The Best Go First, by “Frank O’Malley,” aka Frank O’Rourke (Bantam, 1952). A novel with “first” in its title seems appropriate for this New Year’s Day, don’t you think?
Author O’Rourke is remembered now as the “King of the Westerns,” thanks to the numerous works he produced in that genre, some of which—like 1957’s The Bravados—were adapted for the silver screen. However, he also published non-westerns under the pseudonyms Patrick O’Malley and Frank O’Malley. The Best Go First, described by Pulp International as “a detective thriller set in Texas involving oil money and murder,” was originally released in a 1950 hardcover edition by Random House. Two years later, it was reissued as a Bantam softcover.
There’s a faint signature in the lower right-hand corner of the cover shown above. It appears to read “Phillips,” leading many to conclude that the painting was done by prolific paperback artist Barye Phillips. Trouble is, he usually signed his work simply “Barye.” Another suggestion—based on this image’s style—is that it was created by renowned men’s adventure magazine illustrator Wil Hulsey, who is described by one Twitter user as “the undisputed king of the animal attack pulp cover. You name it, he'd paint it attacking you in a pool of stagnant water.” Hulsey didn’t usually attach his moniker to his work, so comparing this signature with other examples isn’t terribly straightforward. It’s not impossible that what looks to be a “P” at the start of that autograph is actually an elaborate “H.”
But I’ll leave responsibility for determining proper credit to others. In the meantime, if you would like to see the back cover of this 1950 paperback, click here.
