Erich Fiedler ~ This card #444 from the Bunte Filmbilder cigarette card series. Fiedler is pictured here in a WWI vintage German uniform. It is a vintage 1937 original. The edges show minor wear but it is still a nice example: VF. The card is about the same size as a British or American cigarette card (over 1¼"x2¼"). Click on my scan to greatly enlarge the image (opens a new browser window).

A student of literature and art history before coming to the stage under the direction of Max Reinhardt, Erich Fiedler was a staple in German film for about forty years and was uncommon as an actor who thrived both under the Nazi regime and Allied occupation. His career never faltered. He starred in the original Lavender Hill Mob in 1932 and went on to work with most of the greats of German cinema.

He also dubbed a number of American/British films into German, he was frequently employed for Robert Morley and cartoon owls - quite in contrast to his appearance: a small, spindly man, he sounded more pompous than Morley himself. He also found himself lending his voice to Bela Lugosi in Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein, Sammy Davis Jr. in the Benny Goodman Story, Peter Cushing in Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) and Ferdy Mayne in Dance of the Vampires (1966).

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.