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You are here: Home / Movie Collectibles / 1916 MJ Moriarty Playing Cards – Movie Souvenir Card Co.

1916 MJ Moriarty Playing Cards – Movie Souvenir Card Co.

About these Cards

Charlie Chaplin MJ Moriarty Playing Card from the Movie Souvenir Card Co. out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Copyright 1916.This deck of Movie Souvenir Playing Cards was issued with a different card of a period movie star for each number and suit, plus Charlie Chaplin fittingly as the Joker. Several variations throughout as described below.

Issued out of Cincinnati in the USA. Each standard playing card measures 2-1/2″ X 3-1/2 inches. Same chariot scene on reverse of each card. High grade examples maintain a gold gilt finish on the edges.

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 (#27), this 53 card set now realizes a total of 98 different stars and 114 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. Many thanks to Diana for the 114th pose, Francis Ford on the 5 of Spades.)

The backs of the Movie Souvenir Playing Cards are all the same and include a colorful chariot scene and the notation Copyright 1916 M.J. Moriarty. They were issued by The Movie Souvenir Card Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. 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.”

Following is a Gallery picturing each of 114 known cards. Below that is a text checklist naming those cards. That is followed by some trivia about the decks and finally Immortal Ephemera Store listings of currently available cards.

 

Gallery of 1916 MJ Moriarty Playing Cards

Just click on any image to open to full size and from there you can scroll through scans of all of the movie star playing cards that I have ever seen from various versions of this card deck. A checklist of all of the pictured cards follows the gallery with available sales listings below that.

01-charlie-chaplin
00-reverse
02-c-kate-price
02-c-kathlyn-williams
02-d-blanche-sweet
02-d-wally-van
02-h-dolores-helen-costello
02-h-lenore-ulrich
02-s-george-beban
02-s-george-larkin
02-s-sidney-drew
03-c-ella-hall
03-c-vivian-martin
03-d-beatriz-michelena
03-d-franklin-ritchie
03-h-cleo-madison
03-h-geraldine-farrar
03-s-donald-hall
03-s-dustin-farnum
03d-violet-mersereau
04-c-gertrude-mccoy
04-c-louise-glaum
04-c-mother-nellie-anderson
04-d-house-peters
04-d-james-morrison
04-h-marguerite-clayton
04-s-nicholas-dunaew
04-s-richard-c-travers
04-s-wallace-reid
05-c-dorothy-gish
05-c-grace-cunard
05-d-billy-quirk
05-d-douglas-maclean
05-d-may-allison-2
05-d-may-allison
05-h-dorothy-dalton
05-h-ormi-hawley
05-s-charles-kent
05-s-george-walsh
05-s-harold-a-lockwood
francis-ford-5-spades-moriarty
06-c-ruth-stonehouse-2
06-c-ruth-stonehouse
06-c-william-duncan-2
06-c-william-duncan
06-d-francis-ford
06-d-harry-morey
06-d-william-sherwood
06-h-pearl-white
06-s-gm-anderson
06-s-henry-b-walthall
07-c-mary-fuller
07-c-mildred-harris
07-d-crane-wilbur
07-d-sessue-hayakawa
07-h-clara-kimball-young-2
07-h-clara-kimball-young
07-s-robert-edeson
08-c-constance-talmadge
08-c-dorothy-kelly
08-c-olive-thomas
08-c-pauline-curley
08-d-anita-stewart
08-d-william-christie-miller
08-h-frank-keenan
08-h-julia-swayne-gordon
08-s-anna-pavlowa
08-s-harry-morey
09-c-norma-and-constance-talmadge
09-c-norma-talmadge
09-d-mary-miles-minter
09-h-ethel-clayton
09-s-carlyle-blackwell
09-s-jack-richardson
09-s-richard-c-travers
09-s-tom-mix
10-c-mabel-normand
10-d-june-caprice
10-d-mary-anderson-2
10-d-mary-anderson
10-h-bessie-barriscale
10-s-bryant-washburn
11-c-romaine-fielding
11-c-william-s-hart
11-d-jack-w-kerrigan
11-h-crane-wilbur
11-h-thomas-meighan
11-s-antonio-moreno
11h-maurice-costello
12-c-edith-storey-2
12-c-edith-storey
12-d-marguerite-clark-2
12-d-marguerite-clark
12-h-lillian-walker
12-h-may-allison
12-s-fannie-ward
12-s-mary-maurice
13-c-bertram-grassby
13-c-king-baggot
13-d-william-farnum
13-h-francis-x-bushman
13-h-hb-warner
13-s-earle-williams
14-c-marguerite-snow
14-c-viola-dana
14-d-beverly-bayne
14-d-wanda-hawley
14-h-ruth-roland-2
14-h-ruth-roland-3
14-h-ruth-roland-4
14-h-ruth-roland
14-s-bert-lytell
14-s-florence-la-badie
14-s-myrtle-stedman
15-description-1
15-description-2

 

Checklist of Known MJ Moriarty Playing Cards:

♥ Hearts ♥ ♣ Clubs ♣ ♦ Diamonds ♦ ♠ Spades ♠
2 Dolores & Helen Costello Kathlyn Williams Blanche Sweet George Larkin
  Lenore Ulrich Kate Price Wally Van Sidney Drew
        George Beban
3 Geraldine Farrar Vivian Martin Franklin Ritchie Dustin Farnum
  Cleo Madison Ella Hall Violet Mesereau Donald Hall
      Beatriz Michelena  
4 Marguerite Clayton Gertrude McCoy James Morrison Nicholas Dunaew
    Louise Glaum House Peters Wallace Reid
    Mother Nellie Anderson   Richard C. Travers
5 Ormi Hawley Dorothy Gish Billy Quirk Charles Kent
  Dorothy Dalton Grace Cunard Douglas MacLean George Walsh
      May Allison (2 different poses) Harold A. Lockwood
        Francis Ford
6 Pearl White Ruth Stonehouse (2 different poses) Francis Ford G.M. Anderson
      Harry Morey Henry B. Walthall
    William Duncan (2 different poses) William Sherwood  
         
         
7 Clara Kimball Young (2 different poses) Mary Fuller Crane Wilbur Robert Edeson
    Mildred Harris (Chaplin) Sessue Hayakawa  
8 Julia Swayne Gordon Dorothy Kelly William Christie Miller Harry Morey
  Frank Keenan Pauline Curley Anita Stewart Anna Pavlowa
    Constance Talmadge    
    Olive Thomas    
9 Ethel Clayton Norma & Constance Talmadge Mary Miles Minter Tom Mix
    Norma Talmadge   Carlyle Blackwell
        Jack Richardson
        Richard C. Travers
10 Bessie Barriscale Mabel Normand Mary Anderson (2 different poses) Bryant Washburn
         
      June Caprice  
Jack Maurice Costello William S. Hart Jack W. Kerrigan Antonio Moreno
  Thomas Meighan Romaine Fielding    
  Crane Wilbur      
Queen Lillian Walker Edith Storey (2 different poses) Marguerite Clark (2 different poses) Mary Maurice
  May Allison     Fannie Ward
         
King Francis X. Bushman King Baggot William Farnum Earle Williams
  H.B. Warner Bertram Grassby    
Ace Ruth Roland (4 different poses) Marguerite Snow Beverly Bayne Florence LaBadie
    Viola Dana Wanda Hawley Bert Lytell
        Myrtle Stedman
Joker Charlie Chaplin XXX XXX XXX

 

Some MJ Moriarty Playing Card Trivia

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 five: Francis Ford who appears on the 5 of Spades and 6 of Diamonds; 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.

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