Issuing Company: Topps Country of Issue: USA Year of Issue: 1948 Color/B&W: B&W Number of Cards in Set: 252 (67 movie stars) Card Size: 7/8" x 1 7/16" Issued as insert with what product: Bubble Gum |
Notes: The name "Hocus Focus" does not appear on the cards but was on the wrappers when these cards were originally sold.
These cards were originally issued with blank fronts. The backs hold a clue as to the identity of the person on the card. The cards were then meant to be developed by the purchaser with moisture and light. Some of these cards have developed better than others.
This was Topps' first trading card set. Topps is still a leader in the card business. This set contained many lettered subsets with different subjects, including baseball players, football players, dogs, inventors, and others. The movie stars were in series F (Stars of Stage and Screen) and in series J (Movie Stars). Only Series F and J are checklisted here.
Thanks to Dan Calandriello for providing interesting scans of an article about this set and pictures of all the movie star cards. (Click the picture above to see these)
Series F-Stars of Stage and Screen
1. Clark Gable
2. Barbara Stanwyck
3. Lana Turner
4. Ingrid Bergman
5. Betty Grable
6. Tyrone Power
7. Olivia DeHavilland
8. Joan Fontaine
9. June Allyson
10. Dorothy Lamour
11. William Powell
12. Sylvia Sidney
13. Van Johnson
14. Virginia Mayo
15. Claudette Colbert
16. Eve Arden
17. Lyn Bari
18. Maureen O'Hara
19. Jean Arthur
20. Hazel Brooks
21. Martha Vickers
22. Noreen Nash
Series J-Movie Stars
1. Johnny Mack Brown
2. Andy Clyde
3. Roddy McDowall
4. Keye Luke
5. Jackie Coogan
6. Joe Kirkwood Jr.
7. Jackie Cooper
8. Arthur Lake
9. Sam Levine
10. Binnie Barnes
11. Gertrude Nissen
12. Rory Calhoun
13. June Lockhart
14. Hedy Lamarr
15. Robert Cummings
16. Brian Aherne
17. William Bendix
18. Roland Winters
19. Michael O'Shea
20. Lois Butler
21. Renie Riano
22. Jimmy Wakely
23. Audie Murphy
24. Leo Gorcey
25. Leon Errol
26. Lon Chaney
27. William Frawley
28. Billy Benedict
29. Rod Cameron
30. James Gleason
31. Gilbert Roland
32. Raymond Hatton
33. Joe Yule
34. Eddie Albert
35. Barry Sullivan
36. Richard Basehart
37. Claire Trevor
38. Constance Bennett
39. Gale Storm
40. Elyse Knox
41. Jane Wyatt
42. Whip Wilson
43. Charles Bickford
44. Guy Madison
45. Barton MacLane
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