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For broadcast on CBS Radio Network stations January 10-11, 2004:

Guess Who's NOT coming to dinner?

The Stamp Collecting Report, I'm Lloyd de Vries. 

It's Spencer Tracy, star of Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, and so many other great films. 
Last summer, it was announced he would be the subject of this year's Legends of Hollywood 
stamp, but now, it won't be issued until next year at the earliest -- if ever. His estate 
and the Postal Service couldn't reach an agreement.

The design I was shown in August was based on Tracy's 1949 film "Edward My Son." The 
border on the sheet of stamps was from "The Old Man And The Sea."

There have been problems with other stamps in the series: The family didn't like the design 
or the Postal Service itself wasn't satisfied. In the case of Edward G. Robinson in Two 
Thousand, he had two sets of heirs, and they couldn't agree on the stamp design, or much of 
anything else.

But rights are the most common problem.

Right now, the Postal Service doesn't have a subject for the Hollywood series this year. It's 
been one of the more troublesome stamp projects for the agency...but also one of the most 
popular.

And that's Stamp Collecting this week. 

I'm Lloyd de Vries, CBS News. 
****************************************************************************************


Longer KNLS version:

Download this report as an MP3 sound file.


Guess Who's NOT coming for dinner? 

Last summer, it was announced Spencer Tracy, star of Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, and so 
many other great films, would be the subject of this year's Legends of Hollywood stamp, but 
now, it won't be issued until next year at the earliest -- if ever. His estate and the Postal 
Service couldn't reach an agreement.

The design I was shown in August was based on Tracy's 1949 film "Edward My Son." The border 
on the sheet of stamps was from "The Old Man And The Sea." 

There have been problems with other stamps in the series: The family didn't like the design 
or the Postal Service itself wasn't satisfied. In the case of Edward G. Robinson in Two 
Thousand, he had two sets of heirs, and they couldn't agree on the stamp design, or much of 
anything else.

We've even seen a finished design for a John Wayne stamp, but there's been no announcement 
whatsoever about the Duke, and the Postal Service refuses to comment.

But rights are the most common problem.

Right now, the Postal Service doesn't have a subject for the Hollywood series this year. It's 
been one of the more troublesome stamp projects for the agency...but also one of the most popular.

I'm Lloyd de Vries


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