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SPECIAL ENVELOPES DRAWN BY WORLD RENOWN AL HIRSCHFELD
These postal covers bear genuine artwork created by world - famous theatrical artist Al Hirschfeld. The work complements the 1985 British postage stamps honoring legendary British actors; Peter Sellers, David Niven, Vivien Leigh, Charlie Chaplin, and Alfred Hitchcock. In each caricature, Hirschfeld cleverly blends the letter "N" for his daughter Nina.
Vivian Leigh - ( 1913 - 1967 ) noted motion-picture star and stage actress who made her first film in 1934 ( Things Are Looking Up ) followed by her stage debut a year later in The Mask of Virtue. Perhaps her greatest role was that of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind ( 1939 ), for which she received an Oscar ( and she got a second Oscar in 1951 for her part in A Streetcar Named Desire ). She also appeared in the following stage productions: Antigone, Caesar and Cleopatra, Duel of Angels. The Skin of Our Teeth, The Sleeping Prince etc. Her last film ( Ship of Fools ) was made in 1965.
Alfred Hitchcock - ( 1899 - 1980 ), he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I ( shortly before his death ) Although he came from an English labor class background ( his dad was a chicken monger ) he went to work in the 1920's at the Lasky Studio designing title cards and from there moved up the ranks, becoming a screenwriter, an assistant director and then a full director ( first film = The Pleasure Garden of 1925 ). His 1929 production of Blackmail was the first successful British talking picture.
During the 1930's he directed a string of truly great suspense classics such as; The Man Who Knew Too Much ( 1934 ), The Thirty-nine Steps ( 1935 ), Sabotage ( 1936 ), and The Lady Vanishes ( 1938 ).
At the outbreak of WWII he moved to Hollywood where his first film, Rebecca ( 1940 ), won an Academy Award for best picture. Other noted films were Suspicion ( 1941 ), Shadow of a Doubt ( 1943 ), Lifeboat ( 1944 ), Spellbound ( 1945 ), Rope ( 1948 ), Strangers on a Train ( 1951 ), Dial M for Murder ( 1954 ), Rear Window ( 1954 ), To Catch a Thief ( 1954 ), Vertigo ( 1958 ), and North by Northwest ( 1959 ), Psycho ( 1960 ), The Birds ( 1963 ), Marnie ( 1964 ), Torn Curtain ( 1966 ), Topaz ( 1969 ), Frenzy (1972), Family Plot ( 1976 ),
David Niven ( 1909 - 1983 ) British stage and motion-picture actor who personified dapper charm.
Born to a longtime military family, Niven attended Sandhurst Military Academy. He made his way to Hollywood in the mid-1930s and began performing as an extra. His first major roles were in Dawn Patrol (1938) and Wuthering Heights (1939). He rapidly became known as a steady, reliable actor who usually specialized in light comedy.Niven served as an officer in the British army's commando unit during World War II, and following the war he returned to films.
winning an Academy Award for his role in Separate Tables (1958). Among his best-known films are The Moon Is Blue (1953), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), The Guns of Navarone (1961), The Pink Panther (1964), and Death on the Nile (1978). He also appeared on stage and on two television series. He published a novel,
The Moon's a Balloon (1971) and Bring on the Empty Horses (1975).Niven performed in movies until the year of his death, even though he suffered in his later life from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also called Lou Gehrig's disease). His last film was The Curse of the Pink Panther (1983).
Charlie Chaplin - ( 1889 - 1977 ) Actor and director, who won international acclaim for his portrayal of a pathetic yet humorous little tramp in the era of the silent film. Among Chaplin's great comedies were The Kid ( 1921 ), The Gold Rush ( 1925 ), City Lights ( 1931 ), Modern Times ( 1936 ), and The Great Dictator ( 1940 ).
Peter Sellers ( 1925 - 1980 ) began his entertainment career touring as a comedian from 1943 to 1946 while serving in the British Royal Air Force. He later worked in radio, television, and music halls. In 1951 Sellers appeared in his first feature-length film Penny Points to Paradise, followed by The Lady killers ( 1955 ), The Smallest Show on Earth ( 1957 ), I'm All Right, Jack ( 1959 ), The Mouse that Roared ( 1959 ), Dr. Strangelove ( 1964 ). In both the last 2 films Sellers played triple roles, showcasing his acting capabilities.
He achieved his greatest acting fame as Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther ( 1963 ), A Shot in the Dark ( 1964 ), plus several sequels.