ANONYMOUS FILM STARS (WILLIAM HOLDEN #1)

Issuing Company:
Country of Issue: Canada
Year of Issue: 1957
Color/B&W: Color
Number of Cards in Set: 100 + at least one variation
Card Size:
Issued as insert with what product:

Notes: Blank-backed. Canadian collector Bobby Burrell reported this set in the form of two uncut card sheets of 50 cards each, found in Canada.

One notable thing about this set is that most of the stars can be found in multiple poses.

There are quite a few misspellings in this set, and on some cards where the spelling is pretty obvious, such as Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra.

The #51 Janet Leigh card is exactly the same card, including card number, as a card in the Anonymous Film Stars (2 Stars on Front - 51 Janet Leigh-52 Clark Gable) set. But in that set, the cards are found in pairs, and the Leigh card is paired with #52 Clark Gable. Gable is not found in this set, and the #52 card in this set shows Kirk Douglas.

Collector Richard Minns notes a variation in this set. "I have 7 cards from this set, 6 match perfectly with those already shown, however a different No. 85, which shows Gary Cooper." On examination of the card sheets, the #85 Anthony Perkins card on the sheet shows the name and number text slightly closer to the picture than most of the other cards. The Gary Cooper card shows the text at about the same distance from the picture as most of the other cards. This may indicate that Gary Cooper was the original card and that the Perkins card may have replaced it in a second printing. There are some other cards on the card sheets with the text a bit closer to the picture, so that might mean there are other variations out there. Interestingly, the #52 card of Kirk Douglas is one of those cards with the text a bit closer to the picture, so it is possible that there may be a Clark Gable variation of the #52 card.

Date info: Grace Kelly's Hollywood career ended in 1956 and Elvis Presley was just starting to appear on cards in 1957, so I'm placing a 1957 date on this set, though that date could be off by a year or two.

Thanks to Bobby Burrell for providing the pictures of the card sheets. Thanks also to Richard Minns for help with this checklist.


1. William Holden
2. Ricky Nelson
3. Elizabeth Taylor
4. Henry Fonda
5. James Arness (spelled Jemes on card)
6. Esther Williams
7. Frank Sinatra (spelled Sinatla on card)
8. Allan Ladd
9. Elizabeth Taylor
10. Rock Hudson
11. Allen Lane
12. Audrey Hepburn
13. Alan Ladd
14. Ruth Roman
15. Glenn Ford
16. Jeffrey Hunter
17. Sndla Dey
18. Kim Novak
19. Rod Cameron
20. William Holden
21. Montgomery Clift
22. Joel Mecrer
23. Elizabeth Taylor (spelled Taylop on card)
24. James Cagney
25. Burt Lancaster
26. Rusty Tamdiya
27. Debbie Reynolds
28. Ava Gardner
29. Tony Curtis
30. Audrey Hepburn
31. Janet Leigh
32. William Holden
33. Rock Hudson
34. Gregory Peck
35. Mitzi Gaynor
36. William Elliott
37. James Stewart
38. Grace Kelly
39. Burt Lancaster
40. John Wayne
41. Jeffrey Hunter
42. Alan Ladd
43. Brigitte Bardot
44. William Holden
45. John Wayne
46. Pier Angeli
47. Clint Walker
48. Elvis Presley
49. Rossano Brazzi
50. Grace Kelly
51. Janet Leigh
52. Kirk Douglas
53. Diane McBain
54. Terry Moore
55. Laurence Olivier (spelled Oliviee on card)
56. Pablito Calvo (spelled Padlito on card)
57. Martine Carol
58. Alan Ladd
59. Frank Sinatra
60. Alan Ladd
61. James Stewart
62. Gene Tierney
63. Daniel Gelin
64. Cary Grant
65. William Elliott
66. Pier Angeli
67. William Elliott
68. Terry Moore
69. Gene Kelly
70. Marlon Brando
71. Marlon Brando
72. Joseph Cotten
73. Deborah Kerr
74. Gregory Peck
75. Grace Kelly
76. Rock Hudson
77. Pat Boone
78. Gordon MacRae
79. Cary Grant
80. Elizabeth Taylor
81. Montgomery Clift
82. Audrey Hepburn
83. James Stewart
84. Jean Simmons
85a. Anthony Perkins
85b. Gary Cooper
86. Anthony Perkins
87. Jean Simmons
88. Guy Madison
89. Alan Ladd
90. Tony Curtis
91. Elizabeth Taylor
92. Jeffrey Hunter
93. Henry Fonda
94. Rock Hudson
95. Kim Novak
96. Marlon Brando
97. Tony Curtis
98. Anthony Perkins
99. Eleanor Parker
100. Alan Ladd


BAT Sales List
BAT Checklists | Movie Card Website Front Page