Onslow Stevens (Only Yesterday) - Universal Pictures Movie Promotional Giveaway mask (1933)

This scarce and highly unusual mask was issued in 1933 by Universal Pictures as a promotional giveaway for the film Only Yesterday, starring Margaret Sullavan in her debut and featuring Onslow Stevens in a leading role. Paper masks of film stars were an innovative marketing tool of the early 1930s, intended to create excitement in theaters and give fans a chance to "become" their favorite screen actors.

Onslow Stevens, though lesser-known today, had a prolific Hollywood career spanning the 1930s through the 1950s, appearing in over 80 films including The Life of Emile Zola (1937), The Mad Ghoul (1943), and House of Dracula (1945). His appearance in Only Yesterday coincided with the early years of the Great Depression, when film studios leaned heavily on novelty promotions to lure audiences back into theaters.

This mask is printed on lightweight cardstock with vivid portrait-style lithography and still retains its original string ties — an uncommon survival, as most examples were either discarded after use or deteriorated due to their fragility. The mask measures 7 inches by 5 inches, small enough for handouts but detailed enough to capture Stevens’ likeness, including his signature mustache.

Movie promotional masks from the early 1930s are extremely scarce, especially tied to a specific title and actor. While cereal, Halloween, and advertising masks were produced in far larger runs, film studio giveaways were printed in very limited quantities and tied to the life cycle of a single movie’s release. That makes this both a rare artifact of Hollywood promotion and an early example of fan-oriented paper ephemera.

Date: 1933
Issuer: Universal Pictures
Film Tie-In: Only Yesterday
Actor: Onslow Stevens (1902–1977)
Size: approx. 7" x 5"
Rarity: High – Few survivors documented