Wednesday 26 March 2014

Uni Books !

The first Uni book started as 'Universal Romance' with 'Any Mans Woman' #1 and 'Red Hot' #2 before using the Uni title from #3 through to 78. They started as a romance company but by the end they were full blown sleaze !!!

They ran from 1950 and concluded with the final book 'Out Of Bounds' in 1954. Again published in New York and as you will see by the lists and pictures below, you will find some great art and crazy titles.

Uni Books.

Uni Books Colophon

As with Intimate Novels they started predominately with photo covers before moving onto art covers so again where you see a (P) next to the book that designates a photo cover.......here we go ....it's UNI TIME !!!!!

1 - Any Mans Woman - Cecil Barr (P) - Universal Romance
2 - Red Hot - Ray Booth (P) - Universal Romance 
Red Hot - Uni Romance # 2

3 - Unfaithful Wives - Peggy Gaddis (P)

Unfaithful Wives # 3

4 - Wicked - Elanor Gates (P)
5 - Sins Of A Paris Doctor - Karen Bramson (P)
6 - Man Bait - Richard Grant (P)
7 - Male For Sale - Florenz Branch (Florence Stonebraker) (P)
8 - Backstage Sin - Diana Lewis (p)
9 - Warped Women - Janet Pritchard (P)
10 - Without Consent - M. Pitigrilli (P)
11 - Unknown ?
12 - Seventh Wife - Barry DeForrest.
13 - Torment - Richard Meeker (P)
Torment # 13
14 - Stripper - Wright Willaims (P)
15 - The Thing That Made Love - David V. Reed.
16 - Raw Passion - Charles Martin.
# 16 Art by Robert Stanley
Raw Passion # 16

17 - Scandalous Affair - Florenz Branch (Florence Stonebraker) (P)
18 - Love Cheat - William Arthur (P)
Scandolous Affair # 17
Love Cheat # 18

19 - Marijuana Girl - N. R. De Mexico (Robert Campbell Bragg) (P) 

Marijuana Girl - Uni # 19 - 1951

The list above only contains two art covers, I just don't dig the photo covers that much (except Marijuana Girl ) and they come up a lot on ebay and other book site but in my opinion the prices are to high and this explains my lack of these early Uni books in my collection. Don't get me wrong they are still great covers but I just love the others with just the art .

20 - Side Street - Wright Williams (P)
21 - Hideaway - Peggy Gaddis (P)
Hideaway UNI # 21
Side Street UNI # 20

22 - Tainted Passions - H. M. Appel (P)
23 - Sin Ship - Janet Pritchard 
24 - Badge Of Shame - Arthur Abram 
25 - River Barge Virgin - Wright Williams (P)
# 24 art by Walter Popp.
River Barge Virgin # 25

26 - The Fiend - Gerald Foster.
27 - Jezebel's Daughter - Ann Lawrence.
The Fiend # 26
Jezebel's Daughter # 27

28 - Unleashed Woman - Gail Jordan (Peggy Gaddis)
29 - Brutal Kisses - H.M.Appel
30 - Eurasian Girl - Richard Grant .
Unleashed Woman # 28 - 1952
Brutal Kisses # 29 - 1952

 # 30 - Art by Warren King.

So there you have the first 30 editions and within are some great books to collect, if you can find 'The Thing That Made Love' # 15 & 'The Fiend' # 26 then don't hesitate to buy, these go for decent money and are very hard to find.

31 - Doctor Prescott's Secret - Peggy Gaddis
Doctor Prescott's Secret # 31

32 - Loves Of A Girl Wrestler - Ben West (James W. Lampp)
# 32 - Art by Ed Chan.

33 - White Trash - Beulah Poynter.
White Trash  #33 

34 - Resort Hostess - Gordon Semple (William Arthur Neubauer)
35 - Slave Ship - H.B.Drake.
36 - Hoyden Of The Hills - Ann Lawrence.
Slave Ship # 35 - 1952
Hoyden of the Hills # 36

37 - Student Nurse - Gail Jordan (Peggy Gaddis)
Student Nurse # 37 (Art - Robert Stanley)

38 - Secrets Of A Co-Ed - Ben West 
39 - Pleasure Resort Women - Gordon Semple (William Arthur Neubauer)
 # 39 - 1952
 # 38 - Art by Owen Kampen

Now UNI are moving through the gears with great titles and art like 'White Trash' #33, 'Girl Wrestler' #32, 'Slave Ship' #35 and 'Secrets Of A Co-Ed' #38 and the good news is they are only gonna get sleazier !!!!!

40 - Ike - Rudolph Field (P) Politics book !!
41 - She Devil - John Saxon .
42 - Side Show Girl - Steve Harragan 
43 - The Queer Sisters - Steve Harragan
44 - Sin Is A Redhead - Steve Harragan
 # 44 - Art by George Geygan
# 43 - Art by Bernard Safran

As you can see from the list above and covers that Steve Harragan is now adding some really saucy novels to the series and along with hot and steamy titles like key lesbian novel 'The Queer Sisters' # 43 & 'Sin Is A Redhead' # 44 which shows our lil' redhead with both arms in chains ! Steve Harragan in total added 9 titles to the Uni book story !

45 - Bad Sister - Evans Wall (P)
46 - Smuggled Sin - Steve Harragan 
47 - Kiss Of The Damned - Steve Harragan
Kiss Of The Damned # 47
Smuggled Sin # 46

48 - Woman Of Paris - L.M.Brenning
49 - Reefer Club - Luke Roberts
50 - River Woman - Evans Wall.
River Woman # 50

The key book from above is 'Reefer Club' by Luke Roberts, this is a highly collectable drug book and I can tell you this little monster goes for very high prices, very high prices indeed !!!

51 - Dirt Farm - Frances Mitchell 
52 - The Shayne Dame - Steve Harragan
Dirt Farm # 51
The Shayne Dame # 52

53 - Wild Body - Manning Clay
54 - Carney's Burlesque - Steve Harragan
55 - Mountain Woman - Jean Ford.
56 - Her Last Lover - Kelsey Freeman
Mountain Woman # 55
Her Last Lover # 56

57 - Three Bad Girls - Steve Harragan
58 - Cracker Girl - Harry Whittington
Three Bad Girls # 57
Cracker Girl # 58

59 - Another Mans Wife - Margaret Carouthers
60 - Savage Eve - Jack Woodford & John B. Thompson.
Savage Eve # 60

61 - Runaway Blonde - Daoma Winston
62 - Hungry For Love - Gerge Willis.
Runaway Blonde # 61
Hungry For Love # 62

63 - Passion In The Pines - Jack Woodford & John B.Thompson

64 - Cuban Heel - Steve Harragan
Cuban Heel # 64

65 - Hill Billy In High Heels - Jeff Bogar.

Hill Billy In High Heels # 65 - 1953

If you wanna look for one book then 'Hill Billy In High Heels' is a cracker, great art and I have read this novel and it's pretty good, a tale about feuding mountain folk, moonshine and sex !!!

66 - Witch On Wheels - Bill Boltin.
Witch On Wheels # 66

67 - Male Virgin - Jack Woodford & John B.Thompson
68 - Country Club Cheat - Janet Pritchard
Art by Walter Popp.

69 - Confessions Of A Chinatown Moll - Jeff Bogar
70 - Wild Oats - Harry Whittington.
Chinatown Moll # 69
Wild Oats # 70

71 - Swamp Hoyden - Jack Woodford & John B.Thompson
72 - Honey - Jack Woodfrod & John B.Thompson.
Honey #72 
73 - Cabin Fever - Orrie Hitt
74 - Gang Girl - Leo Riffkin & Tony Norman (P)
Cabin Fever # 73
Gang Girl # 74 - 1954

75 - Harlem Doctor - Luke Roberts
76 - Below The Belt - Robert Lucas
Below The Belt # 76 

77 - Bayou Girl - John B.Thompson
78 - Out Of Bounds - Ernest L.Mathews JR
Bayou Girl # 77 - 1954 
Out Of Bounds # 78 - 1954

So that's it ....Uni books finish with a novel about 'Love in lusty Louisiana' with Bayou Girl and the final book took on the tough subject of Inter-racial love ! with 'Out Of Bounds' strong stuff for 1954 !!

So in a few words to conclude the story, Uni started off with just a very gentle jog then broke into a full blown sprint with some real racy novels & highly collectable books....happy hunting folks !

Next up will be Quarter Books  .......oh yeah baby !!!

3 comments:

  1. Any idea at all who the cover artist was for Uni 78?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have checked the art again and there is no signature to be found and I would only be guessing on the artists name .

      Delete
  2. Do you know where can I find this book "Out of Bounds" for sale?

    ReplyDelete