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Have you ever heard of Betty Balfour? You would definitely know who she was if you lived in England during the silent film era because she is considered the most popular actress there during the 1920’s. She was known as the “British Mary Pickford” and “Britain’s Queen of Happiness”. Her fans knew her best for her “Squibs” series of films. Betty Balfour (1903-1977) was also known for her stage career. She made her stage debut in 1913 and worked in theater for several years before entering the film industry. She did not attempt to extend her career to Hollywood but she did star in a number of German films. In Britain she starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Champagne” (1928). Her sound era debut was in “The Nipper” (1930), Her popularity began to drop in the 1930’s though she still was getting film roles. In all, she appeared in more than 35 films. Balfour was married to composer Jimmy Campbell but the marriage fell apart in 1941 after a ten year run. She attempted a theater comeback in 1952 but it failed. She died in Weybridge, Surrey, England at the age of seventy-four. This vintage real photo postcard was produced by Picturegoer as part of a series (no. 2a). The company was based in London. Picturegoer was a British fan magazine focussing on contemporary films and the actors and actresses who performed in them. Picturegoer also published postcards. In fact, they produced over 6500 different real photo postcards on 2000 actors and actresses.
The second real photo postcard see here is of unknown origin. The publisher is not identified nor is the photographer. Interestingly, just as in the first image, Miss Balfour is wearing pearls. She certainly was quite pretty. This vintage postcard is in excellent condition (see scans).
The third real photo postcard features Miss Balfour in costume wearing a headpiece with very large feathers. Her v-neck dress is very beautiful. The portrait of Miss Balfour was taken by the Maull and Fox studio. The postcard was published by Cinimagazine and was part of a series (no. 84). Henry Maull (1829-1914) was a British photographer known for his portraits of famous individuals. He became a member of the Royal Photographic Society in 1870. During his career he had several partnerships. One of these partnerships (c1856-1865) was with George Henry Polyblank and the pair were very talented and produced great photographs. Between 1879 and 1885 Maul partnered with John Fox (1832-1907). The partnership with Fox was ended due to bankruptcy. However, the studio’s name was maintained after the bankruptcy by Fox’s son Herbert. Examination of the date of Maull and Fox’s partnership, it is clear that this photograph was produced by a photographer operating after the reign of Maull and Fox. Much of Maull’s work can be seen at the National Portrait Gallery in London, England.
Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #5147
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Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) #5147
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$19.95
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This vintage real photo postcard features pretty French film actress, Louise Lagrange (1898-1979). She was born in Oran, France, which is now in Algeria. Her movie debut occurred when she was nine years of age. Her first marriage was to film director Maurice Tourneur. Her second marriage was to actor, William Elliot. The IMDb credits her with 48 film credits between 1907 and 1952. Her appearances included such films as “A Roman Orgy” (1911), “The Nude Woman” (1926), “In the Shadow of the Harem” (1928), and “Cage of Girls” (1949). Do I detect a pattern here? Lagrange certainly acted in a large number of films with sexually provocative movie titles. Cinemagazine (Paris Edition) is the publisher of this card. It was part of a series (no. 425). SOLD
Violet Hopson (1887-1973) is the subject of this vintage real photo postcard. She was a highly successful British actress and producer who performed and produced stage and silent film productions. She was born in Australia. She began her stage career with Pollard’s Lilliputian Opera Company in Australia between 1898 and 1900. Two of her sisters also performed with the company. In the early 1900’s she performed in the United States and Great Britain. In the US, she appeared in dramatic productions while in Britain she added comedies to her repertoire Film historian, Rachael Low asserted that Hopson was presented to the public as if she was a “glamorous film star” despite having a low impact screen personality. Her British film debut was in “Mr Tubby’s Triumph (1910)”. Beginning 1912, she worked for British director, screen writer, and producer, Cecil Heworth. He marketed her as a “Dear Delightful Villainess”. In 1919, Hopson made a bold move and began her own production company which created a number of films. She did a series of films utilizing the theme of horse racing. Her career began to slow down before the arrival of sound films. She appeared in a few supporting roles in talkies but then retired. The IMDb reports that Violet Hopson’s filmography has 120 credits between 1910 and 1933. Hopson had two marriages. The first was to actor Alec Worcester and it was of about ten years duration. She later married British film producer, Walter West. This vintage portrait postcard presents Hopson, in what I believe to be, horseback riding attire. Her long coat, high boots, and riding crop, all support my conclusion. Hopson looks very “cool” in this photograph. She is pretty and appears self confident and resolute. This postcard was published by Cinemagazine-Edition of Paris, France. The postcard is part of a series (no. 217). This vintage photo postcard has some cloudiness on the right side edge of the postcard. Overall the postcard is in good condition and has excellent clarity (see scans).
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