Top Models

Book Description

There were a lot of talents in Hollywood in the 1950s, some of whom -despite being talented- faded into obscurity after a brief fling at stardom. I thought that it’d be great to pay tribute to seven whom appeared in films like Guys and Dolls (1955) while modeling for some prominent brands. June Kirby (1928-2022), Larri Thomas (1932-2013), and Pat Sheehan (1931-2006) are the blondes, and Suzanne Ames (1933-2013), Suzanne Alexander (1931-1975), Madelyn Darrow (1935-2015), and Jann Darlyn are the brunettes. They could act, sing, dance, and some became successful in the field of business. I conducted various interviews and compiled photographs to create a great publication dedicated to their careers.

Samuel Claesson

Samuel Claesson is a bestselling author who wrote for several newspapers before publishing Top Models on March 31, 2023, Terry on September 30, 2024, and Glamour: Models, Mannequins, and Pinups of the 1950s on January 31, 2025 with Sequoia Press. He has written for newspapers like Classic Images and the Quad-City Times, with a lot of his articles centered on films of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. In addition, he's done interviews with actors like Melinda Markey, Jacqueline Wilson, Phyllis Yarwood, Donna Anderson, Marilyn Winston, Patrick Adiarte, Rafael Lopez, Carole Conn, Jackie Loughery, Myrna Hansen, Joan Lora, Carole Wells, Carol LeVeque, Wendy Wilde, Carol Byron, Lynne Hunter, Kathy Qualen, Sue Hussey, Zanne Shaw, Yanco Inone, Vikki Dougan, Joy Langstaff, and Shirley Blackwell.