I dipped further into Honey West.
She originated in 1950's novels by one G.G. Fickling. Actually, it's two. G.G was an American man and wife team.
There are pots of Honey books on the net, many featuring her TV incarnation on the covers. Here's an eye-ful I saw on Worthpoint. I wonder how collectable they are?
I prefer the original gaudier covers, which place Honey firmly in pulp territory. Here are a few covers I found on Abebooks and similar with Miss. West wearing her trademark striped top.
These last cover reminds me of the narrow-faced doll Bild Lilli from Germany, from which Barbie would emerge. I wonder if Gilbert echoed Lilli in their doll's rendition of Honey?
Let's see ... Lilli's on the left.
Hmmm. Sort of. Maybe. What do you think?
Obviously the Gilbert Doll was meant to look like Honey's leading lady in the Sixties TV show, Anne Francis, with her trademark dark beauty spot below her mouth.
I mentioned Germany. For me the most salacious of all the pulp Honey book covers has to Bombshell, which I'll let you look up yourself. Its combination of nudity, machine guns and Hitler makes it almost Video Nasty cover material!
Honey spawned a neat US board game, which I'd love to see in detail and comics too. I wonder if she made it onto vinyl?
There was certainly enough interest in Miss. West around the world to cross-pollinate paperbacks in other countries, notably the Netherlands.
There's a full list of Dutch Honey here on vnster and I've taken the liberty of re-printing one of the typical photo covers. Honey with a speargun Thunderball style!
Apart from Bond girls I can't think of any other female spy-cum-private eye back in the Sixties except for Modesty Blaise. Modesty strikes me as a more adult femme-fatale compared to Honey. Have I got that right. Anyone like Modesty?
G.G Fickling? Thats a pseudonym for sure!
ReplyDeleteIts the GG bit thats a cover. Both Mr and Mrs Fickling wrote the stories according to Wiki. GG represents them both but they were called Fickling! The US is full of fabulous surnames, many of German and Dutch origin among others. A Feigling in German is a coward and Fick, well, I think you can work that one out! Looking up the family name turns out it was originally a Saxon Lord's name in Cambridgeshire, in the UK at least.
DeleteThanks for all this. What a great lady - I had no idea there was so much Honey West material available. One site describes her as 'a volatile combination of Marilyn Monroe and Mike Hammer'. Honey has just gained a new fan.
ReplyDeleteOn TV she first appeared in a 1965 episode of Burke's Law, before getting her own series. She has a pet Ocelot named Bruce.
Board game by Ideal, I would love to see that too.
Comic by Gold Key - a single issue in 1966.
Modern comics by Moonstone, that included a tie-in issue with Kolchak.
There was indeed a Honey West LP - Original music from the soundtrack, 12 tracks, from ABC-Paramount, in 1965. Photo cover, with Anne Francis and Bruce.
https://www.discogs.com/Mullendore-Original-Music-From-The-Soundtrack-Honey-West/release/7557601
There are certainly plenty of great book covers. I assume the title of her first book, This Girl For Hire (1957) was inspired by the Alan Ladd/Veronica Lake film This Gun For Hire (1942).
Other female spies and private eyes from the 1960s, what about The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. or even Lady Penelope ? There was also the Mrs Pollifax book series that began in 1966, and led to the movie Mrs Pollifax - Spy, in 1971, with Rosalind Russell and Kolchak himself, Darren McGavin.
I shall certainly be delving deeper into the world of Honey West, and watching a few more episodes on You Tube.
Fabulous hive of honey that lot Paul, superb! For a set of novels and a single TV series she did well to appear in so much stuff. Burkes Law eh! I once found a stack of mint Burkes Law jigsaws in a charity shop and was thrilled to get the lot. That was years ago. Never seen the show but Scoop has covered it well on the blog. Kolchak was brilliant and I saw the Night Flier a couple of years back about a vampire who liked planes. Kolchak was on his tail though! That LP is a real treat altho' the cover is less raunchy than I thought it would be for an adult product. The track names are great and my fave has to be Sam goes [Honey] West! Great research Paul.
DeleteRead Modesty Blaise in the London Evening Standard. Great art and stories. The novels were rather formulaic but great stuff. The movie sucked and it's only the Johnny Dankworth music that makes it worth watching, though that alone isn't worth your time.
ReplyDeleteI will send Woodsy scans of an interview with Peter O'Donnell the author.
I will have to check Modesty out Terran. Look forward to the scans. Thanks.
DeleteOh good god yes, Modesty Blaise - the movie - was such a horror! I think Joseph Losey is woefully overrated.
DeleteI may have to watch that movie Zigg!
DeleteThat Honey West Bombshell cover art!
ReplyDelete"Honey finds herself smack in the middle of a nest of American Nazis..."
In the sixties that concept was more of a fantasy!
.... in Florida no less Looey I know! Talk about Nazploitation!
Delete