Jigstar
Jigstar film star card game by Murphy Games Ltd, 1936.
Jigstar by Murphy Games Ltd, 1936.
This is an unusual jig-saw type card game based on film stars from the 1930s. There are six sets of cards numbered 1 - 8 and each set can be arranged to make a figure of a film star. Players collect cards belonging to one figure and place them face up on the table. For further details see the Rules►
Click any of the sets below to see the assembled figure.
Charles Laughton from “The Private Life of Henry VIII” 1933

Freddie Bartholomew from “Little Lord Fauntleroy” 1936

Ginger Rogers from “Follow the Fleet” 1936

Fred Astaire from “Top Hat” 1935

Charlie Chaplin from “Modern Times” 1936

Shirley Temple from “Captain January” 1936

Above: Jigstar by Murphy Games Ltd, 1936. 48 cards + rules in box.

By Rex Pitts (1940-2021)
Member since January 30, 2009
View ArticlesRex's main interest was in card games, because, he said, they were cheap and easy to get hold of in his early days of collecting. He is well known for his extensive knowledge of Pepys games and his book is on the bookshelves of many.
His other interest was non-standard playing cards. He also had collections of sheet music, music CDs, models of London buses, London Transport timetables and maps and other objects that intrigued him.
Rex had a chequered career at school. He was expelled twice, on one occasion for smoking! Despite this he trained as a radio engineer and worked for the BBC in the World Service.
Later he moved into sales and worked for a firm that made all kinds of packaging, a job he enjoyed until his retirement. He became an expert on boxes and would always investigate those that held his cards. He could always recognize a box made for Pepys, which were the same as those of Alf Cooke’s Universal Playing Card Company, who printed the card games. This interest changed into an ability to make and mend boxes, which he did with great dexterity. He loved this kind of handicraft work.
His dexterity of hand and eye soon led to his making card games of his own design. He spent hours and hours carefully cutting them out and colouring them by hand.