1916 M.J. Moriarty Playing Cards - Movie Stars
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This deck of cards was issued with a different card of a period movie star for each number and suit, plus Charlie Chaplin fittingly as the Joker. I usually buy these decks to split them up and make single cards available for collectors. In the process of doing so I have found several different film stars represented in different decks. It is likely that the first version of the deck was in fact issued at the 1916 copyright date, while subsequent issues featured new cards over the next three or four years.
As of the last deck I have broken (#21), this 53 card set now realizes a total of 98 different stars and 113 different poses/cards altogether discovered in 8 different decks, some seemingly more common than others. (Deck #21 actually come courtesy of Garry from Australia, who was also kind enough to supply 3 images of new variations he came across).
The backs of the cards are all the same and include a colorful chariot scene and the notation Copyright 1916 M.J. Moriarty. From the informational card found in the pack: "The Back Design is a reproduction in multiple-colors of the famous painting "The Chariot Race."
From the ad card contained: "Get a few packs of "Movies"--A Veritable Picture Gallery of the celebrities of the Movie World, treated with such a genius that it is the greatest novelty ever made in Souvenir Playing Cards, and is complete for playing all card games."
Here's a chart showing what I've found so far; below this you'll find some trivia and then a gallery featuring an image of every single card listed in the following chart:
♥ Hearts ♥ |
♣ Clubs ♣ |
♦ Diamonds ♦ |
♠ Spades ♠ |
|
2 |
Dolores & Helen Costello Lenore Ulrich |
Kathlyn Williams Kate Price |
Wally Van |
George Larkin Sidney Drew George Beban |
3 |
Geraldine Farrar Cleo Madison |
Vivian Martin Ella Hall |
Franklin Ritchie Violet Mesereau Beatriz Michelena |
Dustin Farnum Donald Hall |
4 |
Marguerite Clayton |
Louise Glaum Mother Nellie Anderson |
James Morrison House Peters |
Nicholas Dunaew Richard C. Travers |
5 |
Ormi Hawley Dorothy Dalton |
Dorothy Gish Grace Cunard |
Billy Quirk Douglas MacLean
May Allison |
Charles Kent George Walsh Harold A. Lockwood |
6 |
Ruth Stonehouse
William Duncan |
Francis Ford Harry Morey William Sherwood |
G.M. Anderson |
|
7 |
Clara Kimball Young |
Mary Fuller Mildred Harris (Chaplin) |
Crane Wilbur
Sessue Hayakawa |
Robert Edeson |
8 |
Julia Swayne Gordon Frank Keenan |
Dorothy Kelly Pauline Curley |
William Christie Miller |
Harry Morey Anna Pavlowa |
9 |
Ethel Clayton |
Norma & Constance Talmadge |
Carlyle Blackwell Jack Richardson Richard C. Travers |
|
10 |
Bessie Barriscale |
Mary Anderson June Caprice |
Bryant Washburn |
|
Jack |
Maurice Costello Thomas Meighan Crane Wilbur |
Romaine Fielding |
Antonio Moreno |
|
Queen |
Edith Storey |
Marguerite Clark |
Mary Maurice Fannie Ward |
|
King |
H.B. Warner |
King Baggot Bertram Grassby |
William Farnum |
Earle Williams |
Ace |
Ruth Roland |
Marguerite Snow |
Beverly Bayne Wanda Hawley |
Florence LaBadie Bert Lytell Myrtle Stedman |
Joker |
XXX |
XXX |
XXX |
For those of you obsessed with this deck of cards as much as I have become, following is some trivia noting some facts I found interesting about the deck:
Those Stars Who Have Different
Images on the Same Suited & Numbered Cards:
There are eight: Ruth Roland (4 different poses on the Ace of Hearts); May
Allison (2 poses on the 5 of Diamonds); Ruth Stonehouse (2 poses on the 6 of
Clubs); William Duncan (2 poses also on the 6 of Clubs); Clara Kimball Young (2 poses on the 7 of
Hearts); Mary Anderson on the 10 of diamonds; Edith Storey (2 poses on the Queen of Clubs); and Marguerite Clark (2 poses on the Queen of Diamonds).
Technically you could add an eighth, as the 9 of Clubs sometimes features both
Norma & Constance Talmadge while in other decks Norma has the 9 of Clubs to
herself and Constance then appears separately on the 8 of Clubs.
Those Stars Who Appear on More
than One Card in Different Versions of the Deck:
There are four: Harry Morey who appears on the 6 of Diamonds and 8 of Spades;
May Allison who appears on the 5 of Diamonds (2 poses as noted above) and
the Queen of Hearts; Richard C. Travers on the 4 of Spades and the 9 of Spades;
and Crane Wilbur on the 7 of Diamonds and the Jack of Hearts.
Cards Featuring More than One
Personality:
There are two: The 9 of Clubs has already been mentioned as featuring the
Talmadge sisters, while child stars Dolores & Helen Costello are sometimes
featured on the 2 of Hearts. In these decks with the Costello sisters you
will also find their father, Maurice Costello, on the Jack of Hearts. An
interesting aside, when Dolores grows up she marries legendary John Barrymore
(who has yet to turn up in any decks!) and is actually the grandmother of
current star, Drew Barrymore.
Those Cards Which So Far Always
Feature the Same Star in the Same Pose:
There are 13: Marguerite Clayton on the 4 of Hearts, Pearl White on the 6 of
Hearts, Robert Edeson on the 7 of Spades, Ethel Clayton on the 9 of Hearts, Mary
Miles Minter on the 9 of Diamonds, Bessie Barriscale on the 10 of Hearts, Mabel
Normand on the 10 of Clubs, Bryant Washburn on the 10 of Spades, Jack W.
Kerrigan on the Jack of Diamonds, Antonio Moreno on the Jack of Spades, William Farnum on the King of Diamonds, Earle
Williams on the King of Spades, Charlie Chaplin on the Joker. Also
noteworthy is that four of the five stars who appear in multiple poses on the
same cards are also the only stars featured on those cards: Clara Kimball Young,
Edith Storey, Marguerite Clark, and Ruth Roland.
One would think these 13 universal cards would be worth less compared to others, but for understandable reasons Charlie Chaplin and Mary Miles Minter carry substantial premiums in value, while even Mabel Normand and Pearl White sell for more than an average card.
And here comes the Gallery:
Click on any image to enlarge
 Reverse of 1916 MJ Moriarty Playing Cards |
 2 of Hearts: Dolores & Helen Costello |
 2 of Hearts: Lenore Ulrich |
 2 of Clubs: Kathlyn Williams |
 2 of Clubs: Kate Price |
 2 of Diamonds: Blanche Sweet |
 2 of Diamonds: Wally Van |
 2 of Spades: George Larkin |
 2 of Spades: Sidney Drew |
 2 of Spades: George Beban |
 3 of Hearts: Geraldine Farrar |
 3 of Hearts: Cleo Madison |
 3 of Clubs: Vivian Martin |
 3 of Clubs: Ella Hall |
 3 of Diamonds: Franklin Ritchie |
 3 of Diamonds: Violet Mesereau |
 3 of Diamonds: Beatriz Michelena |
 3 of Spades: Dustin Farnum |
 3 of Spades: Donald Hall |
 4 of Hearts: Marguerite Clayton |
 4 of Clubs: Gertrude McCoy |
 4 of Clubs: Louise Glaum |
 4 of Clubs: Mother Nellie Anderson |
 4 of Diamonds: James Morrison |
 4 of Diamonds: House Peters |
 4 of Spades: Nicholas Dunaew |
 4 of Spades: Wallace Reid |
 4 of Spades: Richard C. Travers (See Also 9 of Spades) |
 5 of Hearts: Ormi Hawley |
 5 of Hearts: Dorothy Dalton |
 5 of Clubs: Dorothy Gish |
 5 of Clubs: Grace Cunard |
 5 of Diamonds: Billy Quirk |
 5 of Diamonds: Douglas MacLean |
 5 of Diamonds: May Allison (See Also Queen of Hearts) |
 5 of Diamonds: May Allison (See Also Queen of Hearts) |
 5 of Spades: Charles Kent |
 5 of Spades: George Walsh |
 5 of Spades: Harold A. Lockwood |
 6 of Hearts: Pearl White |
 6 of Clubs: Ruth Stonehouse |
 6 of Clubs: Ruth Stonehouse |
 6 of Clubs: William Duncan |
 6 of Clubs: William Duncan |
 6 of Diamonds: Francis Ford |
 6 of Diamonds: Harry Morey (See Also 8 of Spades) |
 6 of Diamonds: William Sherwood |
 6 of Spades: G.M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson |
 6 of Spades: Henry B. Walthall |
 7 of Hearts: Clara Kimball Young |
 7 of Hearts: Clara Kimball Young |
 7 of Clubs: Mary Fuller |
 7 of Clubs: Mildred Harris |
 7 of Diamonds: Crane Wilbur (See Also Jack of Hearts) |
 7 of Diamonds: Sessue Hayakawa |
 7 of Spades: Robert Edeson |
 8 of Hearts: Julia Swayne Gordon |
 8 of Hearts: Frank Keenan |
 8 of Clubs: Dorothy Kelly |
 8 of Clubs: Pauline Curley |
 8 of Clubs: Constance Talmadge |
 8 of Clubs: Olive Thomas |
 8 of Diamonds: William Christie Miller |
 8 of Diamonds: Anita Stewart |
 8 of Spades: Harry Morey |
 8 of Spades: Anna Pavlowa |
 9 of Hearts: Ethel Clayton |
 9 of Clubs: Norma & Constance Talmadge |
 9 of Clubs: Norma Talmadge |
 9 of Diamonds: Mary Miles Minter |
 9 of Spades: Tom Mix |
 9 of Spades: Carlyle Blackwell |
 9 of Spades: Jack Richardson |
 9 of Spades: Richard C. Travers (See Also 4 of Spades) |
 10 of Hearts: Bessie Barriscale |
 10 of Clubs: Mabel Normand |
 10 of Diamonds: Mary Anderson |
 10 of Diamonds: Mary Anderson |
 10 of Diamonds: June Caprice |
 10 of Spades: Bryant Washburn |
 Jack of Hearts: Maurice Costello |
 Jack of Hearts: Thomas Meighan |
 Jack of Hearts: Crane Wilbur (See Also 7 of Diamonds) |
 Jack of Clubs: William S. Hart |
 Jack of Clubs: Romaine Fielding |
 Jack of Diamonds: Jack W. Kerrigan |
 Jack of Spades: Antonio Moreno |
 Queen of Hearts: Lillian Walker |
 Queen of Hearts: May Allison (See Also 5 of Diamonds) |
 Queen of Clubs: Edith Storey |
 Queen of Clubs: Edith Storey |
 Queen of Diamonds: Marguerite Clark |
 Queen of Diamonds: Marguerite Clark |
 Queen of Spades: Mary Maurice |
 Queen of Spades: Fannie Ward |
 King of Hearts: Francis X. Bushman |
 King of Hearts: H.B. Warner |
 King of Clubs: King Baggot |
 King of Clubs: Bertram Grassby |
 King of Diamonds: William Farnum |
 King of Spades: Earle Williams |
 Ace of Hearts: Ruth Roland |
 Ace of Hearts: Ruth Roland |
 Ace of Hearts: Ruth Roland |
 Ace of Hearts: Ruth Roland |
 Ace of Clubs: Marguerite Snow |
 Ace of Clubs: Viola Dana |
 Ace of Diamonds: Beverly Bayne |
 Ace of Diamonds: Wanda Hawley |
 Ace of Spades: Florence LaBadie |
 Ace of Spades: Bert Lytell |
 Ace of Spades: Myrtle Stedman |
 Joker: Charlie Chaplin (one to a deck) |
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