Retitled Harlequins Part X

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 five from obscure New York paperback publisher Star Guidance. All published between 1950 and 1953 and part of the Star Books series. Original titles in square brackets.

• Lehman, Paul Evan Gun Law [Texas Vengeance] Star Books 22
• Cody, Al Texas Outlaw [Bad Hombre] by Archie Joscelyn Star Books 7
• Cody, Al Gun Thunder Valley [Gun Thunder Valley!] Star Books 13
• Cody, Al The Gunman [Two-Gun Vengeance] by Archie Joselyn Star Books 43
• Coburn, Walt The Renegade [The Way of a Texan] Star Books 41

Harlequin 172 June 1952

Harlequin 285 March 1954

Harlequin 343 August 1955

Harlequin 345 October 1955

Harlequin 350 January 1956

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

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

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

Harlequin's 75th Anniversary

This past May Harlequin celebrated its 75th anniversary.

In May 1949 Harlequin published two books - The Manatee and Lost House. Over 40,000 titles and 6.7 billion copies later (see Harlequin press release), in May 2024, four Harlequin Romance titles were published. The Harlequin Romance series is the direct descendent of the earliest Harlequins. We know this because Harlequin has maintained the numbering for over 75 years, a record unmatched by any other publisher.

The first title published in May 2024 is Secretly Married to a Prince, number 4899 in the series. Next up, in June 2026, is #5000.

Harlequin 1 May 1949

Harlequin 2 May 1949

Harlequin Romance 4899 May 2024 

Retitled Harlequins Part IV

In my last post in this series I noted that 17 of the 89 retitled Harlequins from 1949 to 1959 were first published by British romance publisher Mills & Boon. The original titles are clearly not specific enough for the Harlequin's editor. Nearly all give no hint, at least to a Canadian audience, that the story is about nurses and doctors. The books were published in 1958 and 1959 when Harlequin realized how well romance sold compared to the non-romance Harlequins. 

• 423 Arbor, Jane Nurse Greve [City Nurse]
• 427 Norway, Kate  Nurse Brookes [Sister Brookes of Byng's]
• 439 Vinton, Anne Hospital In Sudan [Doctor Immacula]
• 443 Gilzean, Elizabeth Nurse On Call [On Call, Sister!]
• 446 Moore, Marjorie To Please the Doctor [Borne on the Wind]
• 449 Hoy, Elizabeth Nurse in Training [Come Back My Dream]
• 454 Arbor, Jane Nurse In Love [Such Frail Armour]
• 459 Moore, Marjorie Ring for the Nurse [Second Love]
• 463 Norway, Kate  Nurse Brodie [The Morning Star]
• 469 Seale, Sara Maggy [House of Glass]
• 477 Vinton, Anne Hospital Blue [Caprice in Hospital Blue]
• 482 Arbor, Jane Nurse Harlowe [Folly of the Heart]
• 485 Houghton, Elizabeth Island Hospital [A Sister in the Backwoods]
• 489 Arbor, Jane Consulting Surgeon [Flower of the Nettle]
• 491 Hoy, Elizabeth Nurse Tennant [Sally in the Sunshine]
• 492 Moore, Marjorie Hospital Pro [Follow a Dream]
• 497 Hoy, Elizabeth Doctor Garth [You Took My Heart]

Harlequin 439 - October 1958

Harlequin 443 - November 1958

Harlequin 423 - May 1958

Harlequin 427 - June 1958

Retitled Harlequins Part III

In my last post I listed the 89 books Harlequin published from 1949 to 1959 that were retitled by Harlequin. Here I'll discuss the original publishers of these titles. 

One surprising number for me is the number of publishers - 36. Mills & Boon leads with 17, Phoenix Press seven and Macrae-Smith, Dodge and Mystery House tied with five. There are 21 publishers with only one book. Did Harlequin have to deal with every publisher for permission to change? Were there agents acting for some of the publishers? I would love to find an example of a contract between Harlequin and a publisher. No doubt somewhere buried in an archive one exists.

Here are four from Phoenix Press. 

Harlequin 142 - November 1951

Harlequin 146 - December 1951

Harlequin 192 - November 1952

Harlequin 236 - July 1953

Retitled Harlequins Part II

Here I discussed the 89 books Harlequin Books published from 1949 to 1959 retitled by Harlequin. This is 20% of the 455 previously published titles Harlequin sold during these years. Harlequin very rarely acknowledged the change. A few of the changes are slight, most are not. For example, "Murder" is added to the title three times, removed six times and "Nurse" is added to the title eight times, removed once.

The original title is in square brackets. 

• 11 King-Hall, Magdalen The Wicked Lady Skelton [The Life and Death of the Wicked Lady Skelton]
• 32 Hecht, Ben Hollywood Mystery [I Hate Actors]
• 42 Michel, M. Scott     House In Harlem [Sweet Murder]
• 49 Evans, John    Weep Not Fair Lady [If You Have Tears]
• 57 Bogart, William    Murder Man [Hell on Friday]
• 64 Michel, M. Scott      Sinister Warning [The X-Ray Murders]
• 75 Grinstead, J.E.    Maverick Guns [Guardians of the Range]
• 77 Jerome, Owen Fox A Night At Club Bagdad [The Corpse Awaits]
• 86 Jerome, Owen Fox Double Life [Murder - As Usual]
• 99 Miller, Bill + Bob Wade Murder - Queen High [Pop Goes the Queen]
• 100 Cole, Jackson Black Rider [Six-Gun Stampede]
• 103 Hall, O. M.         Wanton City [Murder City]
• 114 Bogart, William Johnny Saxon [Murder is Forgetful]
• 115 Roeburt, John Manhattan Underworld [There are Dead Men in Manhattan]
• 126 Kane, Frank Death About Face [About Face]
• 129 Findley, Ferguson Hire This Killer [Waterfront]
• 138 Prole, Lozania Emma Hart [Our Dearest Emma]
• 142 Stone, Thomas   Doctor By Day [Doctor Tony]
• 146 Westland, Lynn   Trail Rider [Over the Frontier Trail]
• 153 Cody, Al         Outlaw Valley [Forlorn Valley]
• 154 Hirsch, Richard      Rasputin and Crimes that Shook the World [Crimes that Shook the World]
• 171 Ernenwein, Leslie Savage Justice [Boss of Panamint]
• 172 Lehman, Paul Evan Gun Law [Texas Vengeance]
• 173 De Lange, Anneke Anna [Anna Luhanna]
• 174 Leitfred, Robert H. Murder Is My Racket [Death Cancels the Evidence]
• 190 Drake, H.B. Slave Ship [The Captain of the Jehovah]
• 194 Shott, Abel Triggerman [The Renegade Kid]
• 202 Fairman, Paul W. Copper Town [The Heiress of Copper Butte]
• 220 Garth, Will         Masked Rider [Lawless Guns]
• 230 Singer, Kurt Women Spies [The Worlds Thirty Greatest Women Spies]
• 231 Robb, John (Norman Robson) Legionnaire [American Legionnaire]
• 233 Cocking, Ronald       Die With Me Lady [Weep no More, Lady]
• 236 Hopson, William Gunthrower [Gun-thrower]
• 237 Key, Alexander    Island Of Escape [Island Light]
• 243 Anderson, Oliver School For Love [Grit and Polish]
• 245 Chase, James Hadley    The Soft Touch [The Fast Buck]
• 248 Westland, Lynn     Legion Of The Lawless [Texas Red]
• 258 Berg, Louis     World Behind Bars [Revelations of a Prison Doctor]
• 260 McCulley, Johnston The Outlaw Trail [Reckless Range]
• 268 Plaidy, Jean The Unholy Woman [The Italian Woman]
• 272 Prole, Lozania The Fabulous Nell Gwynne [Pretty, Witty Nell!]
• 274 Cody, Al         Lost Valley [Guns of Lost Valley]
• 281 Leinster, Murray        Outlaw Deputy [Black Sheep]
• 285 Cody, Al      Texas Outlaw [Bad Hombre] by Archie Joscelyn
• 288 Sinclair, Gordon   Bright Path to Adventure [Bright Paths To Adventure]
• 290 Timms, E.V. The Violent Years [Forever to Remain]
• 293 Webster, M. Coates      Mona [Derelict Alley]
• 297 McCary, Reed The Vice Merchants [Sleep with the Devil]
• 302 Hancock, Lucy Agnes   The Nurse [The Nurse at Whittle's]
• 305 Saber, Robert O. Out Of The Night [The Black Dark Murders]
• 311 Goodis, David Convicted [Dark Passage]
• 313 Hancock, Lucy Agnes   Hospital Nurse [Nurse Kathy Decides]
• 314 Bull, Lois           Forbidden [Captive Goddess]
• 319 Walker, Dorothy Pierce Woman Doctor [Kate Fuller, M.D.]
• 320 Fearn, John Russell The Deathless Amazon [The Golden Amazon Returns]
• 329 Russell, Victor People Of The Night [A Kingdom by Night]
• 330 Timms, E.V. Convict Town [The Beckoning Shore]
• 331 Timms, E.V. Woman in Chains [The Pathway of the Sun]
• 335 Ullman, Albert E. Hoodlum Alley [At Your Service]
• 338 Hancock, Lucy Agnes District Nurse [North Side Nurse]
• 340 Marshall, Raymond The Pick-Up [But a Short Time To Live]
• 341 Marshall, Raymond Ruthless [Trusted Like the Fox]
• 342 Ford, Marcia Nancy Craig, R.N. [Dixie Nurse]
• 343 Cody, Al Gun Thunder Valley [Gun Thunder Valley!]
• 345 Cody, Al The Gunman [Two-Gun Vengeance] by Archie Joselyn
• 350 Coburn, Walt The Renegade [The Way of a Texan]
• 376   Worley, Dorothy      Blake Hospital [Bright Tomorrow]
• 382 Marshall, Raymond Never Trust A Woman  [In a Vain Shadow]
• 388 Dern, Peggy Doctor Scott [The Other Dear Charmer]
• 404 Lehman, Paul Evan Law In The Saddle [Only the Brave]
• 411 Grinstead, J.E. Range King [King of the Rangeland]
• 423 Arbor, Jane Nurse Greve [City Nurse]
• 427 Norway, Kate Nurse Brookes [Sister Brookes of Byng's]
• 429 Curwood, James Oliver Steele Of The Royal Mounted [Philip Steele of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police]
• 439 Vinton, Anne Hospital In Sudan [Doctor Immacula]
• 443 Gilzean, Elizabeth Nurse On Call [On Call, Sister!]
• 446 Moore, Marjorie To Please the Doctor [Borne on the Wind]
• 449 Hoy, Elizabeth Nurse in Training [Come Back My Dream]
• 454 Arbor, Jane Nurse In Love [Such Frail Armour]
• 459 Moore, Marjorie Ring for the Nurse [Second Love]
• 463 Norway, Kate Nurse Brodie [The Morning Star]
• 469 Seale, Sara Maggy [House of Glass]
• 477 Vinton, Anne Hospital Blue [Caprice in Hospital Blue]
• 482 Arbor, Jane Nurse Harlowe [Folly of the Heart]
• 485 Houghton, Elizabeth Island Hospital [A Sister in the Backwoods]
• 489 Arbor, Jane Consulting Surgeon [Flower of the Nettle]
• 491 Hoy, Elizabeth Nurse Tennant [Sally in the Sunshine]
• 492 Moore, Marjorie Hospital Pro [Follow a Dream]
• 497 Hoy, Elizabeth Doctor Garth [You Took My Heart]

Harlequin 171 - May 1952

Harlequin 172 - June 1952

Harlequin 173 - June 1952

Harlequin 174 - June 1952

Early Harlequin Mystery Artist Solved

In 2012 I discussed an artist who signed an early Harlequin Books cover with his signature - "LPH". I also noted two other books with his work that are not signed. I've finally identified the artist as Lawren P. Harris (1910-1994). The key new information is an auction site which lists one of his works with an identical signature.

Harris is the son of a much better known painter, Lawren Harris (1885-1970), one of the Group of Seven.

Harlequin 72 - September 1950

Harlequin 57 - June 1950

Harlequin 62 - July 1950