Country of Issue: USA
Year of Issue: 1954
Color/B&W: B&W (brown tone)
Number of Cards in Set:
Card Size: 3 3/8" x 5 1/2"
Issued as insert with what product:
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Issuing Company: Country of Issue: USA Year of Issue: 1954 Color/B&W: B&W (brown tone) Number of Cards in Set: Card Size: 3 3/8" x 5 1/2" Issued as insert with what product: |
Notes: Blank-backed. Unnumbered. These are glossy photos on heavy paper with a facsimile autograph. The stars in this set are all male performers, with the exception of Virginia Grey, who appears with Bill Elliott on a card. It is somewhat odd that most of the bigger name actors appear to be missing from this set, actors such as John Wayne, Tony Curtis, James Stewart, Frank Sinatra, Rock Hudson, Marlon Brando, and Roy Rogers, especially since the set contains over 140 cards.
According to Troy Kinunen, he interviewed an ebay seller who had a large inventory of these cards. The seller was adamant that the cards originated from The Pike Amusement Park in Long Beach, California. It is possible that they may have been sold in coin-operated arcade machines, though they are thinner than the usual arcade card, so they may have been sold in a different manner.
The Pike, in Long Beach, CA since 1902, had its beginning as a beach and bath house resort. It was located at the end of the very fashionable red car electric line from Los Angeles. Crowds came from all parts of the country to enjoy the beautiful beaches and bath house and pool. This area gradually grew into a real old-fashioned amusement park with fun and games and thrill rides that fit every age group. As the years passed, the park kept pace with new and modern rides including a brand-new cyclone racer. But it still retained its old-fashioned air of the country carnival with fun for all, and no admission fee.
Imagine going to Disneyland at the beach, and it’s free to get in and has no lines. The Pike was like that and much more in its time. When the silent film industry started in the 1900’s, The Pike built eight theaters to show the films. When ballroom dancing became popular, The Pike had many ballrooms from which to choose. Whether it was your childhood memory or your first date, those lucky enough to have visited it will always remember The Pike. In the 1970s The Pike was in decline and it closed for good in 1979.
Date info: There is only one card featuring two performers, the card of Bill Elliott and Virginia Grey. Those two were in one film together, "The Forty-Niners," which was released in May of 1954. I am placing a date of 1954 on this set.
Thanks to Troy Kinunen for providing the information for this checklist.
John Agar
Robert Alda
Ben Alexander
Keith Andes
Eddie Arnold
Robert Arthur
Roy Barcroft
Jess Barker
Lex Barker
John Barrymore
Lionel Barrymore
Freddie Bartholomew
Richard Basehart
Scotty Beckett
Noah Beery Jr.
Tom Bennett
Lyle Bettger
William Bishop
Bobby Blake
Ben Blue
Lee Bowman
Charles Boyer (head and shoulders)
Charles Boyer (holding cigarette)
Eddie Bracken
Keefe Brasselle
David Brian
Rand Brooks
John Brown
Richard Burton
Rod Cameron
William Campbell
Larry Carr
Jack Carson
Gower Champion
William Ching
Lee Cobb
Tom Conway
Ben Cooper
Wendell Corey
Joseph Cotten
Jerome Courtland
James Craig
Alan Curtis
Helmet Dantine
Arturo de Cordova
Dan DeFore
Richard Denning
John Derek
Al Dexter
Tom Drake
Dan Duryea
Richard Egan
Bill Elliott-Virginia Grey
John Ericson
William Eythe
Jose Ferrer
Mel Ferrer
Peter Finch
Eddie Fisher
Scott Forbes
John Forsythe
Doug Fowley
Arthur Franz
Leo Genn
Race Gentry
Arthur Godfrey
Lloyd Gough
Stewart Granger
Kirby Grant
Gary Gray
Richard Greene
Ron Hagerthy
Monte Hale
Rex Harrison
Richard Hart
Louis Hayword
Van Heflin
Paul Henreid
Craig Hill
Earl Holliman
Tim Holt
Skippy Homeier
John Hudson
Ross Hunter
John Ireland
Claude Jarman Jr.
Johnny Johnston
Allan Jones
Dick Jones
Louis Jourdin
Howard Keel
Paul Kelly
Patrick Knowles
Mickey Knox
Keith Larson
Al “Lash” LaRue
Maurice Lawrence
Sam Levene
Robert Lowery
Gordon MacRae
Dewey Martin
Eddie Mayehoff
Lon McAllister
Charles McGraw
Ralph Meeker
Lauritz Melchoir
Cameron Mitchell
Vaughn Monroe
Henry Morgan
Tom Morton
George Murphy
J. Carroll Naish
Alex Nicol
Bob Nolan
Dan O’Herlihy
Dennis O’Keefe
Larry Parks
Robert Preston
William Prince
Anthony Quinn
Ron Randell
Phil Regan
Michael Rennie
Jeff Richards
Jack Sernas
Bob Shannon
Michael Shea
Charles Starrett
Robert Sterling
Paul Stewart
Robert Strauss
Barry Sullivan
Don Taylor
Carlos Thompson
Marshall Thompson
Richard Todd
Bobby Van
Clint Walker
Joey Walsh
David Wayne
Clifton Webb
Jack Webb
Richard Widmark
Billy Williams
George Winslow
Alan Young
Gig Young
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