To many film fans, 1939 represents the pinnacle of Hollywood's golden era.
With this in mind, the Postal Service has issued a block of four new 25-cent commemorative stamps, each of which honors a 1939 film classic. The release of the stamps marks the 50th anniversary of the honored films' Academy Award nominations.Each stamp resembles a miniature movie poster of the era. The "Gone With the Wind" stamp shows stars Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh embracing. The "Beau Geste" stamp has a view of Gary Cooper in French Foreign Legion attire. John Wayne, playing the Ringo Kid, is shown on the "Stagecoach" stamp. And a young Judy Garland and her dog, Toto, appear on the stamp honoring "The Wizard of Oz."
First-day cancellations are available in two ways. The deadline is May 22.
Collectors may buy a Classic Films stamp at a local post office, affix it to a self-addressed envelope and send it to: Customer-Affixed Envelopes, Classic Films Stamps, Postmaster, Hollywood, CA 90028-9991. No remittance is required. The Postal Service encourages customers to use this method and gives these orders preferential service.
Customers who would rather have the Postal Service supply the stamp should send, for each cover, a self-addressed envelope and a check or money order for 25 cents per single stamp or $1 for the block of four to: Classic Films Stamps, Postmaster, Hollywood, CA 90028-9992.
Montserrat honors "Oz"
The tiny West Indies island of Montserrat has issued four new stamps and a souvenir sheet that honor "The Wizard of Oz" with depictions of scenes from the film.
The 90-cent stamp shows the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), while the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) is on the $1.15. The $1.50 pictures the Tin Man, and the $3.50 shows Dorothy (Judy Garland). The scene on the $5 souvenir sheet shows the cast dancing on the yellow brick road.
These stamps are available in a special collector's edition package for $14.95 from the International Stamp Collectors Society, P.O. Box 480655, Los Angeles, CA 90048. Also available, for $7.95, is a selection of 20 different stamps featuring movie stars.
Papermaking postcard
A new, 15-cent U.S. postcard commemorates 300 years of papermaking in America. The card features a painting of America's first paper mill, the Rittenhouse Paper Mill, established in 1690 near Germantown, Pa.
On the left side of the card is the inscription: "American Papermaking, 1690-1990, Rittenhouse paper mill, circa 1770." Below it is a reproduction of the original Rittenhouse watermark and the inscription: "This watermark appears on the first paper made in the United States on this site in 1690."
First-day cancellations are available. The deadline is April 12.
Collectors may buy the card at a local post office, self-address it and send it to: Customer-Supplied Cards, American Papermaking Postal Card, Postmaster, New York, NY 10199-9991. The Postal Service gives preferential service to customers who use this method.
If you prefer to have the Postal Service supply the card, send, for each card ordered, payment of 15 cents in the form of a check or money order and a self-addressed, peelable label to: American Papermaking Postal Card, Postmaster, New York, NY 10199-9992.
U.S.-Soviet joint issue
In the spirit of glasnost, the Postal Service and the Soviet Union plan to jointly issue four stamps with a "Creatures of the Sea" theme in October.
Two of the designs are by an American artist and two by a Soviet artist. The stamps will depict the dolphin, killer whale, northern sea lion and sea otter. These marine animals are common to American and Russian territorial waters.
The denominations will be 25 cents for the U.S. stamps and 25 kopecks for the Russian stamps. Departing from its tradition, the United States will follow the Soviet practice of printing "1990" on the stamps.
The two nations previously joined forces on a stamp issue in 1975, with a pair of stamps honoring the historic Apollo-Soyuz space mission.
Additional information on these issues and their first-day covers will appear in an upcoming column.