09 June 2026

Photo by Gneme

Emilio Gneme was an Italian set and portrait photographer who worked at the Pisorno film studios in Tirrenia. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, he portrayed many stars and character actors of the Italian cinema. His portraits were used for postcards by such publishers as ASER (A. Scarmiglia Ed., Roma), B.F.F. Edit. (Ballerini & Fratini, Firenze) and Unione Fotoincisori in Firenze for a special series on the actors of the Pisorno film studios.

Maria Mercader
Italian postcard by ASER (A. Scarmiglia Ed., Roma), no. 217. Photo: Gneme / Incine, Tirrenia.

María Mercader (1918-2011) was a Spanish actress who acted in Spanish and Italian films, largely between 1939 and 1952. She was the second wife of Vittorio De Sica and the mother of Christian and Manuel De Sica.

Paola Barbara
Italian postcard by Stab. Angeli, Terni. Esclusiva di Ditta Terzoli, Roma, no. 70. Photo: Gneme.

Paola Barbara (1912-1989) was an Italian actress who acted in over 60 films but also worked on stage and for television. She is best known for the film La peccatrice (1940) by Amleto Palermi.

Elsa De Giorgi
Italian postcard by Stab. Angeli, Terni, Ditta Terzoli, Roma, no. 333. Photo: Gneme.

Elsa De Giorgi (1914-1997) was an Italian writer, director, art director and Italian stage and screen actress.

Oretta Fiume
Italian postcard by ASER (A. Scarmiglia Ed. Roma), no. 145. Photo: Gneme / Pisorno studios, Tirrenia. In 1941, Oretta Fiume was the protagonist of Ragazza che dorme / Sleeping Girl (Giovacchino Forzano, 1941), shot at the Tirrenia studios.

Oretta Fiume (1919-1994) was an Italian actress who starred in many films between the late 1930s and the late 1940s. In the early 1940s, she often worked at the Tirrenia studios in Pisorno.

Leda Gloria
Italian postcard by B.F.F. Edit. (Ballerini & Fratini, Firenze), no. 2254. Photo: Gneme / E.N.I.C. The postcard may refer to the film Il cavaliere di Kruja / The Knight of Kruja (Carlo Campogalliani, 1941).

Leda Gloria (1912-1997) was one of Federico Fellini’s favourite film actresses, having a prolific career in the 1930s and 1940s, but she is also remembered as the wife of Peppone in the Don Camillo films.

The new city of cinema


Photographer Emilio Gneme is not a famous name, but his pictures illuminate an important chapter in the history of Italian cinema. He was the main photographer of the Pisorno film studios in the Italian coastal town of Tirrenia in Tuscany. In 1934, the studios were built at the behest of Giovacchino Forzano, a successful writer, theatre director, author of comedies, historical dramas and opera librettos, and of entrepreneurs such as Agnelli and Borletti. The modern studio complex was located in the pine forest of Mezzapiaggia, in Tirrenia, and the nickname 'Pisorno' ideally united the nearby cities of Pisa and Livorno.

Like Latina, Littoria and Pontinia, Tirrenia was a new town which had grown with the support of Italy's Fascist regime. The Tirrenia Studios were constructed between 1933-1934 and intended, along with the Fert Studios in Turin, to provide northern competition to the increasingly dominant Cines Studios in Rome. The new studio complex was a state-of-the-art facility, designed by Antonio Valente, one of the first in Italy to be adequately equipped to meet the greatest challenge of the time: the production of sound films. The Pisorno studios became known in Italy as 'the city of cinema'.

The first film shot at Pisorno was released in 1935, entitled Campo di maggio / 100 Days of Napoleon and directed by Giovacchino Forzano himself. In the following years, the sets, streets and beaches of Tirrenia were populated by actors, crew members and screen stars: from Maria Mercader to Antonio Centa, from Amedeo Nazzari to Alida Valli. In the new modern studios, 'veterans' of silent cinema alternated with young people destined to shape the future of cinema, such as Mario Monicelli, in directing and technical roles. Italian film production was booming, and the Pisorno Studios fared well, particularly after the Cines studio burned down in 1935.

However, the dream of expanding to create a real Hollywood on the Tyrrhenian Sea was shattered by financial difficulties and competition from Cinecittà, founded in Rome in 1937. Still, more than seventy films were shot in Tirrenia before the reality of war broke out on the sets. During the later stages of the Second World War, Pisa was bombed, and the studios were requisitioned for other use first by the Germans and later by the Allies. When production resumed at the end of the conflict, Forzano attempted a relaunch by calling director Joseph Losey to Tirrenia to shoot Imbarco a mezzanotte / Stranger on the Prowl (1952), but the film was not successful.

To celebrate the desire for rebirth and light-heartedness, the focus then shifted mainly to musical films, in many cases starring beloved singers such as Claudio Villa and Luciano Tajoli. Mauro Bolognini's L'assoluto naturale / He and She (1969) was the last film shot in the studios while they were still in full operation. Despite attempts to turn it into TV studios of the RAI, a tourist resort or a sports centre, nothing came of it. The structure slowly fell into ruin. Years later, the Taviani brothers remembered it and rebuilt the Hollywood of their film Good Morning Babilonia / Goor Morning Babylon (Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani, 1987) there. A beautiful homage to the history of cinema and to cinema as a storyteller. All in all, some 160 films were made at the Tirrenia studios.

Umberto Melnati,
Italian postcard by Unione Fotoincisori Firenze. Photo: Gneme / Prod. INCINE. Caption: The actors of the Tirrenia film studio, no. 2. Umberto Melnati in the film Brivido / Thrill (Giacomo Gentilomo, 1941).

Though he also had various parts in dramas and pre-Giallos, Umberto Melnati (1897-1979) is mostly known for his screen comedies. He often acted in the 'Telefoni Bianchi' comedies of the 1930s and 1940s, with Vittorio De Sica (Due cuori felici, Il signor Max, etc.), and Alida Valli (Mille lire al mese). Before, he had long acted on stage with De Sica and Checco Rissone. After the war, Melnati played the lead in La valigia dei sogni (Luigi Comencini, 1953).

Andrea Checchi
Italian postcard by Unione Fotoincisori Firenze. Photo: Gneme / Prod. INCINE. Caption: Gli attori della Tirrenia Cinematografica (The actors of the Tirrenia film studio), no. 3. Andrea Checchi in the film Brivido / Thrill (Giacomo Gentilomo, 1941).

Andrea Checchi (1916-1974) was a prolific Italian film and television actor who peaked in the early 1940s as a leading actor, while he had important supporting parts in post-war Neorealism and beyond.

Antonio Centa
Italian postcard by B.F.F. Edit. (Ballerini e Fratini, Firenze), no. 2353. Photo: Gneme / ENIC.

Between the mid-1930s and 1943, bright and gentle Antonio Centa (1907-1979) was among the most active actors of the Italian cinema. Among female audiences, he was a popular heartthrob in the White Telephone films. The critics praised his performances in Renato Castellani's Un colpo di pistola / A Pistol Shot (1942) and Zazà (1944).

Mario Siletti
Italian postcard by Stabilimento Angeli, Terni. Ed. A. Terzoli, Roma, no. 490. Photo: Gneme.

Italian actor Mario Siletti (1897-1977) devoted himself exclusively to cinema from 1932 on. He was a comical actor in great demand by the production companies of the time. Always in supporting parts, Siletti was the jealous husband of Laura Nucci in Eravamo sette vedove (Mario Mattoli, 1939), the viceroy in the Macario comedy Il pirata sono io! (Mario Mattoli, 1940), Seneca in O.K. Nerone (Mario Soldati, 1951) and the lawyer Stiletti in Don Camillo (Julien Duvivier, 1952) and Don Camillo e l'onorevole Peppone (Carmine Gallone, 1955).

Enzo Biliotti
Italian postcard by ASER (A. Scarmiglia Ed. Roma), no. 35. Photo: Gneme.

Italian character actor Enzo Biliotti (1887-1976) specialised in masterfully designing kings, emperors, nobles and fathers of high lineage. Among his tastiest characterisations is that of the Viceroy in Un'avventura di Salvator Rosa / An Adventure by Salvator Rosa (Alessandro Blasetti, 1939) and King Philip IV in Don Cesare di Bazan (Riccardo Freda, 1942).

Enrico Viarisio
Italian postcard by ASER (A. Scarmiglia Edizioni, Roma), no. 144. Photo: Gneme / Tirrenia.

Enrico Viarisio (1897-1967) was an Italian stage and screen actor and cabaretier. Famous were Viarisio's words in Prima comunione (Alessandro Blasetti, 1950). When he, the man from the trolleybus, was told: 'Aren't you ashamed to travel with that bowler hat?', he responded: 'And you, aren't you ashamed to travel with that face?'!

Umberto Melnati
Italian postcard by ASER (A. Scarmiglia Ed., Roma). Photo: Gneme.

Though he also had various parts in dramas and pre-Giallos, Umberto Melnati (1897-1979) is mostly known for his screen comedies. He often acted in the 'Telefoni Bianchi' comedies of the 1930s and 1940s, with Vittorio De Sica (Due cuori felici, Il signor Max, etc.), and Alida Valli (Mille lire al mese). Before, he had long acted on stage with De Sica and Checco Rissone. After the war, Melnati played the lead in La valigia dei sogni (1953) by Luigi Comencini.

Egisto Olivieri
Italian postcard by ASER (A. Scarmiglia Editori, Roma), no. 181. Photo: Gneme, Rome.

Italian actor Egisto Olivieri (1880-1962) was active in theatre and cinema. On the big screen, he mostly played character roles. From 1926 to 1950, he acted in around forty films.

Sandro Ruffini
Italian postcard by ASER (Aldo Scarmiglia Ed., Roma), no. 315. Photo: Gneme.

Sandro Ruffini (1889–1954) had a prolific career in Italian cinema from 1913 to 1954. From the late 1930s, Ruffini mostly appeared in supporting parts like the father of leading actor Mario Ferrari in Il cavaliere di San Marco (Gennaro Righeli, 1939). He starred in Forse eri tu l'amore (Gennaro Righelli, 1939), as an engineer who is asked the bring the niece of his boss back to Italy. The 'baby' (Loretta Vinci) proves to be a strong-willed young woman. He also had a major part opposite Vivi Gioi in the comedy La canzone rubata (Max Neufeld, 1940).

Sources: Franco Baccarini (Il cinema tra Pisa e Livorno - Italian), Turismo Pisa, Wikipedia and IMDb.

08 June 2026

George Murphy

George Murphy (1902-1992) was an American actor and politician. Murphy was a song-and-dance leading man in many big-budget Hollywood musicals from 1930 to 1952. During World War II, he organised entertainment for American troops. He was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1944 to 1946 and received an honorary Oscar in 1951. Murphy served as a U.S. Senator for California from 1965 to 1971, the first notable American actor to be elected to statewide office in California, predating Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

George Murphy
Belgian collector card by Kwatta. Photo: Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

Alice Faye and George Murphy in You’re a Sweetheart (1937)
Dutch postcard by J.S.A. Alice Faye and George Murphy in You’re a Sweetheart (David Butler, 1937). Collection: Marlène Pilaete.

George Murphy
Belgian collector card by Kwatta, Bois-d'Haine, no. C. 219. Photo: M.G.M. George Murphy in Broadway Rhythm (Roy Del Ruth, 1944).

A song-and-dance man in big-budget musicals


George Lloyd Murphy was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1902. He was the son of Catholic Irish immigrants. His father was the American track and field trainer and coach Michael Charles 'Mike' Murphy, and his mother was the former Nora Long. George graduated from Yale University and worked to support himself. He first worked as a toolmaker for Ford, later in the mines and as a real estate agent, and finally as a dancer in various discotheques.

In the mid-1920s, George Murphy moved to New York City. There he met his first wife, Juliette Henkel, whom he married in 1926. They had two children, a son, Dennis, and a daughter, Melissa.

He made his Broadway debut as a member of the chorus in 'Good News' (1927) and performed in three other Broadway shows - 'Hold Everything!', 'Of Thee I Sing', and 'Roberta'. After retiring from the stage, Murphy moved with his family to Hollywood, where talking pictures had replaced silent films.

He made his Hollywood debut in Kid Millions (Roy Del Ruth, Willy Pogany, 1934), starring Eddie Cantor. Murphy appeared with Shirley Temple in Little Miss Broadway (Irving Cummings, 1938) and with Judy Garland in Little Nellie Kelly (Norman Taurog, 1940). He became known as a song-and-dance man and appeared in many big-budget musicals, such as Broadway Melody of 1938 (Roy Del Ruth, 1937), Broadway Melody of 1940 (Norman Taurog, 1940), in which he danced with Fred Astaire, and For Me and My Gal (Busby Berkeley, 1942) with Judy Garland.

After switching from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in 1939, George Murphy became a close political ally of Ronald Reagan, with whom he appeared in This Is the Army (Michael Curtiz, 1943).

Alice Faye and George Murphy in You're a Sweetheart (1937)
Dutch postcard S. & v. H. A. Photo: M.P.E.A. Alice Faye and George Murphy in You're a Sweetheart (David Butler, 1937).

George Murphy
Belgian postcard by L.A.B. (Les Editions d'Art, Bruxelles), no. 1509. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
George Murphy
Belgian collector card by Kwatta, Bois-d'Haine, no. C. 318. Photo: M.G.M. George Murphy in Border Incident (Antrhony Mann, 1949).


Say. . . Didn’t you use to be George Murphy?


During World War II, George Murphy primarily appeared in Propaganda films aimed at boosting the morale of US troops. Among these films were The Navy Comes Through (A. Edward Sutherland, 1942), and Bataan (Tay Garnett, 1943) with Robert Taylor.

From 1944 to 1946, Murphy served as president of the Screen Actors Guild. His final film was the Film Noir Walk East on Beacon (Alfred L. Werker, 1952). By then, Murphy had been cast in approximately 50 feature films. Although his work was mostly limited to relatively unknown films, he received an honorary Oscar in 1951 for his contributions to the film industry.

From 1958 to 1961, he served as vice president of the film production company Desilu. In the late 1950s, Murphy became increasingly involved in politics. He served three times - in 1952, 1956, and 1960 - as head of entertainment for the televised inaugurations of Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. In the early 1960s, Murphy became chairman of the Republican Party of California and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1964.

He served a six-year term in the Senate before leaving office in January 1971. His autobiography, 'Say. . . Didn’t You Used to Be George Murphy?' was published in 1970. During his time in office, Murphy was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, which necessitated surgery to remove his larynx. As a result of the surgery, he had difficulty speaking for the rest of his life.

George Murphy retired from public life, which he shared with his second wife, Bette Blandi, whom he married in 1982. They left California and moved to Palm Beach, where he died of leukaemia in 1992, two months before his 90th birthday.

George Murphy
British postcard in the Picturegoer Series, London, no. 1011a. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

George Murphy
Dutch postcard by MPEA. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Sources: Britannica, Wikipedia (German, French and English) and IMDb.

07 June 2026

Albert Paulig

Albert Paulig (1873-1933) was a popular comedian in the German silent cinema of the 1910s and 1920s.

Albert Paulig
German postcard by Verl. Herm. Leiser, Berlin-Wilm., no. 1746.

Albert Paulig
German postcard by Photochemie, Berlin, no. K. 1319. Photo: Willinger.

Albert Paulig
German postcard in the Film-Sterne series by Rotophot, Berlin, no. 122/4. Photo: Nicola Perscheid, Berlin.

Albert Paulig
Austrian postcard by Iris Verlag, no. 785. Photo: Greenbaum-Film / Lux Verleih.

His own comedy series


Born in Stollberg, Germany, in 1873, Albert Paulig was trained to become a teacher. He also did musical training at the Konservatorium Dresden (Conservatory of Dresden), but initially, he became a salesman.

In 1896, he had his stage debut at the Stadttheater in Zwickau. Other locations he performed were Łódź, Hannover and Dresden. In 1901, he first performed in Berlin at the Deutsch-Amerikanischen Theater, after which he did several guest performances in other Berlin stages.

In 1913, when he was already 40, Albert Paulig was discovered as a film comedian. Because of his success, he got his own series in the 1910s, the Albert-Paulig series, with titles just as simple as Paulig als Asta Nielsen / Paulig as Asta Nielsen (Albert Paulig, 1915) or Albert hat Prokura / Albert has the power of attorney (Uwe Jenss Kraft, 1919).

Starting with Alberts Hose / Albert’s Pants (1915), Paulig directed his own comedy series. But in between, he also acted in films by other directors.

Paulig, for example, played opposite Ernst Lubitsch in both the popular success Die Firma heiratet / The Firm Weds (Carl Wilhelm, 1914) and its unofficial sequel Der Stolz der Firma / The Pride of the Firm (Carl Wilhelm, 1914). He also co-starred with Hanni Weisse in Meine Braut, seine Frau / My bride, his Wife (Danny Kaden, 1916).

Albert Paulig in Die Dollarprinzessin
German postcard by G.L., no. 3172/3. Photo: Elite, Berlin. Albert Paulig, Alfred Walters and Fritzi Arco in the operetta 'Die Dollarprinzessin' (The dollar princess). This operetta by Leo Fall was first performed in Vienna in 1907; this card is for the Berlin version of 1908.

Albert Paulig
German postcard, no. 9434. Photo: Atelier Rembrandt.

Albert Paulig
German postcard by Photochemie, Berlin, no. K. 164. Photo: A. Binder, Berlin.

Albert Paulig
German postcard by Verlag Photochemie, Berlin, no. K. 165. Photo: A. Binder, Berlin.

Strong popularity


After he stopped his Albert-Paulig series in 1919, Paulig’s popularity remained strong among audiences. During the 1920s, he acted in over 100 films. While Albert Paulig mostly performed in supporting parts, he sometimes had major parts as the protagonist or the main antagonist.

Albert Paulig co-starred with Mia May and Georg Alexander in the comedy Die platonische Ehe / The platonic marriage (Paul Leni, 1919), and acted with Hans Albers and Ria Jende in Der Schuss aus dem Fenster / The shot out the window (director unknown, 1920).

He did several small parts in the Ossi Oswalda comedies of the late 1910s and early 1920s, such as Das Mädchen aus dem wilden Westen / The girl from the Wild West (Erich Schönfelder, 1921). The most famous example is the classic Die Austernprinzessin / The Oyster Princess (Ernst Lubisch, 1919).

Paulig was reunited with Hanni Weisse in the comedy Weil Du es bist / Because it's you (Hans Werckmeister, 1925). He had the lead as Archduke Albert Paul in G’schichten aus dem Wienerwald / Tales from the Vienna Woods (Jaap Speyer, 1928), co-starring Eric Barclay, Magnus Stifter and Fritz Schulz.

In the late 1920s, he was often seen in supporting parts in the sensational Harry Piel adventure films, such as Der Mann ohne Nerven / The Man Without Nerves (Harry Piel, 1924), Zigano, der Brigant vom Monte Diavolo / Zigano (Harry Piel, 1925), Sein grösster Bluff / His Greatest Bluff (Harry Piel, 1927), Panik / Panic (Harry Piel, 1928), and Männer ohne Beruf / Men without Profession (Harry Piel, 1929).

Albert Paulig
German postcard by Photochemie, Berlin, no. K. 1328. Photo: Willinger.

Albert Paulig
German postcard by Photochemie, Berlin, no. K. 1332. Photo: Willinger.

Albert Paulig
German postcard in the Film-Sterne series by Rotophot, no. 122/2. Photo: Nicola Perscheid, Berlin.

Albert Paulig
German postcard in the Film-Sterne series by Rotophot, no. 122/3. Photo: Nicola Perscheid, Berlin.

Army officers


When sound film set in, Albert Paulig managed to continue his career, often portraying aristocrats and industrials, but in particular army officers. An example of the latter is Schön ist die Manöverzeit / Manoeuver Time Is Fine (Erich Schönfelder, Margarete Schön, 1931) with Ida Wüst.

He acted in the musical Es war einmal ein Walzer / Once There Was a Waltz (Victor Janson, 1932), written by Billy Wilder, and Der Prinz von Arkadien / The Prince from Arcadien (Karl Hartl, 1932) with Willi Forst.

He also appeared in Das Testament des Cornelius Gulden / The Testament of Cornelius Gulden (E.W. Emo, 1932), starring Magda Schneider and Georg Alexander, and Manolescu, der Fürst der Diebe / Manolescu (George C. Klaren, Willi Wolff, 1933), starring Iván Petrovich.

The crime film K1 greift ein / K1 intervenes (Edmund Heuberger, 1933) was his last film. He couldn’t attend the premiere of the film, as he died in Berlin on 19 March 1933, because of heart failure, two days after the film had passed censorship.

According to Filmportal.de, which lists his most extensive filmography, Albert Paulig acted in 183 films.

Albert Paulig
German postcard by Herm. Leiser, Berlin-Wilm. Photo: J. Braae, nord. Photokunst.

Albert Paulig
German postcard by Verlag Hermann Leiser, no. 3036.

Albert Paulig
German postcard by Herm. Leiser, Berlin-Wilm., no. 6053. Berlin. Photo: Atelier Binder, Berlin.

Albert Paulig
German postcard by Ross Verlag, no. 3024/1, 1928-1929.

Albert Paulig
Austrian postcard by Iris-Verlag, no. 5203. Photo: Badekow.

Sources: Filmportal.de, Wikipedia (German and English), and IMDb.

06 June 2026

Published by Editions Lyna

Editions Lyna was a publishing house in Paris which gave us dozens of delicious colour postcards during the 1960s and 1970s. We have collected Lyna postcards with pin-ups, with pop stars and with film actors and scenes. Some postcards fall into two categories, and some fall into all three categories. We selected 21 cards for you.

Seven pin-ups


Forbidden Fruits
French postcard by Lyna, Paris, Série A 150-9.

Catch Me If You Can
French postcard by Lyna, Paris, no. B.

Girls Please!
French postcard by Ed. Lyna, Paris, no. 1.50-32.

Gone Are the Days!
French postcard by Lyna, Paris, no. 150 / 39.

Threesome
French postcard by Lyna, Paris, Série A 150-5.

Three's Company
French postcard by Lyna, Paris, no. 105.

The Girl Can't Help It
French postcard by Lyna, Paris, Série A 150-7.

Seven pop stars


Juliën Clerc
French postcard by Editions Lyna, Paris, no. 2090. Photo: Michel Ginfray / Gamma.

Though sometimes dismissed in France as little more than a 'chanteur de charme' ('a ladies' singer'), Julien Clerc (1947) in fact enjoyed one of the most successful and longest-lived careers in contemporary French pop. He shaped the nouvelle chanson aesthetic across a span of decades that began in the shadow of the student rebellions of 1968 with the hit 'La Cavalerie' and continued well into the following century with such evergreens as 'Si on Chantait' and 'This Melody'.

Daniel Guichard
French postcard by Editions Lyna, Paris, no. 2046. Photo: Laurent Maous / Production KUKLOS.

Charming Daniel Guichard (1948) is a popular French singer with hits like 'La Tendresse', 'Mon Vieux' and 'Le Gitan'. He also acted in two films.

Sylvie Vartan
French postcard by Editions Lyna, Paris, no. 2051. Photo: Raymond Depardon / Gamma.

French pop singer Sylvie Vartan (1944) was one of the first rock girls in France. She was the diva of the yé-yé genre. With Johnny Hallyday, she formed France's Golden Couple of their generation, and they performed in several films together and apart.

Michel Fugain et le Big Bazar
French postcard by Editions Lyna, Paris, offered by Biscottes Corvisart, Epinal, no. 2052. Photo: Bernard Leloud.

French singer and composer Michel Fugain (1942) started the group 'Le Big Bazar' in 1972. The happy group with eleven musicians, fifteen singers and dancers had some big hits all over Europe. In 1976, Fugain went solo, and the band stopped a year later.

Les Poppys
French postcard by Editions Lyna, Paris, no. 2028. Photo: Alain Marouani / Barclay.

Les Poppys was a French boy group, named after the word 'Pop Music'. During the 1970s, they had big hits in Europe with 'Isabelle, je t'aime' and 'Non, non, rien n'a change'.

Adamo
French postcard by Ed. Lyna, Paris, offered by Corvisart, no. 2015. Photo: Pathé Marconi.

Italian-Belgian composer and singer Salvatore Adamo (1943) was a teen idol in the first half of the 1960s. Occasionally, he also starred in films.

Dalida
French postcard by Edition Lyna, Paris, no. 2017. Photo: A. Marouani.

Singer and actress Dalida (1933-1987) was born and raised in Egypt, but she lived most of her adult life in France. The former Miss Egypt 1954 received 55 gold records and was the first singer to receive a diamond disc. She also appeared in Egyptian and French films. The immensely popular diva died a tragic death in 1987. She has now become a cult figure for a whole new generation of fans.

Seven film postcards


Brigitte Bardot
French postcard by Editions Lyna, Paris, no. 2085. Photo: Sam Lévin, 1967.

Brigitte Bardot (1934-2025) was the sex kitten of European cinema. During the 1950s and 1960s, she was every man's idea of the girl he'd like to meet in Paris.

Johnny Hallyday
French postcard by Ed. Lyna, Paris, no. 2002, presented by Corvisart, Epinal.

Flamboyant singer and actor Johnny Hallyday (1943-2017) is the father of French Rock and Roll. He was a European teen idol in the 1960s with record-breaking crowds and mass hysteria, but he never became popular in the English-speaking market. In later years, he concentrated on being an actor and appeared in more than 35 films.

Eddy Mitchell
French postcard by Editions Lyna, Paris, no. 2013. Photo: Casanova - Formidable.

French singer and actor Eddy Mitchell (1942) began his career in the late 1950s with the rock & roll group Les Chaussettes Noires (The Black Socks). He went solo in 1963 and also played in many films. In numerous black and white French musical comedies of the 1960s, he appeared as himself fronting his band. His ‘real’ acting career started with Coup de torchon (1981). After a career of 50 years, Mr. Eddy has become the tranquil daddy of French rock & roll.

La Marseillaise (1937)
French postcard by Abeille Cartes / Ed. Lyna, Paris. A series of commemorative events of the bicentennial of the French Revolution. Poster or lobbycard of La Marseillaise (Jean Renoir, 1937), starring Pierre Renoir and Lise Delamare as Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Poster design by Maurice Toussaint.

The Sword in the Stone (1963)
French postcard by Les Presses de Belville / LYNA, no. 345, 1964. Image: Walt Disney Productions. Publicity still for The Sword in the Stone (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1963). Caption: Mosquito ended up in the water ... He was swimming!

Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966)
French postcard by Les Presses de Belleville, Paris / LYNA, Paris. Image: Walt Disney Productions, 1965. Publicity still for the short film Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1966), later incorporated in the feature The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, 1977). Caption: The honey thief.

Brigitte Bardot
French postcard by Editions Lyna, Paris, no. 2104. Caption: Tu deviens responsable pour toujours de ce que tu as apprivoisé. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Brigitte Bardot (1934-2025) was the sex kitten of European cinema. She was every man's idea of the girl he'd like to meet in Paris.

For more cards, please check out our Editions Lyna album at Flickr.