# Is "Pal Joey" by John O'Hara a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Pal Joey by John O'Hara (Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1940) is identified by: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1940; 195 pp., octavo. The US Duell, Sloan and Pearce 1940 printing is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1940
- 195 pp., octavo
- Collects the New Yorker 'Pal Joey' letters/sketches
- Bound in tan paper-covered boards with gilt and red lettering and decoration to the spine and front board, and a black-and-white photographic illustration mounted on the front board
- The first printing carries no statement of a later printing; the priced dust jacket should retain its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Duell, Sloan and Pearce
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John O'Hara |
| Publisher | Duell, Sloan and Pearce |
| Year | 1940 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1940 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1940; 195 pp., octavo. Collects the New Yorker 'Pal Joey' letters/sketches. Bound in tan paper-covered boards with gilt and red lettering and decoration to the spine and front board, and a black-and-white photographic illustration mounted on the front board. The first printing carries no statement of a later printing; the priced dust jacket should retain its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Duell, Sloan and Pearce 1940 printing is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later musical/film tie-in issues exist, including variant jackets associated with the stage and screen adaptations; these are distinguished from the 1940 first by imprint, added printing notices, and tie-in jacket artwork.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Pal Joey* by John O'Hara a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/pal-joey
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.