Weiss Ferdl ~ This card #152 from the Bunte Filmbilder cigarette card series. It is a vintage 1936 original. The edges show minor wear but it is still a nice example: VF. The card is larger than a British or American cigarette card (over 2¼"x2¾"). Click on my scan to greatly enlarge the image (opens a new browser window).

Bavarian actor and comedian Weiss-Ferdl was born Ferdinand Weisheitinger in Altötting. In the 1930s he was one of the most popular film comedians in Germany. Although he began his career on the silent screen it was not until the advent of sound that he gained great popularity. When the National Socialists seized power in 1933, Weiss-Ferdl cultivated contact with the NSDAP and was propelled to stardom across Germany. Mostly, his films seemed on the surface to be light escapist musical comedy. He made his last film in 1941 and died in 1949.

• Gordian the Tyrant
• Tired Theodore
• All for the Dog's Sake
• The Two Seals
• Hen Pecked Husbands
• Prosperity Crooks
• The Master Detective

This lot consists of a genuine German cigarette premium issued between about 1930 and 1937. In general, German cigarette cards and premiums make an interesting and inexpensive addition to any collection. The Nazi government of Germany opposed smoking and eventually put an end to cigarette cards. As a result, the native German card collecting hobby never developed to the extent of that in Britain or the United States. As a result, most German premiums and cards cost only a fraction of what might be expected from their American and British cousins.

Large photos are shown smaller than actual size while small ones are generally enlarged to as much as twice their original size. Almost all photos and cards are scanned through protective sleeves or pages which tends to cut the clarity a bit. Enlarged defects tend to look worse than they actually are.