1920′s Silent Movie Legends Marion Davies Mabel Normand Corinne Griffith on Cigarette Cards by Sandorides, 1924

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Sandorides’ Big Gun Cigarettes brand issued this card set of pretty cinema stars. This isn’t a surprise since it was still mainly men that smoked when this set was issued, 1925. It was not until 1928 that Edward Bernays made smoking more socially acceptable among women by ingeniously transforming the humble cigarette into a symbol of female liberation through a memorable publicity stunt, the “Torches of Freedom” campaign.

This card set is unusual in that the cards are very large, almost postcard size, and the illustrations include colour, albeit sparingly in earthy tones. Most silent movie era cards are either photographic or sepia, matching the presentation of the films themselves. This set includes an interesting mix of silent film stars, some of whom are still remembered by film buffs today, whilst many, although extremely popular in their time, have vanished into obscurity.

This card set includes silent movie icons such as Marion Davies, Pauline Frederick, who was idolized by the great Joan Crawford, and Corinne Griffith, considered by many to be the most beautiful actress of the silent screen. Louise Lovely travelled all the way from Australia to start her movie career in the USA and, at her peak, challenged even Mary Pickford’s status, “America’s Sweetheart”, despite not being American. Mabel Normand appears on card no. 3 and her movie genre was mainly comedy despite her personal life being shrouded by murder and violence. Edna Purviance, pictured on card no. 18, had the good fortune to appear in 30 films with Charlie Chaplin, although her romantic involvement with him might have influenced this. Wanda Hawley was the leading lady in a number of silent films, including an early adaptation of “The Wizard of OZ”, but, unlike the conclusion of many movies, her career didn’t have a happy ending and it is reported that she was working as call girl in the 1930s. This set also features many of the very early pioneers of the movie industry: Ethel Clayton, whose screen debut was as early as 1909, Dorothy Phillips, who starred in 150 films from 1911-1962, and Clara Kimball Young, who worked for the same film studio as the first every movie star, Florence Lawrence (born Florence Annie Bridgwood).

W. Sandorides & Co. LTD, Cinema Stars ( Big Gun ) (Extra Large), 1924 (25 cards)

Includes:Mabel Normand, Alice Terry,Helen Chadwick,Mae Murray,Madge Kennedy,Priscilla Dean,Marion Davies,Peggy Hyland,Jane Novak,Betty Blythe,Eileen Sedgwick,Norma Talmadge,Ruth Roland,Naomi Childers,Pauline Frederick,Wanda Hawley,Ethel Clayton,Louise Lovely,Edna, Purviance,Corinne Griffith,Dorothy Dalton,Dorothy Phillips,Viola Dana,Constance Talmadge,Clara Kimball Young,

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