London Film Star Cigarette Card

A cigarette card featuring an illustrated image of Vivien Leigh, c. 1938. These small rectangular cards were produced to slide into packets of cigarettes as collectible ephemera. Whilst series of cards were produced around a variety of different themes, film star series were particularly prominent. This particular card is from the London Film Star series issued by Gallaher Ltd., which profiled current British performers and offered brief information about their careers to date. The cards featured their signatures and colour headshots.

Vivien Leigh is depicted in a green and gold outfit and matching hat against a blue background. The card is most likely from 1938, given that it lists film performances prior to but not including Gone with the Wind, such as her last UK performance in St Martin's Lane before she won the role of Scarlett O'Hara.

The reverse of the card lists it as No. 15 in a series of 48, and features her signature beneath a brief account of 'My Favourite Part' written in the first person. 

The card inaccurately lists Fire of England as Vivien Leigh's 'first film'. Vivien Leigh had appeared in four films prior to this, making her first (brief) appearance in The Village Squire in 1935, followed by Look Up and Laugh, Things are Looking Up, and Gentlemen's Agreement, all in the same year.