# Is "Hollywood Babylon" by Kenneth Anger a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger (J. J. Pauvert, 1959) is identified by: The true first was published in France by J. The 1959 Paris Pauvert edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first was published in France by J. J. Pauvert, Paris, in 1959 in French (as 'Hollywood Babylone'), in plain wraps with a photo-illustrated jacket
- The first English-language US edition (Associated Professional Services, 1965) was suppressed and withdrawn; the first authorized US edition did not appear until Straight Arrow Books, 1975
- Identify the genuine true first by the 1959 Paris Pauvert imprint and French text
- Publisher imprint reads J. J. Pauvert
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kenneth Anger |
| Publisher | J. J. Pauvert |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first was published in France by J. J. Pauvert, Paris, in 1959 in French (as 'Hollywood Babylone'), in plain wraps with a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The true first was published in France by J. J. Pauvert, Paris, in 1959 in French (as 'Hollywood Babylone'), in plain wraps with a photo-illustrated jacket. The first English-language US edition (Associated Professional Services, 1965) was suppressed and withdrawn; the first authorized US edition did not appear until Straight Arrow Books, 1975. Identify the genuine true first by the 1959 Paris Pauvert imprint and French text.

## Is this the true first?
The 1959 Paris Pauvert edition is the true first. The 1965 unauthorized US edition was quickly suppressed, and the 1975 Straight Arrow edition is the first authorized US edition ('first US thus'). A genuine edition-precedence minefield.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue; the confusion is edition precedence. Most copies in the market are the 1975 Straight Arrow US edition, not the 1959 true first. Verify the Paris/Pauvert imprint and 1959 date for the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hollywood Babylon* by Kenneth Anger a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hollywood-babylon
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.