1939 Mars Confections Famous Film Stars Set and Checklist

Posted on May 11, 2020 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Mars Confections Famous Film Stars
Year	1939
Size	1 5/16″ x 2 11/16″
Images	Color
Type	Gum and Candy
Number in Set	50

1939 Mars Confections Famous Film Stars Overview

This 50-card candy set is typically considered a non-sports set, featuring famous actors and actresses. However, the sports tie in it is obvious with several of those subjects shown playing a variety of sports.

The cards are a shade smaller than the early tobacco and candy cards that preceded them. Measuring well under 1 1/2″ wide, they are quite narrow. The fronts feature color depictions of a subject with his/her name while the backs include a biography as well as the Mars Confectionery name at the bottom and the Famous Film Stars title at the top. Backs also included the name of the film studio with which the actor/actress was affiliated. The cards are relatively thin in nature.

This set is usually referred to as a Mars Confectionery issue. But the cards were actually packaged with that company’s Milky Way candy bars.

The ‘most popular’ of the sports depicted is golf. Three subjects, W.C. Fields, Norma Shearer, and Franchot Tone are depicted playing that sport. Other sports shown include cycling, table tennis, badminton, and horseback riding. The other cards are of a non-sports nature, picturing celebrities doing other activities or just sitting/standing or in portrait poses.

Of particular note is that a card for movie star Robert Young is sometimes called a tennis card as he is shown swinging a racket. But the sport shown is badminton instead.

The closest thing to a true sports card is No. 14, which depicts champion swimmer Johnny Weissmuller. Weissmuller, who was also a movie star famous for starring in Tarzan, is shown sitting poolside in plain clothes. For sports fans, Weissmuller’s card is typically the most desirable, usually in the $10-$15 range.