Lion #29

Before the modern rules of cricket and soccer took shape, these sports went through some wildly different phases—and this page celebrates those wild early days, from the F.A. Cup's humble 1871 draw pulled from a silk hat to the makeshift leg guards that saved batsmen's shins in the 18th century. It's a fun sprint through sporting history that shows how the games we know today had to learn and adapt before they "grew up."

Brett Marlowe and his chauffeur Rusty Race are holidaying by the seaside when they spot a mysterious motorboat circling aimlessly offshore—and fish a package from the water containing bathing trunks and a knife. When a man they've rescued from a wrecked canoe begins muttering about a rich uncle's will, Brett pieces together a scheme of attempted murder, leading to a desperate chase as the culprit makes their escape. This 1952 adventure by John Fordice delivers the kind of brisk seaside mystery that keeps a detective sharp, even on holiday.

From an American Army recruit smuggling a lion to a teen in Ohio caring for a bear, this 1952 feature celebrates the surprising real-world bonds people have forged with wild animals—from a young boy befriending a crocodile to a film actress cruising town with her pet leopard. Each remarkable tale reminds us that sometimes the fiercest creatures make the most devoted companions.