Title: The Case of the Sun Bather's Diary
Author: Erle Stanley Gardner
Cover artist: Robert McGinnis
Yours for: $10
Best things about this cover:
- Among my favorite McGinnis covers. I love that he's got the gorgeous woman in a discernible context—great sense of setting and mood. Love her "what the fuck do you want?" stare, and her glasses, and the texture and angles of the wooden walkway, and her hair, to say nothing of the sun-shaped title.
- If you look at her ass (and why not?), it looks like this woman's bikini was originally somewhat larger, and pink, and then it was changed to skimpier, and black. Good choice. Love the little side-tie.
- Never was too sure what was supposed to be conveyed by that arrow inside the author's initials. "Perry Mason goes down ... to the beach? gets down ... to business? takes the elevator down ... to the cafeteria?"
Best things about this back cover:
- More arrows, pointing in random directions. "Perry Mason goes around ... the block to the deli?"
- Down to the penny. Back when pennies mattered, dagnabbit!
- OMG, is Perry Mason the killer!? I have to read this! (is what no one reading the back cover would say)
Page 123~
Paul put the receiver to his ear, said, "Yes. Hello," then listened for a moment, said, "The deuce!" then turned to Perry Mason.
"Okay, Perry," he said, "the fat's in the fire."
"What?"
Even mild-mannered Perry Mason found Paul's refusal to communicate in anything but old-time exclamations and idiomatic phrases exasperating.
~RP
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]
2 comments:
@Rex - No, that's Popeil's Under-Bikini(tm) you see there. It actually outsold Popeil's Pocket Fisherman in the late 50s, early 60s.
Popeil was of the first to realise that "flesh" came in various colors, at one they offered point over 20 different shades, all marked as nude. It was geared towards those women who couldn't or wouldn't get an intimate wax, but still wanted to sport the latest fashion in beachware.
Since she's also got the pink around the top of her cleavage, I'd say it looks a little more like tan lines. She got tanned wearing a less-skimpy outfit, and the smaller bikini she's wearing now is showing off her untanned pink skin.
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