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unbelievable reaction to SI cover

BigstepBigstep Posts: 209
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
While going through some old SIs to answer a question on another thread I came across this 4/11/55 issue. I had forgotten what a stir this cover produced. It's the actress Laraine Day standing between her husband Leo Durocher and Willie Mays. The reaction to this cover was reflected in the letters to the editor published 2 weeks later. Hard to believe that was America. I particularly stunned by F.M. Odoms comment that " SI is part of a giant plan to flaunt all decency, so long as the conquered of 1865 can be reminded of their eternal defeat."55 SI cover and text



Rich

Comments

  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 31,234 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Rich thanks for the info, very interesting. I believe Durocher had an affair with Ms.Day and broke up her marriage, stuff like that was not a topic that was certainly publisised back then as common as it is today, very suprised that cover was published, it must have boiled Day's ex husband's blood to see that.
  • baseballfanaticbaseballfanatic Posts: 2,415 ✭✭
    Leo had already been married to Laraine for 8 years when this cover came out...
  • kingraider75kingraider75 Posts: 1,500 ✭✭
    Wasn't the publics problem with Day touching Mays? The reader write talks about 1865, which goes back to the Civil War. I think the issue isn't about adultery, but interaction between the blk man and wht woman?
    Running an Ebay store sure takes a lot more time than a person would think!
  • jrinckjrinck Posts: 1,321 ✭✭
    What am I doing wrong? I can't zoom into read the letters.

    I downloaded it and the resolution just isn't there.
  • GDM67GDM67 Posts: 2,526 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Wasn't the publics problem with Day touching Mays? The reader write talks about 1865, which goes back to the Civil War. I think the issue isn't about adultery, but interaction between the blk man and wht woman? >>

    Yeah, that's his gripe.

    It's tangential, but for some reason I just remembered that one of the many things Jackie Robinson yelled at Leo involved her.

    If you remember, Durocher had managed the Dodgers for a while, inspiring deep loyalty from his players and fans. It was a huge shock when he defected to the Giants, and Robinson really hated him for it. They used to jockey each other mercilessly. I would have loved to have heard one of these exchanges, because they were both smart, verbally sharp and (when properly motivated), mean as Hell.

    I can't remember where I read this (The Boys of Summer is a possibility), but I remember Jackie was pounding on the door that divided the dressing rooms screaming "I know you're in there, Leo! I can smell Laraine's perfume on you!" image
    My Sets
  • jmbkb4jmbkb4 Posts: 2,963
    Interesting!

    the times has certainly changed, and that -- in this instance -- is a good thing.
  • Brian48Brian48 Posts: 2,624 ✭✭✭


    << <i>What am I doing wrong? I can't zoom into read the letters.

    I downloaded it and the resolution just isn't there. >>



    Same here. I can't read any of the words in the article.
  • BigstepBigstep Posts: 209
    55 SI letters

    I hope you will be able to read this. Just click on it once to big it up.



    Rich
  • julen23julen23 Posts: 4,558 ✭✭
    not surprising, but always interesting to read people's worldviews, racist or not.

    i think many a white woman got smacked in the grill after this cover went out...

    thanks a lot si for promoting domestic abuse.

    j
    image
    RIP GURU
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