Monday, March 12, 2018

Paperback 1011: She Wouldn't Surrender / James Kendricks (Monarch MA301)

Paperback 1011: Monarch MA301 (PBO, 1960)

Title: She Wouldn't Surrender
Author: James Kendricks
Cover artist: [Robert Maguire] (attribution from here) (and here)

Condition: 7/10
Estimated value: $20-25

MonMA301
Best things about this cover:

  • Wow, this really ticks all the boxes: naked redhead with a gun, painted by Robert Maguire, posing as "Americana," on one of the greatest mainstream sleaze imprints of the 20th century. Monarch Books got some of the greatest cover artists to work for them, and I love how they had all these subseries designed to give their softcore books a patina of respectabilty. Who could quibble with your passion for "Americana"!? Communists, that's who.
  • "Whoa, a *real* redhead! Wait'll I tell Wilb-" [gets shot in the neck]
  • My favorite part of this cover is weirdly her hat

MonMA301bc
Best things about this back cover:
  • Hmmm. It sounds like she *would* surrender, sometimes.
  • Sure, your girl has charms, but do they pulsate? Do They!?
  • OK, "Only the dead were incapable of remembering her" is kind of a good line
  • 🎶Wanton eyes! They're watching you! They see your Union boots...🎶

Page 123~

[nah, I don't like this page—it's all gruesome war stuff: horses being maimed and what not ... I much much prefer the teaser text on the opening page, headlined NAKED ENCOUNTER]
The soldier whirled. His eyes bulged at the sight of the naked girl, her magnificent breasts jouncing as she stopped abruptly to stare back at him wantonly [...] Too late he saw the weapon in her hand. Too long he had stared at the undulating breasts, the quivering eyes, the tantalizing smile...
JOUNCING! Part jiggling, part bouncing, all *deadly*!

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

3 comments:

Larry said...

This cover seems too racy for the novel rack, but the 35¢ cover price is not indicative of soft porn pricing.

I like that Rex grabbed the text that seems to go with the cover illustration (and on page 123!). Is this the first time?

Victoria said...

Belle Boyd was a real person who lived after photography was invented and who was photographed. Do a Google image search. Note the large disparity in the attractiveness level of the real Belle Boyd and this painted woman. If Robert Maguire had wanted to stay true to reality, he would have needed an entire can of paint just to create Belle Boyd's nose.

This "sexification" of a real historical person, her life, and her deeds makes me uncomfortable, to be honest.

Victoria said...

Anyone get a gander at the real Belle Boyd? Let's just say she had a prominent proboscis and was not as attractive as the cover girl. Not sure how you get away with this when your subject was a real historical figure who lived after photography was invented.