A SERIES OF STAMPS FEATURING THE STARS OF THE SILENT SCREEN

In 1994, the United States Postal Service issued a series of commemorative 29-cent stamps to coincide with the 37th annual San Francisco Film Festival. Each stamp in the aforementioned series (10 in total) was designed and illustrated by the American artist, Al Hirschfeld, and features a star from the silent screen. This includes...

Name: Lon Chaney / Born: April 1, 1883, in Colorado, USA / Died: August 26, 1930, in California, USA (aged 47) / Known for: His mastery of early screen make-up techniques and for popularising the horror genre / Years active: 1902 to 1930 / Popular films: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), The Phantom of the Opera (1925), and The Unholy Three (1930) / Quote: 'My whole career has been devoted to keeping people from knowing me'.

Name: Theda Bara / Born: July 29, 1885, in Ohio, USA / Died: April 7, 1955, in California, USA (aged 69) / Known for: Her femme fatale roles, which earned her the nickname, the Vamp / Years active: 1908 to 1926 / Popular films: Cleopatra (1917), Camille (1917), and When a Woman Sins (1918) / Quote: 'I have the face of a vampire, but the heart of a feminist'.

Name: Charlie Chaplin / Born: April 16, 1889, in London, England / Died: December 25, 1977, in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland (aged 88) / Known for: His trademark character, affectionately called the Tramp, who sported a toothbrush mustache, a bowler hat, an ill-fitting shirt and coat, a large pair of pants, and a bamboo cane / Years active: 1899 to 1975 / Popular films: The Kid (1921), Modern Times (1936), and The Great Dictator (1940) / Quote: 'All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman, and a pretty girl'.

Name: Harold Lloyd / Born: April 20, 1893, in Nebraska, USA / Died: March 8, 1971, in California, USA (aged 77) / Known for: His glasses character, usually called Harold, who was basically a young eager all-American man that wouldn't let any physical obstacle stand in his way / Years active: 1913 to 1963 / Popular films: Grandma's Boy (1922), Safety Last! (1923), and The Freshman (1925) / Quote: 'The more trouble you get a man into, the more comedy you get out of him'.

Name: ZaSu Pitts / Born: January 3, 1894, in Kansas, USA / Died: June 7, 1963, in California, USA (aged 69) / Known for: Her petite features and her versatility for playing both dramatic and comedic roles / Years active: 1917 to 1963 / Popular films: Greed (1924), Ruggles of Red Gap (1935), and No, No, Nanette (1940) / Quote: 'I was what they called a feature player, never a star. They say I was in 500 films, everything but the newsreels'.

Name: Rudolph Valentino / Born: May 6, 1895, in Castellaneta, Italy / Died: August 23, 1926, in New York, USA (aged 31) / Known for: His deep penetrating gaze and his Latin lover persona / Years active: 1914 to 1926 / Popular films: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), The Sheik (1921), and Blood and Sand (1922) / Quote: 'The women I love don't love me. The others don't matter'.

Name: Buster Keaton / Born: October 4, 1895, in Kansas, USA / Died: February 1, 1966, in California, USA (aged 70) / Known for: His physical comedy and his stoic, deadpan expression / Years active: 1899 to 1966 / Popular films: Sherlock Jr. (1924), The General (1926), and The Cameraman (1928) / Quote: 'A comedian does funny things. A good comedian does things funny'.

Name: John Gilbert / Born: July 10, 1897, in Utah, USA / Died: January 9, 1936, in California, USA (aged 38) / Known for: His elegant appearance and for portraying romantic leads / Years active: 1914 to 1934 / Popular films: The Big Parade (1925), Flesh and the Devil (1926), and Love (1927) / Quote: 'I'm the worst subject in the world to interview on what I know about women because I don't pretend to know a thing about them'.

Name: Clara Bow / Born: July 29, 1905, in New York, USA / Died: September 27, 1965, in California, USA (aged 60) / Known for: Her sex appeal and her lively personality / Years active: 1921 to 1947 / Popular films: It (1927), Wings (1927), and Call Her Savage (1932) / Quote: 'The more I see of men, the more I like dogs'.

Name: Keystone Cops / Born: December 23, 1912, in California, USA / Died: Undetermined / Known for: Their bumbling antics and their slapstick humor / Years active: 1912 to 1917 (original incarnation) / Popular films: Bangville Police (1913), Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914), and Fatty and the Broadway Stars (1915) / Quote: 'Oops!'.

So, there you have it, folks, a series of stamps featuring stars from the silent screen. Out of curiosity, which depiction is your favorite and why? Could it be the comical caricature of Charlie Chaplin? (🤣) Or do you prefer the zany parody of ZaSu Pitts? (😘) Either way, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.