To: pml1@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [PML1] CC: Dinah Willis
From: Mark Tomlonson
Date: Thu, 07 Aug 2003 21:33:39 -0400

In Dinah Willis' centerfold (December 1965) she's laying in bed, 
apparently waiting for someone to prop her back up.

There is a building on the campus of Ball State University, legend has 
it, whose architect has promised to sue if his name is ever attached to 
it. The architect's plan went through a committee before it was built, 
and several "improvements" were added to it. I wonder if that is the 
case with this centerfold. Not one of Pompeo's best works, it's also 
missing any of his stylistic touches.

What the creators were after was a simmering, smoldering sexiness 
emanating from the lovely Dinah, but there are too many compromises to 
make this work. She's leaning back, but she's far enough forward that 
instead of the sprawled-on-the-bed look, it's awkward, awkward, awkward. 
The pose and the concept also call for her to be entirely nude. In 1965, 
that wasn't going to happen. The blanket covers too much and in the 
wrong ways.

Lastly is her expression. She's going for sultry but instead it's just 
plain silly. Her look of allure is too forced to be believable, and the 
last best hope for saving this centerfold is lost.

Photographer: Pompeo Posar

Scoring:
Pin-up: 0.5
Erotic: 0.5
Artistic: 0.5

Overall: 0.5 out of 4.0

Cyber Club Portfolio Photo I like better than the Centerfold: #7

http://cyber.playboy.com/members/playmates/files/1965/12/07-lrg.html
http://cyber.playboy.com/members/playmates/files/1965/12/centerfold.html

Update:
On the last posting I found that I held a minority opinion about the 
quality of the centerfold, so I've taken a closer, critical look at it.

I'm still not a big fan, but the centerfold clearly deserves more than 
the "0.5" I gave it. There is better balance between the blanket and the 
pillow than I gave credit for, the lines are better placed, and Dinah's 
skin tone comes across better. Were I to completely re-do the critique I 
would not have leveled such base accusations at Mr. Posar.

I don't like the pose. I think Dinah's neck is too forced and her back 
is awkward. Maybe if she were turned more on her side we'd be able to 
get the same sensuous curves.

To be a truly great centerfold and still work along these lines I think 
you would have to not have the blanket as a fig leaf, but rather as a 
setting for Dinah. Playboy would do centerfolds like that, but not in 1965.

Revised Scoring:
Pin-up: 0.5
Erotic: 1.5
Artistic: 2.0

Overall:1.1 out of 4.0

Mark Tomlonson
Kalamazoo MI