Retitled Harlequins Part IX

Between 1949 and 1959 Toronto mass market paperback publisher Harlequin published 455 titles that are new editions of books published earlier. Here I listed the 89 for which Harlequin retitled their edition. 

Here are the five oldest titles that were retitled, published between 1911 and 1935. Original titles in square brackets.

• Curwood, James Oliver Steele Of The Royal Mounted [Philip Steele of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police], originally published by Bobbs-Merrill (Indianapolis, 1911).
• Ullman, Albert E. Hoodlum Alley [At Your Service], Macaulay (New York, 1932).
• Webster, M. Coates Mona [Derelict Alley], Macaulay (New York, 1933).
• Berg, Louis World Behind Bars [Revelations of a Prison Doctor], Minton, Balch (New York, 1934).
• Bull, Lois         Forbidden [Captive Goddess], Macaulay (New York, 1935).

Harlequin 258 November 1953

Harlequin 293 April 1954

Harlequin 314 September 1954

Harlequin 335 April 1955

Harlequin 429 June 1958

Nineteen Eighty-Four Part II

A recent article about the surviving partial manuscript of Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four reminded me that last month was the 75th anniversary of the publication of the US paperback edition by New York publisher New American Library (NAL) in their Signet imprint. NAL is now a division of Penguin US.

In 2025 this edition remains in print and is past 170 printings. In a 1983 promotion for the book, NAL said that 10,000,000 copies had sold.

Over the years there have been seven cover designs. The first and best known lasted from the first (July 1950) to the sixteenth (November 1958) printing in four variants. The artist is Alan Harmon. Here is how Louis Menand describes the cover:

"The cover of the 1950 Signet reprint … features a surprisingly toned Winston Smith, in a sleeveless top that shows off his triceps nicely, sneaking a glance at a slinky Julia, in lipstick and mascara, who wears an Anti-Sex League button pinned to a blouse with a neckline that plunges to her tightly sashed midriff. The artist has rendered O’Brien, Winston’s nemesis, as a sort of sadistic swimming instructor—a menacing dude clad in a black skullcap and halter-top outfit cut daringly across the pecs, and clutching what it is hard not to assume is a whip."

Here are the details on this cover:

•   first variant - number 798: printings one (July 1950) to ten (December 1953). Printings nine and ten have 25 cent price.
•   second variant - number S798: printings 11 (August 1954) to 13 (May 1955) price increase to 35 cents; described as a "Signet Giant". The red at the top is now gold and the title has a different font.
•   third variant - number S798: printing 14 (May 1956) tie in to the 1956 movie. All black background. No longer a Signet Giant. Price still 35 cents.
•   fourth variant - number D1640: printings 15 and 16 (August 1958 and November 1958) price increase to 50 cents. Black has been replaced by pink.

The third printing (November 1950) is the first and only Canadian edition. 

Signet 798 1st printing July 1950

Signet 798 back

Signet S798 11th printing August 1954

Signet S798 14th printing May 1956

Signet D1640 16th printing November 1958

Retitled Harlequins Part VIII

Between 1949 and 1959 Toronto mass market paperback publisher Harlequin published 455 titles that are new editions of books published earlier. Here I listed the 89 for which Harlequin retitled their edition. 

Here are two publishers with three retitled Harlequins each. The E. V. Timms titles are from Angus & Robertson, an Australian publisher. The Raymond Marshall (pseudonym of James Hadley Chase) titles are from British publisher Jarrolds. Harlequin also published 13 Jarrolds and one Angus & Robertson with the title unchanged. Original title is in square brackets.

• Timms, E.V. The Violent Years [Forever to Remain]
• Timms, E.V. Convict Town [The Beckoning Shore]
• Timms, E.V. Woman in Chains [The Pathway of the Sun]
• Marshall, Raymond The Pick-Up [But a Short Time To Live]
• Marshall, Raymond Ruthless [Trusted Like the Fox]
• Marshall, Raymond Never Trust A Woman  [In a Vain Shadow]

Harlequin 290 April 1954

Harlequin 330 March 1955

Harlequin 331 March 1955

Harlequin 340 July 1955

Harlequin 341 July 1955

Harlequin 382 March 1957

Retitled Harlequins Part VII

 Between 1949 and 1959 Toronto mass market paperback publisher Harlequin published 455 titles that are new editions of books published earlier. Here I listed the 89 for which Harlequin retitled their edition. 

There are seven retitled books from Phoenix Press, a New York publisher from 1936-52. Harlequin also published 21 Phoenix Press books with the title unchanged. Original title is in square brackets.

• Stone, Thomas Doctor By Day [Doctor Tony]
• Westland, Lynn Trail Rider [Over the Frontier Trail]
• Ernenwein, Leslie Savage Justice [Boss of Panamint]
• Shott, Abel Triggerman [The Renegade Kid]
• Hopson, William Gunthrower [Gun-thrower]
• Westland, Lynn Legion Of The Lawless [Texas Red]
• Cody, Al         Lost Valley [Guns of Lost Valley]

Harlequin 142 November 1951

Harlequin 146 December 1951

Harlequin 171 May1952

Harlequin 194  November 1952

Harlequin 236  July1953

Harlequin 248 September 1953

Harlequin 274 February 1954

Retitled Harlequins Part VI

Between 1949 and 1959 Toronto mass market paperback publisher Harlequin published 455 titles that are new editions of books published earlier. Here I listed the 89 for which Harlequin retitled their edition. 

There are five retitled books from Mystery House, a short-lived (1940-48) imprint of New York publisher Arcadia House. Harlequin also published nine Mystery House books with the title unchanged. Original title is in square brackets.

• Evans, John Weep Not Fair Lady [If You Have Tears]
• Jerome, Owen Fox A Night At Club Bagdad [The Corpse Awaits]
• Bogart, William Johnny Saxon [Murder is Forgetful]
• Roeburt, John Manhattan Underworld [There are Dead Men in Manhattan]
• Kane, Frank Death About Face [About Face]

Harlequin 49 May 1950

Harlequin 77 September 1950

Harlequin 114 May 1951

Harlequin 115 April 1951

Harlequin 126 August 1951

Marshall McLuhan Part III

"It is observable that the more illusion and falsehood needed to maintain any given state of affairs, the more tyranny is needed to maintain the illusion and falsehood. Today the tyrant rules not by club or fist, but, disguised as a market researcher, he shepherds his flocks in the ways of utility and comfort." 

                                            The Mechanical Bride (Preface), 1951

The Mechanical Bride, McLuhan's first book, is a collection of 59 short (most one or two pages) essays about mid century US media, advertising and culture. It is a book that has aged well and a great read. The topic of six of the essays is comic strips - Blondie, Tarzan, Superman, Li'l Abner, Little Orphan Annie and Bringing Up Father. I imagine that McLuhan enjoyed the Star Weekly Comic section in every Saturday Toronto Star where all of these strips could be found in the 1950s.

Here are the 21 strips in the February 12, 1955 Star Weekly Comic section.

• Abbie an' Slats
• Blondie
• Bringing Up Father
• Dick Tracy
• Ella Cinders
• Flash Gordon
• Hopalong Cassidy
• Jane Arden
• Li'l Abner
• Little Orphan Annie
• Mandrake the Magician
• Moon Mullins
• Napoleon
• Popeye
• Snookums
• Steve Canyon
• Superman
• Tarzan
• Terry and the Pirates
• The Captain and the Kids
• The Lone Ranger

Relaxing at the end of a hard day with a beer and a copy of the Toronto Star. Undated photograph (1970s)

Beacon Press BP 265 1967

Tarzan - Star Weekly February 12, 1955

Blondie - Star Weekly February 12, 1955

Bringing Up Father - Star Weekly February 12, 1955

Li'l Abner - Star Weekly February 12, 1955

Little Orphan Annie - Star Weekly February 12, 1955

Superman - Star Weekly February 12, 1955

Retitled Harlequins Part V

Between 1949 and 1959 Toronto mass market paperback publisher Harlequin published 455 titles that are new editions of books published earlier. Here I listed the 89 for which Harlequin retitled their edition. 

There are five retitled books from Dodge, a short-lived (1937-42) New York publisher. Harlequin also published two Dodge books with the title unchanged. Original title is in square brackets.

• Grinstead, J.E. Maverick Guns [Guardians of the Range]
• Cole, Jackson Black Rider [Six-Gun Stampede]
• Garth, Will  Masked Rider [Lawless Guns]
• McCulley, Johnston The Outlaw Trail [Reckless Range]
• Grinstead, J.E. Range King [King of the Rangeland]

Harlequin 75 September 1950

Harlequin 100 February 1951

Harlequin 220 March 1953

Harlequin 260 November 1953

Harlequin 411 January 1958

Collins White Circle Pocket Edition Original Publishers Part III

 Part I lists all the original publishers for the White Circle Pocket Edition (1942-1952) mass market paperback imprint of the Toronto based subsidiary of Scottish/British publisher Wm. Collins. There are 28 publishers with one title.

Here are five more of the publishers with a single White Circle.

• Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock first published in 1912 (London: John Lane)
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1883 (London: Cassell)
• Black Jade by Angeline Taylor in 1947 (New York: Robert M. McBride)
• Without Armour by James Hilton in 1933 (London: Ernest Benn)
• Turvey by Earle Birney in 1949 (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart)

White Circle Pocket Edition 39 1942

White Circle Pocket Edition 223 1945

White Circle Pocket Edition 50 1942

White Circle Pocket Edition CD357 1948

White Circle Pocket Edition CD404 1949

White Circle Pocket Edition CD534 1952

Collins White Circle Pocket Edition Original Publishers Part II

Part I lists all the original publishers for the White Circle Pocket Edition (1942-1952) mass market paperback imprint of the Toronto based subsidiary of Scottish/British publisher Wm. Collins. Titles from the parent company dominate (323 of 416) with the second, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, far behind with 18. Here are six from that long gone New York publisher.

• Born in Paradise by Armine von Temski first published in 1940 
• How to Grow Old Disgracefully by Norman Anthony in 1946 
• Trouble in July by Erskine Caldwell in 1940 
• Everybody Slept Here by Elliott Arnold in 1948 
• Thomas Forty by Edward Stanley in 1947 
• Vigilante by Richard Summers in 1949 

White Circle Pocket Edition 296 1947

White Circle Pocket Edition 331 1947

White Circle Pocket Edition 335 1948

White Circle Pocket Edition CD379 1949

White Circle Pocket Edition  CD400 1949

White Circle Pocket Edition CD466 1950