover:

  • Richie: "Whaddya think of my left thigh, lady? See this tendon on my inner thigh, here? It's been gettin' a pretty good stretch in my yoga classes. This is kinda how I do Warrior 2. I got good form, don't ya think? And my sweater's pretty nifty too."
  • Richie: "Jimmy, she ain't sayin' nothin.'" Jimmy: "Hey lady, he's showin' ya his yoga thighs. Tell him he looks nice. That's just common courtesy. Hey, you got a light? These matches don't work so good."
  • She doesn't have "fear hand" so much as "backing away as far as I can hand."
  • The original version of this painting just had the one trashcan, but then the art director was all, "Needs more trashcan." And thus the viewed-through-the-legs trashcan was born.
  • Tiger Street! The Musical! "Walk up a staircase / Make out in a doorway / Pick fruit from a trashcan / Show off your firm thighs … Tiger Street!"
  • Love the background. Street design is pretty stylized, but still has tons of nice detail. I especially like the awnings and fire escapes.
  • This cover features ten people. Find them all. Go!


Lion207bc

Best things about this back cover:

  • This was their HOUR of HELL!—that one time they interrupted "Real Housewives" for some stupid Presidential Address. Worst Hour Ever!!!
  • Sorry, no, I am not buying that a human being has the name of "Vosper." Maybe he's literally an "animal," 'cause I might buy "Vosper" as a pet's name. Maybe.
  • First there were dark rumblings, then there were quiet rumblings. What other kinds of rumblings might this novel contain!? Start reading at once, before you stop caring.


Page 123~
"Quietly, mate—push the door to—you saw the blood, yes, where?"
"Over there by—"
"All right, stay there will you … yes, I see, and this in the crack, too, eh? What else, Cliff?"
First, this guy's super-bossy. Second, there's something painfully anticlimactic about "Cliff."

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

10 comments:

Random White Guy said...

Dangit, I can find only nine people.

Thalia said...

Nice summary of Trevor Elleston's (TREVOR DUDLEY SMITH) career on http://www.quiller.net/trevor/classiceraet.html

His first best-seller, The Big Pick-Up (1955),was written as a challenge to J.B. Priestley, who had grumbled that 'all sorts of terrible people are writing war stories for the money'.

I would like to see more "Spot the Difference" puzzles based on pulp paperback covers.

I can only find 9 humans.

John "Ol' Chumbucket" Baur said...

I only see nine – unless – you don't mean - She isn't pregnant is she? Oh Tiger Street, you really ARE hell!

Jean said...

I found 10!

Peter Ball said...

I'm dying to know if Vosper's full name is Vosper Thornycroft after the warship-makers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VT_Group

Ray Garraty said...

You are on the Lion strike, that's good.

Anonymous said...

I found all ten! The one behind the damage to the cover is tough.

Really, everything about this cover is terrific -- except for red-shirt guy. He's just awful. That weird pose, the odd look on his face, the even odder, weirder thing he's doing with his hand. Even Cagney trying to light his cigarette is better. The best thing, though, is probably the lady picking through the trash.

capewood said...

Hey, my name is Cliff!

The 10th was the hardest to find.

Rex Parker said...

Would've been weird if any number besides the 10th had been the hardest to find.

Agreed, lady picking through trash (depressing though it may be) is the winningest cover element.

RP

Anonymous said...

Vosper would be a great name for a cat!