Although her iconic role was the femme fatale in Gilda, and she had a reputation as the "love goddess," Hayworth is decent in every picture, because she never took her clothes off for movies. The most daring shots are Hayworth standing beside a studio prop in a bikini costume as Rusty Parker in Cover Girl (1944); and sitting on a bed in her negligee for My Pal Joey (1957).
The sultry poses include her standing up against a wall showing some leg in a black evening halter dress for Affair in Trinidad (1952); embracing Tyrone Power and running her hands through his hair in Blood and Sand (1941); and about to kiss Larry Parks in Down to Earth (1947).
Although she was the most famous redhead of her time and a very glamorous, colorful woman, all the photos in the book are in black and white. There are about half a dozen closeups.
Movie buffs may enjoy the text which accompanies the pictures and reveals more about the actress. Author Gerald Peary was a lecturer in film in the English Department of Livingston College at Rutgers University. He offers short movie reviews. His criticisms are often valid, but the tone of his writing is unusually harsh even for a film critic.
Peary's book is unique because it is the only Hayworth movie still book ever published. However, another photo book with a wider scope than just her films was published more recently by Caren Roberts-Frenzel. Rita Hayworth: A Photographic Retrospective (2001) has 240 pages with 297 illustrations, 10 in full color. It is about 9 x 12" whereas Peary's book is about 5 x 7." Most of his pictures are smaller than 5 x 7."
Rita Hayworth: Pyramid Illustrated History of the Movies is recommended for Rita Hayworth fans, old movie buffs, and students of film history.
Jamie Waters writes about Rita Hayworth for RitaHayworth.com, which has a Rita Hayworth Pictures section.
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