This is a set you probably have not seen before, unless you are reading this in Australasia. The cards measure a pleasing size too, of 83 x 58 m/m. And it contains several stars that are hard to find, like John Wayne (10/30) and Marlon Brando (30/30), as well as a card of Marilyn Monroe (11/30) which is generally regarded as her "rookie" card
Number 8/30 is also interesting, for it shows Maggie McNamara, born in New York in 1928, nominated for an Academy Award for her first film, but dying, of an overdose, aged just 49 .
You can find the full checklist, and see most of the cards, at tcdb/popular vita-brits
This card code, and the information below, comes from our Australian and New Zealand Index, RB.30, issued in 1983. It is an excellent volume, but very hard to come by, and it deals with all cards issued in the Antipodes. There is a follow up volume too, part two.
Cereal Foods, based in Carlton, Melbourne and several other regional centres, was an amalgamation of several companies. Their entry in our Australian and New Zealand Index is pretty huge too, occupying eight pages - and starts by telling us that "These companies, producing breakfast foods "Crispies, Kornies, Purina Rice Flakes, Vita Brits, and Weeties" came together in the 1950s and were taken over by Nabisco in 1961". That is why you can find many of their sets with different combinations of brands, or, even anonymous.
In fact our set is technically anonymous, as it is only branded, the firm`s name does not appear, and so it is listed in section 2. for "cards without name of firm". The entry reads :
- Popular Film Stars. 83 x 58. Nd. (30). Three front wordings. Issued 1955. ... C82-28
A. Crispies - Vita Brits
B. Crispies - Vita Brits - Kornies
C. Weeties - Vita Brits - Crispies
If you were a tacker in the 1950s I imagine this brings back all kinds of breakfast memories !