CLASS WARFARE

Is there anything money can't buy? Evidence seems to suggest no.

Never Give a Millionaire an Even Break is a title that spoke to us. Lancer Books published two editions, the second of which, above, from 1966, borrows Ron Lesser art originally used on the front of Robert Dietrich’s Curtains for a Lover. The story is about a private dick named Peter Chambers and his beautiful stage actress girlfriend Arlene Anthony, who’s coveted by two millionaires. One is her ex, so there’s that problem. The other is a phony tough guy and real-deal asshole who tries to buy Chambers off, then threatens him, then—maybe—tries to frame him for murder. Kane’s glib writing style takes a little getting used to, but he’s clever, we’ll give him that. Is the story worthwhile? It’s more convoluted than usual, yet still manages to be average, in our opinion. But since it’s the twenty-second entry in a Peter Chambers series (something we didn’t know beforehand) we suspect better capers came earlier. We’ll keep watch for one of the first few books.

Lancer Books, Henry Kane, Ron Lesser, cover art, literature

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HISTORY REWIND

The headlines that mattered yesteryear.

January 17

1950—The Great Brinks Robbery Occurs

In the U.S., eleven thieves steal more than $2 million from an armored car company’s offices in Boston, Massachusetts. The skillful execution of the crime, with only a bare minimum of clues left at the scene, results in the robbery being billed as “the crime of the century.” Despite this, all the members of the gang are later arrested.

January 17

1977—Gary Gilmore Is Executed

Convicted murderer Gary Gilmore is executed by a firing squad in Utah, ending a ten-year moratorium on Capital punishment in the United States. Gilmore’s story is later turned into a 1979 novel entitled The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer, and the book wins the Pulitzer Prize for literature.

January 16

1942—Carole Lombard Dies in Plane Crash

American actress Carole Lombard, who was the highest paid star in Hollywood during the late 1930s, dies in the crash of TWA Flight 3, on which she was flying from Las Vegas to Los Angeles after headlining a war bond rally in support of America’s military efforts. She was thirty-three years old.

January 15

1919—Luxemburg and Liebknecht Are Killed

Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, two of the most prominent socialists in Germany, are tortured and murdered by the Freikorps. Freikorps was a term applied to various paramilitary organizations that sprang up around Germany as soldiers returned in defeat from World War I. Members of these groups would later become prominent members of the SS.

January 14

1967—Summer of Love Begins

The Human Be-In takes place in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park with between 20,000 to 30,000 people in attendance, their purpose being to promote their ideals of personal empowerment, cultural and political decentralization, communal living, ecological preservation, and higher consciousness. The event is considered the beginning of the famed counterculture Summer of Love.

DON GIOVANNI

Giovanni Benvenuti was one of Italy's most prolific paperback cover artists. His unique style is on display in multiple collections within our website.

WALKING AFTER MIDNIGHT