POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)
POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)
POSTCARD 2
POSTCARD 2
These vintage real photo postcards feature American actress, Sally Phipps (1911-1978). She was born in Oakland, California. Her father was a magician and her mother was a colorist in a photography studio. Her father left the family when she was age four, and Sally went to live with a foster family. Her foster parents both worked in the film industry. Sally appeared in her first film, at age three. It was called “Broncho Billy and the Baby” (1914). There were two more films in the series the following year. Prior to her debut in the movies, she had won several “Beautiful Baby ” contests. She was rediscovered by director Frank Borzage while still in high school. At age 15, in 1926, she began using the name “Sally Phipps”. She became a Fox film star and appeared in over twenty films before the arrival of 1929. In 1927, she was selected as one of thirteen “Wampas Baby Stars”. The organization was very successful at identifying future stars. Among their “finds” was Clara Bow and Joan Crawford. As a result of becoming a Wampas star, her photograph appeared in many film magazines. She often was dressed in silk and fur. Her first starring role was in the film “Love Makes ‘Em Wild” (1927). Her last appearance in a Fox film was 1929, despite her five year contract with the studio that she signed in 1927. In 1931, Phipps appeared in a Broadway production by Kaufman & Hart called “Once in a Lifetime”). Looking at Phipps career, it is evident that she played many “vamp” roles. A New York Times (2008) article described her as “a comic sexpot whose innocently naughty antics were the very embodiment of flaming youth.”. The article also described her off screen flapper lifestyle stating that she smoked, tangoed, dated older men, and rode around Hollywood in a flashy car. Like many young stars, Phipps had difficulty handling her success. Some of her difficulty was seen in her defiant personality. She frequently displayed a lack of dedication to her acting. She also overspent and built up large debts. She sued her parents when they tried to control her spending. This legal action is thought to have resulted in enough negative publicity to hurt her career. At age 18, with two years left in her Fox contract, she took off for New York and the stage. Fox was ok with her skipping out on the contract. They were basically done with her. Phipps was married twice. Her husband was Benedict Gimbel Jr, heir to the department store, Gimbels. They married in 1931 and divorced in 1935. After her divorce, she found herself living in a one room apartment in New York City, and making twenty-five dollars a week as a secretary. She developed an interest in theosophy and Eastern religions and lived in India for a short time. Later, Miss Phipps married Alfred M. Harned, a New York musician. She had met him at a seance. The couple had two children. She and her family moved to Hawaii and Phipps had a mental breakdown. She and her husband separated and the kids stayed with their father. For awhile she kept in contact with her children. In a short time, she abandoned them. She did not see her son for seventeen years. Phipps appeared in two Broadway shows during her careeer. Her filmography includes 24 appearances in movies between 1915 and 1931. Like many early film stars, her rapid rise to stardom was followed by a quick dive into obscurity. According to the date written on the reverse of postcard 1, this portrait of Miss Phipps was taken in 1927. She was only 15 or 16 years of age at the time. It seems a bit creepy to me that teenage girls could be so sexualized by movie studios. The postcard was published by Iris Verlag and is part of a series (no. 913). The postcard photo includes the logo of “Fox Film”, indicating she was under contract with the studio at the time the postcard was published. Postcard 2 features a smiling Miss Phipps doing calligraphy. The writing is either Japanese, or Chinese. The postcard was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (no. 4492/1). This postcard, like the first, has a logo for Fox Films, one of this actress’s film studios holding her contract. This postcard once resided in an album. It is in very good condition.
Buy this original Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #2590b (POSTCARD 2)
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$21.50
Buy this original Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) 2590b (POSTCARD 2)
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$29.50
POSTCARD 1
POSTCARD 2
