Hans Söhnker & Maria Beling - The Black Forest Girl ~ This is a vintage original cigarette card form the series Haus Bergmann Farb-Filmbilder issued in about 1933. This is card #131. It is smaller than a US baseball card but bigger than a traditional cigarette card (just over 2"x2¼"). This particular example is in fine condition.

The son of a German book dealer, Hans Söhnker's acting career touched seven decades from the early-1920s until the early-1980s. He was awarded Germany's Cross of Merit in 1973. He is generally considered to have run afoul with the Nazi era German government despite making nearly 60 films during this time period. He did appear with Hans Albers in Port of Freedom. The Longest Day (1962) and remained active in films and television until shortly before his death in 1981. I should have The Phantom of Soho which stars Söhnker available on DVD in my eBay store.

Maria Beling had a very short film career but almost all of it was in supporting or starring roles. She appeared first in The Black Forest Girl (1933) when she was only 17 or 18 years old. The New York Times praised her performance supporting Lil Dagover in A Woman Who Knows What She Wants (1934). Most of Maria's films were made in the period 1933 to 1935 after which she only appeared on screen one more time in 1943's Love Stories. The actress died in 1994.