France

• Publisher: |
Editions des deux coqs d'or
[Two Golden
Cocks Editions]. |
• Collection: |
L'etoile D'or [The Golden Star]. |
 |
In the three years from 1965 to 1967, all six Brains Benton
stories were translated into French, and published by 'Editions des deux coqs d'or'.
This was
an imprint of the large French publishing house
Hachette that dealt mainly with foreign
language versions of stories originally published by Golden Press in the US.
These stories formed part of the 'étoile D'or' (Golden Star) collection .
The last four books acknowledged that the stories contained the
same re-occurring characters, with a subtitle proclaiming Benton & Carson, détectives privés
(Benton and Carson, private detectives) on the front cover. The French books
share this attribute with the German releases.

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1.
Missing Message |
2.
Counterfeit Coin |
3.
Stolen Dummy |
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5.
Roving Rolls |
4.
Waltzing Mouse |
6. Painted Dragon |
|
Title / Series Number: |
Year: |
Illustrator: |
Original & Translated Titles: |
1. |
Le Document Perdu
(No.8) |
1965
3rd Q. |
Jacques Pecnard |
US: Missing Message
French: The Lost Document |
2. |
Un Étrange Antiquaire
(No.23) |
1966
1st Q. |
Jacques Pecnard |
US: Counterfeit Coin
French: A Strange Antique Dealer |
3. |
La Mare au Noyé
(No.34) |
1966
2nd Q. |
Jacques Pecnard |
US: Stolen Dummy
French: The Drowned in the Pond |
4. |
Le fantôme d'argent
(No.47) |
1966
3rd Q. |
Jacques Pecnard |
US: Roving Rolls
French: The Silver Ghost |
5. |
Sur la piste de Xénophon
(No.52) |
1966
4th Q. |
Beniamino Bodini |
US: Waltzing Mouse
French: On the Track of Xénophon |
6. |
Le Secret du Dragon D'or
(No.65) |
1967 2nd Q. |
Beniamino Bodini |
US: Painted Dragon
French: The Secret of the Golden Dragon |
Translated into French by: Odile Pidoux (MM, CC, SD, WM), A-M. Comert (RR), Ariane
(PD).
Each French title specified the quarter of the year it was published in, and
this information is given in the table above. The actual term used is 'trimestre',
which is the French equivalent of a quarter (three calendar months).
Above left: The full French cover of Missing Message.
Above right: the frontispiece and title page of the French
Stolen Dummy.
• Hong Kong Reprints.
It would appear that all six titles were reprinted in 1972.
Unlike the original printings, which were manufactured in Verona, Italy by
Arnoldo Mondadori,
these later impressions were produced in Hong Kong. Characteristics unique to
the 1972 releases, in comparison with the original books, include the following:
- The 'Editions des deux coqs d'or' text on the front cover appears in a different (more ornate) font.
- The reverse covers omit the age range information.
- Page count is lower, and as a consequence, some illustrations are omitted.
- The title page is reproduced in a new font with a new logo.
- Adverts at the rear of the books for other 'Mini-Golden' titles are removed.
- In the instance of Roving Rolls, the entire book was re-typeset in a new font.
A couple of the differences between the first and second printings of the French edition of
Missing Message are shown below:
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|
Title page: first printing (left) and second
printing (right). |
Cover text: first printing (top) and second
printing (bottom). |
So far, second printings of only three titles have come to light
(Missing Message, Roving Rolls and Painted Dragon). However, it seems
more than likely
that all six Brains Benton stories were reprinted in this manner.
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