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| Bettie Page Rules! | 
 enlarge | Author: Jim Silke
Publisher: Dark Horse
Category: Book
List Price: $22.95
Buy New: $15.61
You Save: $7.34 (32%)
Buy New/Used from $13.19
Avg. Customer Rating:  (1 reviews)
Sales Rank: 491822
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 128
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 11.9 x 9 x 0.3
ISBN: 1593077564
Dewey Decimal Number: 704
EAN: 9781593077563
ASIN: 1593077564
Publication Date: October 24, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
If ever there were reason to believe in love at first sight, that reason would be Bettie Page. From the moment the first pin-ups of Bettie appeared, the world fell in love. Even now, a half-century after those first pictures were published, men desire her, women emulate her and more and more people all over the world adore her. What did Bettie offer the camera that the other, more celebrated beauties of her time - including Marilyn, Brigitte and Sophia - did not? Legendary pinup artist and entertainment historian Jim Silke dives into these tempting waters and offers his first-hand account of life behind the lens of the '50s pinup scene with his freshest book to date, Bettie Page Rules! Combining fun and informative writing with his singular insight into the world of gorgeous dames, Silke delivers a tantalizing pictoral portrait of all the 1950s bombshells. But that's just the tip of the cheesecake!
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| Customer Reviews:
NEW COLLECTION OF RARE PAGE PHOTOS November 10, 2007
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Outside of perhaps only Marilyn Monroe, no female has been the subject of more mystery and more obsession than Bettie Page. Page's career last only about seven years from 1950 to 1957. During that time Page worked as a model in everything from traditional pin-ups to fully nudes to bondage and fetish motifs. Page was also the Playboy Playmate of the Month in January, 1955. Page abruptly left the business in 1957, citing a conversion to Christianity although that has been disputed by many. What isn't disputed is the indelible impression she's made on the males of the species for over fifty years, continuing to enjoy incredible popularity. If you need further proof, there is this great new release from Dark Horse Books. This book contains over 300 very rare photos and pieces of art not only of Bettie, but other notable pin-up queens of the 50's and 60's such as Sophia Loren, Jayne Mansfield, Mamie Van Doren, Ursula Andress, Brigitte Bardot, and many others.
Many of the Bettie photos were taken by amateur photographers and are being seen for the very first time. These include both black and white and full color photos, numerous nude shots, and bondage/fetish photos. This is exhibit A as to why Bettie was and remains so popular. Despite many of the photos being taken by amateurs, they never come off as seedy. This is in large part due to the fact that Bettie had that inexplicable next door girl look and always seemed to have a smile on her face no matter what the pose. The published photos come from such long-forgotten men's magazines as Eyeful, Tid Bits, Wink, and Titter. The other interesting thing about Bettie's photos is their relative innocence. Again, with many being produced by amateurs they were taken not in studios with sets but rather in everyday homes or apartments and it gives them truly a personal touch.
The book covers the very early period of nudes in magazine and in film including very rare photos from foreign films of the 40's and 50's. There's a spectacular shot of a topless Sophia Loren from the 1953 Italian film "Two Nights with Cleopatra." The 50's saw an explosion in men's magazines, which are detailed in the chapter called Pin-up Wars. There were literally scores of men's magazines, both domestic and foreign, flooding the marketplace and a competition of sorts began between American and European pin-up models. Dozens of cover's are reprinted and it brings home just how voracious this battle became. There are chapters devoted to the most famous sex symbols: Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Bardot, Gina Lollobrigida, and Kim Novak which feature shots from both film and photo sessions. Finally, the book concludes with the photos that would earn Bettie the notorious label...her bondage and fetish shots, again many being seen for the first time in any collection.
This is an exquisite collection not only for Bettie Page fans, but also for any fan of 50's and 60's pin-ups. The photography is brilliant and artfully reproduced by Dark Horse.
REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON
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