The Stamp Collecting Report
A radio feature by Lloyd de Vries
Download or listen to this report as an MP3 sound file.
What Happened to Hollywood?
The Stamp Collecting Report, I’m Lloyd de Vries.
This summer, the U-S issues stamps celebrating Buzz Lightyear, an animated film 
character. Last year, there were stamps for ten droids, or robots, from Star Wars, and I doubt anyone but a real fan had heard of half of them. The year before that, Bugs Bunny, another fictional character. But real people? The last Legends of Hollywood stamp was in 2016, for Shirley Temple.
The Black Heritage series, Music Icons series, even the Literary Arts series have all kept going, but not the stamps for the film industry. The Postal Service insists the Legends of Hollywood series isn’t dead, it’s just on hiatus.
“We were at a point where we weren’t sure who to put on next.” RUNS :04
I talked to Bill Gicker — in charge of the stamp program — last summer.
“When the series had started, the people who were being honored were very much sort of that golden era of Hollywood, the studio age.” RUNS :07
Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Humphrey Bogart and so on.
“We were at point where we weren’t sure the people we could, would be eligible next were of the same caliber as those we had done before.” RUNS :08
In the studio era, movie stars just didn’t do television. Today, there’s plenty of crossover.
“We also have to have a discussion whether we think we should expand into television, since television is also Hollywood.” RUNS :06
Now, there were rumors that rights issues were a problem. Some estates reportedly demanded money, others wanted the person portrayed as a humanitarian, not an actor, and in some cases, the different heirs just couldn’t agree with each other.
“Rights are a challenge, but it’s a challenge we deal with, with everything.” RUNS :04
And you’d better believe the U-S Postal Service has attorneys researching the rights, not only for the person being honored, but for the photograph, the character, the costume, just about everything.
“If someone’s worthy of being on a stamp, we try our best, and usually we can clear a stamp. Occasionally we can’t, and that’s just how it goes.” RUNS :08
So movie fans, don’t give up hope. The Legends of Hollywood series may be coming back … to a post office near you.
I’m Lloyd de Vries of The Virtual Stamp Club. For more on stamps and stamp collecting, visit virtual-stamp-club-dot-com.
The Stamp Collecting Report began in 1997 as a 60-second weekly feature distributed to CBS Radio Network stations by CBS News as part of its Weekend Feature Package. Eventually, longer versions were recorded for this website and a Christian evangelical shortwave service. The Report ended its CBS run in 2017 with only six repeats in some 1,040 weeks. It is now produced solely for The Virtual Stamp Club on an occasional basis.
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So apparently, I still should “hold the breath” for the Elizabeth Taylor stamp?😍
Maybe also, Marlon Brando. He was often a little screwy, but still one of the greatest.
I was so sure an Elizabeth Taylor stamp was coming out in 2017 that I contacted the Elizabeth Taylor foundation to get rights to make a FDC for her and they said they would be honored and delighted to do a stamp, but hadn’t heard anything from the USPS…
Maybe they aren’t the ones who can give permission after all..?
Replying to both Misha and Mary: Nothing was promised. A leaked list of upcoming stamp subjects appeared in 2014 in The Washngton Post. You can see an archived version here. It was never confirmed or denied by the USPS. The list was nicknamed “Deep CSAC,” and whoever leaked it has not been revealed. Most but not all of the subjects were issued. However, you will see many that are not.
While a case could be made for Newman, CSAC and USPS officials reportedly decided that practically no one thinks “AIDS charity” first when Elizabeth Taylor is mentioned.
Couldn’t they have done the same with Elizabeth Taylor, just put her in actress/philanthropist category? Who would care what the back side will say? I for one get a stamp, put it into an album and there it is.
If USPS decides on whom to honor and whom not (despite the selection committee, who chooses according to what public wants), then it’s the most corrupt organization in the world. Not that I care about Elizabeth Taylor so much, but many series dedicated to people were minimized or downright canceled. Case in point: American Soldiers (issued in 2000, 2005 and 2010 respectively), American Treasures (issued from 2001 to 2014) and American Scientists (issued in 2005, 2008 and 2011 respectively).
Now, I do understand the reason behind cancelation of American Treasures. Like, Martin Ramirez, Andrew Wyeth, Ellsworth Kelly, Ruth Asawa, and Emilio Sanchez were fine without it.🤔 But the other series are strange…