Acquired Tastes XLIII: Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 226 - Guild Press Award, Part 1 of 2

Acquired Tastes XLIII: 

Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 226

Guild Press Award, Part 1 of 2

Today we take a first look at the Guild Press Award imprint published by Guild Press. 

Guild Press operated out of Washington D.C. and Guild Press Award  was just one of several imprints the company published. Guild Press Award published at least 12 titles between 1969 and 1970. A complete listing of GPA books does not exist. So, I base that number of 12 on the fact that's the number I'm comfortable attributing to this imprint. 

Guild Press Award books were paper-wrapped pamphlet-sized booklets held together with staples in the middle. Many of them were fully or partially illustrated with photos. Typically the cover contained some reference to Guild Press and the PNC logo. The PNC logo represented the Potomac  News Company, Guild Press' distribution company. They operated out of a P.O. Box at Franklin Station in Washington D.C. 

The numbering system? Non-existent. The same is true regarding any branding standards.

Many of the authors names attributed to these books are authors who provided works for all of Guild Press' many imprints. These books originally sold for $3.50 - $5.00. Today, they are incredibly rare, but can be found for $250 - $500. 

Here are the first dozen titles I could find.. Came up short three times.

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My First Time

 Author: Anonymous 

Guild Press

 1969

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 My First Time; Vol. Two

 Author: Anonymous 

Guild Press

 1969

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What Now My Love

 Author: Jerry Faulk 

Guild Press

 1969 

Also published by the Twilight Classics imprint as Twilight-120. Illustrated.

(Cover not found.)

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Black Sex Power

 Author: J.J. (James) Proferes 

Guild Press Award 

1970

 GPA-119

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Novarro:

The Movie Star and the Hustlers

 Author: J.J. (James) Proferes 

Guild Press Award 

 1970

This is a sensationalized account of the murder of silent screen star Ramon Novarro. In his later years, he fell into the habit of hiring rough trade for a bit of fun. The fun came to a permanent end when he hired brothers Paul and Tom Ferguson, aged 22 and 17. Convinced that there was a large sum of cash hidden in the house (nope), the tortured poor Ramon for hours before he choked on his own blood. Rumor had it that the brothers had lodged a black onyx dildo - a gift from Valentino which the actor had modeled based on his own penis - down Novarro's throat.

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 My Last Time: Never Again!!

 Author: Anonymous 

Guild Press Award 

 1970

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 My Only Time

 Author: J.J. (James) Proferes 

Guild Press Award 

 1970

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 Boys and their Male Lovers

 Author: Anonymous 

 Guild Press Award

1970

 Book Announcement Flyer

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  Boys, Drugs and Sex

 Author: J. J .(James) Proferes 

1970 

 Guild Press Award

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San Francisco Hustlers

 Author: J.J. (James) Proferes  

 Guild Press Award

1970

 

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 Ted and Blair

 Author: J.J. (James) Proferes 

 Guild Press Award

 1970

(Cover not found)

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Anthology of Gay Stories Vol. 1 

 Authors: Alexander Goodman & J. J. Proferes 

Guild Press

 1971 

GCS-1 

 Short stories by Goodman, Proferes and other authors.

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 Anthology of Gay Stories Vol. 2

 Author: Anonymous 

Guild Press

 1972 

GCS-2

(Cover not found)

 Short stories by Goodman, Proferes and other authors.

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And that's all for now.

Up next: More tantalizing titles from the Guild Press Award imprint.

Until then...

Thanks for reading!

Never Again - Kelly Clarkson

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Wonderland Burlesque's Down The Rabbit Hole: An Innocent Affair

Wonderland Burlesque's

Down The Rabbit Hole:

An Innocent Affair

On occasion I come across a film I feel noteworthy. Today's is a choice bit of romantic situational comedy from 1948, the rather charming An Innocent Affair. 

An Innocent Affair

(1948)

AKA: Don't Trust Your Husband, Under Suspicion

This American comedy was directed by Lloyd Bacon, written by Lou Breslow and Joseph Hoffman, and stars Fred MacMurray, Madeleine Carroll, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Rita Johnson, Louise Allbritton and Alan Mowbray. 

Advertising man Vincent Doane is assigned to land Margot Fraser's perfume account. Anxious that his wife Paula might become jealous, he tells her that the account is with a Mr. Fraser. Paula becomes suspicious and plays a trick on Vincent. She hires an actor to pretend to be a gigolo who is interested in her, but she does not know that Vincent knows about the ruse. Business tycoon Claude Kimball is mistaken for the gigolo and is ensnared in the Doanes' schemes. Big accounts are landed, promotions given, and divorce papers are served. Needless to say, sophisticated hilarity ensues.

Fred MacMurray is a very smart cookie. He bought the story from writers Lou Breslow and Joseph Hoffman and then sold it to Nasser Productions for $75,000, returning him a large profit. MacMurray was paid more than $150,000 for his role in the film and also received a percentage of its profits. And don't worry about Breslow and Hoffman; based on the positive buzz from preview audiences, they got a whopping $100,000 for their next screenplay, which was supposed to reunite the cast of this film and serve as a sequel. But, unfortunately, it never got made.

Norma Shearer and Myrna Loy were considered for the role of Paula Doane. And production was delayed due to the late arrival of Madeline Carroll. Note: Madeline Carroll, a British actress, was, at the height of her fame in 1938, the highest paid actress in the world. 

Buddy Rogers received ballroom dance lessons from none other than Arthur Murray for the film.

In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Thomas M. Pryor wrote: "Perhaps the writers didn't try hard enough, or perhaps this picture represents their level best, but, in any case, the truth of the matter is that the merriment is spread rather thin and unevenly. 'Bounce' is what this farcical excursion lacks."

And those are the basics, now here's my two cents: 

Now, I couldn't disagree more with Mr. Pryor; I found the whole affair absolutely charming. While it has the feel of 1950's situational television comedy, the posh urban setting and sweeping nightlife push it up a few notches and while not Noel Coward, it certainly passes muster in the wit department. 

The couple live in a penthouse apartment, to die for, with his divorcee sister. MacMurray's performance offers few surprises, especially if you know his work opposite Paulette Goddard (whom I'm surprised wasn't offered the role played by Carroll - or Rosalind Russell, for that matter), but he's as serviceable as ever. Carroll's droll British sensibility brings quite a bit of allure to proceedings, as does Rita Johnson as MacMurray's sadder-but-wiser sister. The latter two make for a great team, with Johnson serving as the voice of common sense usually provided by a servant or cook in these kind of movies (think: Marjorie Main, Thelma Ritter, Mary Wickes, and Margaret Hamilton). Charles "Buddy" Rogers makes for a lovely, under-played southern gentleman, while Louise Allbritton brings the perfect haughty beauty to her role as scheming ex-fiancée. The costumes are flamboyant and fetching and the sets perfectly capture the era of night club life; it's the New York City I wish I could visit!

You can see this film in its entirety for free on YouTube (and the print I watched was of very good quality). 

If you're a fan of the era and vintage romantic situational comedies, I urge you to take a look. I think you'll be very pleased.

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Friday Fun: Happy National Fragrance Week!

Friday Fun:

Happy National Fragrance Week!

 

Observed the first full week of June, this celebration puts the emphasis on those scents we can't live without.

And for moi and many others?

We are talking man scents.

Yes - aromatherapy can equal bromo-therapy .

Oh, the natural funk of a man can be more intoxicating than the best poppers.

A whiff of a pit. A bit of fresh natural sweat. The odors that drift from a recently worn jock.

All can send me to the very heights of rapturous wonder. 

For others it may be a sock, or a shoe, or a feast of the feet.

Whatever floats your odiferous boat, my dears...

Go ahead, get your freak on! 

Celebrate it today, and every day.

To each their own self be true.

In life, such pleasures are but few.

And with that thought I bid you adieu.

- uptonking from Wonderland Burlesque

Mine Smell Like Honey - REM

Smells Like Funk - The Black Eyed Peas