For the city of New York the importance of a drama Aquarius (The Penguin Pool Murder) del prolifico giallista Stuart Palmer (1905-1968) va ben oltre il piacevole intreccio narrativo e il debutto letterario dell'insegnante investigatrice Hildegarde Withers, signorina agée, ironica e determinata (in pratica una zitella).
L'aspetto più interessante della vicenda, pubblicata negli USA nel 1931, è la sua ambientazione che si snoda all'interno di una delle meraviglie della Big Apple sparita: il New York Aquarium, il favoloso acquario della città inaugurato nel 1896 e realizzato all'interno delle mura di Castle Clinton, la più celebre costruzione di Battery Park , nella punta estrema della downtown di Manhattan.
L'acquario, dopo aver subito importanti modifiche 20 years, was destroyed in 1941 as a follow-urbanist project that Robert Moses wanted to make a bridge between Battery Park and Brooklyn. The project was later blocked, but now there was the Aquarium. Castle Clinton to the outer wall remains today, still characteristic point of the city, while the fish swim in a new facility in Coney Island.
In 1932 the book was made into a film directed by George Archainbaud and unprecedented in Italy, where you can admire the historic aquarium. We can do it too by clicking here . Miss Withers is a feature film starring Edna May Oliver, who will screen two more times this character.
The Aquarium was a marvel Palmer and yellow are often quite good: "The office of Mr. Bertrand B. Hemingway, director of the aquarium is on the left of the main entrance. hemicycle Located as it is formed by the body at the base of the building , is illuminated by two large windows one of which overlooks the lower Manhattan area, the other on the platform. Two glass doors put him in direct communication with the great hall of the museum. "
Miss Withers, with a lot of school children in tow, along with Inspector Piper investigates a murder in the bathtub of the Penguins. Femme fatale, stalwart lawyers, brokers, petty thieves, guards, policemen and penguins wander through the corridors, halls and baths and - apart from the penguins - Even on the streets of New York post-depression but still struggling with the troubles in the stock market crash of 1929.
Palmer defines his character well, with humor, insight and a pericolossissimo umbrella, and also fits well with other actors on particular customs and fashions of the time, providing an interesting insight into some of New York at that time: "Involuntarily Piper said that was a hard hat, but now it was deemed ridiculous at that moment in New York, all wore hard hats." The
Withers will be so successful, however, that the teacher will be the star detective of eighteen titles.
The first publication of the novel in Italy dates back to 1937 on the historical anthology series No.5 Supergiallo Mondadori, before being reprinted in 1974 in the Classics Series No. 197 dated gold (is that the image accompanying the post) and 2006.
A Drama Aquarius , Stuart Palmer, The Classic of the Yellow Mondadori n. 1107, 2006
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