When SABRINA was 'Shot' in the NUDE

'Lowdown', July 1956

by Derek Agincourt

"BARED: The pic Sabrina will pay $10,000 to get back"

I have been asked not to write this story. I am told that I have the power, in the palm of my hand, to ruin,a budding career. Well, I have questioned myself and my conscience and i find that I have a duty as a reporter to set down the truth.

Is it Wicked to Be Naked?
Is It Lewd to be Nude?
"Not At All" Says Sabrina,
"He Who Thinks So Is a Prude!"

No magazine or newspaper in England will print this story

No magazine or newspaper in England will print this story. We are a different lot who do not like to be disappointed in our dreams, and illusions. We like to think we are ladies and gentlemen. But, we too have our cinema and our television stars. The star we have most hugged to ourselves, because she looks so much like an American star, is a girl who calls herself Sabrina.

appeared to be a nice girl

When Sabrina first burst on our television screens in all her glory, she rose rapidly to fame and fortune. Our newspapers were full of her and her photos. She and her body crowded our columns so that you could not really see the girl as she is. You see, we have a shortage of newsprint and Sabrina has no shortage, at all, of body. It is all a matter of coverage with not enough newsprint to go around. As a British newspaperman, I have covered Sabrina exhaustively. She, by way of benefit of press agent and press puffs, appeared to be a nice girl from a simple home who was endowed with a larger share of charms than most young girls have.

her charms titillated the local gentry

Born as she was on Feb. 2nd, 1936 [19 May - Ed] , in a Soho slum flat [Stockport hospital - Ed] , there was really no chance for her to expand. But she did. One cannot halt nature. Her name was really Norma Sykes and offhand, she might have gone into a shop as a clerk or into a factory as a packer. But her charms titillated the local gentry and she soon got ideas about herself.
These ideas were later on to bear fruit. But in the meantime, Norma wanted no dull work. She just wished to show herself off.

English Tweed and English Leather, Irish Whiskey and Scottish Heather take a back seat that that British Product Extraordinary comes on the scene - sweet, simple sexy Sabrina!!

eyes of the male watchers bugged

It may have well been the great similarity in the names and lives of Norma Sykes and Norma Jean Daugherty, otherwise known as Marilyn Monroe, that prompted the British Norma to have a dream of a similar career. The American Norma Daugherty once posed in the nude for what is called "calendar" art. I am sure all America has seen these stunning shots. We have over here. The American Norma, later on, made great play with her magificent bosom. Here, too, the British Norma aped her. She took the name of Sabrina and soared to fame in our country. First, as a model. Then, as a film star. And then on television. The eyes of the male watchers bugged as they saw Sabrina. And she, with her own charms, bugged back. It was a meeting of the minds.

Then came a titter of scandal. Stories were bruited about that Sabrina had posed in the nude. There were stories that only members of the House of Lords and the great gentry had these secret photos. Sabrina was now in bigtime and these tales made her, and her press agents, most unhappy. Through benefit of press agentry. she claimed that she had never, but never, posed in the nude. The stories persisted. Many men claimed to have seen shots of her stark naked . For whom did she pose, if she did? And why?

a nude photo of Sabrina

I have in my possession, a nude photo of Sabrina, which I will send off to THE LOWDOWN in the very next mail pouch, along with this story. How I came into possession of this photo is my very own business. Believe me, there have been numerous attempts made to have all copies out destroyed. (sic)

Sabrina, through her agents, shelled out good English Pounds Sterling to have the prints destroyed. There are perhaps only about 5 of them left. One is said to repose in the private archives of a Cabinet Minister .

('Lowdown' Editor's Note:-The nude photo sent to us - by Derek Agincourt, was held up by U.S. Customs. One agent was heard to say audibly: "Well, for Sykes' Sake," when he saw what was in the packet. After a delay, the packet was released , as press matter.)

When this lovely nude photo came into my hands, I went to see Sabrina for the purpose of an interview. The dear girl came to the door looking more ravishing than on the screen, and when I mentioned the purpose of my call, she shouted something or other and slammed the door in my face. Very sensitive, isn't she?

"I WAS BROKE" SHE WAILED

To her close friends Sabrina confided that she really had posed in the nude. She denied vehemently that dirty old men had posed their cameras on her. "I was broke," she wailed. "Broke. I had to earn a few shillings."

she preferred to flaunt herself

The fact of the matter is that jobs are going a'begging in Britain. We have a shortage of help. Norma (Sabrina) Sykes could have gotten any honest labor she wished. But she preferred to flaunt herself. Sabrina claims that her bosom is bigger than that of any star in the United States. She has a point there. It is not for nothing that she is hailed as "Britain's Answer to Marilyn Monroe." Someone should decide this with a tape measure.

At any rate, here is the historic shot, the one she denies ever had been snapped, by evil, old, men or anyone else. This is a scoop for you. Sabrina, I am told, has ambitions to become an American star. It seems to me that had she owned up to her instance of immoral transgression, that she should have a chance.

This is unworthy of a British star

But to play the end against the middle, is another matter. The girl wishes to use her body, instead of her talents, in order to gain dramatic fame. This is unworthy of a British star. Knowing the American audience, as I do, I have every confidence that when this story I am writing, along with the beautiful display of Sabrina's charms sweeps your country, you will hug her to your heart even as we have over here. Instead of ruining her chances of a great career in America, I consider that I have given it the selfsame uplift so noticeable in her body. She will put her best front forward, I am sure.

Meantime, because I have national pride, I will wager that Sabrina can beat, by breasting the tape, any claims jutted forward by any of your lush female stars. Not by mile, mind you, but by a comfortable margin.

[From elsewhere: Sabrina and Shane]

A couple of interesting points (NO! Not those points! Calm down, lads.)

• This article gives Sabrina's birthday for the first time (Feb 2, 1936 - which is wrong), but its general reliability is dubious. It claims Sabrina was born in Soho, which makes a change from Wales, but is still inaccurate.
• We do, however discover, for the first time, the name of Sabrina's dog, Shane!
• The surname of MM is interesting: was it Baker or Daugherty? There are references to both on the web.

Please note, I did not put in the text obscuring Sabrina's vital bits: it was too much to expect a 1956 magazine to print a nude pic - the search went on for the playing cards, especially the unbowdlerised 5 of spades - and eventually they surfaced at SabrinaSite HQ.

Let's hope a Cabinet Minister is reading this and is keen to share his treasure trove!

This magazine purchase was funded through the generosity of Stuart's cash donation to the Sabrina Site.