This large, fresh to the market Henry Clive painting was created for the June 20th, 1948 cover of The American Weekly. The work finds the artist portraying Delilah as posed by Earl Carroll showgirl Beryl Wallace in seductive harem girl garb with barber’s shears prominently featured. Clive created a series of these artworks under the title “Enchantresses of the Ages” for Randolph Hearst’s American Weekly title where Clive enjoyed a three decade career as cover illustrator.
Beryl Wallace enjoyed a short film career, her stunning beauty led her to theater stages during the Burlesque era of erotic Follies reviews. By all accounts she was the leading Showgirl in Hollywood during the 1930s and 40s. She also entertained troops overseas during World War II and was romantically linked to Earl Carroll, they died (the same year this cover appeared) in 1948 together when United Flight 642 Crashed killing all passengers on board, sadly the pair were on a flight back to Los Angeles to open the newly completed elaborate Earl Carroll Theater.