Defining a Legend

Gary Cooper, a popular leading man from Hollywood's "Golden Age," joined Legends of Hollywood on September 10, 2009. Cooper's strong, silent appeal and naturalistic portrayal of All-American heroes — including Sergeant Alvin York, Lou Gehrig and Marshal Will Kane — made him a favorite with audiences and earned him two Academy Awards.

Cooper is the 15th issuance in the Legends of Hollywood series, which began in 1995 with Marilyn Monroe. The stories behind the stamps contain enough twists and turns to be worthy of a movie script.

Crassly commercial or culturally significant?

In the aftermath of record-breaking Elvis Presley (1993) stamp sales, U.S. Postal Service officials reasoned that stamps depicting Hollywood icons could also be blockbusters, appealing to stamp collectors and movie fans alike. The Stamp Services team proposed three potential subjects: Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Humphrey Bogart — all film legends with proven popular appeal.

The Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee agreed, and CSAC member Karl Malden suggested that the stamps be launched as a series: Legends of Hollywood. But the unveiling of the first design, Marilyn Monroe, generated heated debate. Critics charged that the Postal Service was promoting a stamp that exemplified commercialism and the exploitation of women, while defenders argued that stamps should reflect American culture as well as history.

The culture advocates prevailed, but debate continues as the Postal Service strives to honor tradition while attracting new enthusiasts with more contemporary and, frankly, more commercially viable subjects.

Styling the star

Postal officials proposed that the Legends of Hollywood stamps be issued in panes of 20 that included decorative selvage.The stamp would show a portrait, and the selvage art would highlight a career-defining role. The Postal Service hoped that this format would encourage collectors to retain the full pane while also permitting a wider shot of each celebrity and his or her career.

For example, the Judy Garland stamp is based on a publicity photograph from A Star is Born (1954), when Garland was in her 30s; the selvage art shows a teen-aged Garland in her signature juvenile role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (1939).

A notable exception to this model is the Marilyn Monroe pane. The original selvage design featured an illustration of the famous billowing-skirt scene from The Seven Year Itch. Artwork was already at the printer, but was quickly modified when the majority owner of Monroe's estate objected to that image as "demeaning."

The family factor

Family approval is critical and may be difficult to obtain. Multiple claimants, family disputes and protracted response times can wreak havoc with a schedule.

Plans for a John Wayne stamp stalled while the Postal Service sought approval from his son Michael. Disgruntled by an earlier use of Wayne's image — Stagecoach (1990) — without his permission, Michael eventually agreed to consider a stamp for Legends of Hollywood. But when the artwork was finished in 2000, Postal officials could not reach Michael for signoff. Following Michael's sudden death in 2003, McCaffrey received an unexpected phone call from another son, Ethan, expressing interest in the project. After a three-year hiatus, the John Wayne stamp was back in the saddle.

"One of our biggest challenges," McCaffrey says, "is to create an image that appeals to the family but is recognized by the public."

The children of Lucille Ball were clear about their desires right from the start: They did not want a stamp showing the comedic Lucy Ricardo; they wanted Lucille Ball, movie star, and so they provided a glamorous photograph. But a classic shot from I Love Lucy was then used in the selvage, providing the necessary balance between the family's vision and the public's expectations.

Responsible revisionism

During the "Golden Age" of Hollywood, many celebrities embraced the smoking habit. Yet in keeping with concern for public health and the presentation of positive role models, the Postal Service maintains a policy against depicting smoking on stamps. More than one Legends of Hollywood image has been modified to avoid linking the subject with cigarette smoking.

The Roy Schatt photograph of James Dean which was used as a model for the selvage art — shows a cigarette in Dean's mouth. Likewise, Bogart has a cigarette in his hand in the selvage reference still, from Casablanca (1942). In both cases, artist Michael Deas eliminated the cigarettes. And although Audrey Hepburn has a cigarette holder in her hand in the selvage illustration from Break fast at Tiffany's (1961), the cigarette itself is cropped out.

Other social issues are considered as well. The source photograph for the Bette Davis stamp, made during the filming of All About Eve (1950), shows Davis wearing a fur coat. Out of sensitivity to possible objections from animal-rights activists, the Postal Service asked Deas to render the coat as fabric.

It's a wrap!

Although born into controversy and fraught with complications, Legends of Hollywood — now in its 15th year — is one of the longest-running series produced by the Postal Service. It is also one of the most popular: Five of the 15 stamps are among the top 30 all-time bestsellers.

Like the screen giants it celebrates, the series will likely endure for some time to come.