# Is "Waterfront" by Budd Schulberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Waterfront by Budd Schulberg (Random House, 1955) is identified by: US Random House first, 1955; stated First Printing on the copyright page, octavo of 322 pages in beige/tan cloth. US Random House first precedes the UK first (The Bodley Head, 1956).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Random House first, 1955; stated First Printing on the copyright page, octavo of 322 pages in beige/tan cloth
- Dust jacket designed by Jerome Kuhl, the printed price present on an unclipped first-issue jacket (the laminate on this jacket is prone to deterioration and fading)
- Novel expanding Schulberg's On the Waterfront screenplay
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Budd Schulberg |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Random House first, 1955; stated First Printing on the copyright page, octavo of 322 pages in beige/tan cloth |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Random House first, 1955; stated First Printing on the copyright page, octavo of 322 pages in beige/tan cloth. Dust jacket designed by Jerome Kuhl, the printed price present on an unclipped first-issue jacket (the laminate on this jacket is prone to deterioration and fading). Novel expanding Schulberg's On the Waterfront screenplay.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House first precedes the UK first (The Bodley Head, 1956).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition exists, identifiable by a blind-stamp on the rear board and the absence of the First Printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Waterfront* by Budd Schulberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/waterfront
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.