Ross Verlag, Part 14: Unsere bunten Filmbilder

Ross Verlag in Berlin created thousands of large and small cigarette cards during the 1920s and 1930s. Around 1935, Ross made for the Cigarettenfabrik (cigarette factory) Josetti in Berlin a series of 275 cigarette cards called 'Unsere bunten Filmbilder' (Our Colourful Film Pictures). The cards were enclosed in the packs of Josetti's various brands of cigarettes, like Juno and Vera Gold. The series contained small cards (6, 5 x 4 cm or 2.5 x 2 inch) with hand-coloured portraits. The series was also distributed by the Cigarettenfabrik Salem in Dresden. Here are 15 of our favourite Colourful Film Pictures.


Greta Garbo. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 23. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Publicity still for Queen Christina (Rouben Mamoulian, 1933).


Marlene Dietrich. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 25. Photo: Paramount. Publicity still for The Devil is a Woman (Josef von Sternberg, 1935).


Hans Albers. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 37. Photo: Bavaria-Tofa. Publicity still for Peer Gynt (Fritz Wendhausen, 1934).


Paul Kemp. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 99. Photo: Minerva-Tonfilm. Publicity still for in Charleys Tante/Charley's Aunt (Robert A. Stemmle, 1934).


Luis Trenker. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 107. Photo: Rota-Film.


Gustav Waldau. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 132. Photo: Cine-Allianz.


Else Elster. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 153. Photo: Alex Binder.


Jakob Tiedtke. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 179. Photo: Ufa.


Anna May Wong. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 187. Photo: Paramount.


Paul Wegener. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 193. Photo: Lilenberger.


Oskar Sima. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 198. Photo: Ufa.


Theodor Loos. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 200. Photo: Nostra-Film.


Lucie Englisch. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Salem, Dresden, no. 221. Photo: Albö-Film.


Shirley Temple. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 229. Photo: Fox.


Paul Hörbiger. German cigarette card in the series Unsere bunten Filmbilder by Ross Verlag for Cigarettenfabrik Josetti, Berlin, no. 240. Photo: Patria-Film.

Our Ross Verlag tribute will be continued next week.