Lack of stock posters
Hi!
I love collecting RR and stock daybills; I find them a fascinating part of Aussie movie history. I've been thinking lately about the lack of variety of films in the stock daybills, though.
For example, these are the only 2 designs I've seen for this pretty damn great stock poster:
So why create a stock poster if they were utilized so infrequently?
'The Exorcist' was initially granted an R rating in 1974 and it would appear that 'Dracula Sucks' was passed initially with an R rating in 1980 and then subsequently re-rated in 1983.
Without knowing when 'The Exorcist' stock poster may have been printed (and I do have several other, different RR daybills for it), that's still a big chunk of time for this style of stock poster to have been available for use. It is a full size 13 x 30 daybill and it has the newer MAPS logo, placing it as being printed between 1975 and 1979. For reference, the original 'Exorcist' daybill (from 1974) has the older MAPS logo.
'The Exorcist II' was released in Australia in 1977, so it's reasonable to suggest that some cinemas might have played the original film as part of a double bill at the time. If so, it's possible that a RR daybill was printed at that time. My view is that, if there was such a RR daybill created, it probably would have been one of the others that I have and not have been the one pictured - due mainly to the lack of other films using that style of stock poster.
I think that this RR stock poster was created later in the 1970s.
Ultimately, the lack of use for this style of stock poster is likely to remain a mystery, but I'd love to hear your thoughts and especially find out of other examples of this stock poster exist!
I love collecting RR and stock daybills; I find them a fascinating part of Aussie movie history. I've been thinking lately about the lack of variety of films in the stock daybills, though.
For example, these are the only 2 designs I've seen for this pretty damn great stock poster:
So why create a stock poster if they were utilized so infrequently?
'The Exorcist' was initially granted an R rating in 1974 and it would appear that 'Dracula Sucks' was passed initially with an R rating in 1980 and then subsequently re-rated in 1983.
Without knowing when 'The Exorcist' stock poster may have been printed (and I do have several other, different RR daybills for it), that's still a big chunk of time for this style of stock poster to have been available for use. It is a full size 13 x 30 daybill and it has the newer MAPS logo, placing it as being printed between 1975 and 1979. For reference, the original 'Exorcist' daybill (from 1974) has the older MAPS logo.
'The Exorcist II' was released in Australia in 1977, so it's reasonable to suggest that some cinemas might have played the original film as part of a double bill at the time. If so, it's possible that a RR daybill was printed at that time. My view is that, if there was such a RR daybill created, it probably would have been one of the others that I have and not have been the one pictured - due mainly to the lack of other films using that style of stock poster.
I think that this RR stock poster was created later in the 1970s.
Ultimately, the lack of use for this style of stock poster is likely to remain a mystery, but I'd love to hear your thoughts and especially find out of other examples of this stock poster exist!
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UNIVERSAL (AUST STOCK)
TARZAN (1970s Australian stock)
ABBOTT & COSTELLO STOCK ('60s)
ELVIS PRESLEY STOCK
TARZAN (1960s stock)
WALT DISNEY ('40s stock)
SCREAMING BONE-CRUSHING HORROR
SCREAMING BONE-CRUSHING HORROR
SCREAMING BONE-CRUSHING HORROR
MGM ('40s Aust stock)
UNIVERSAL (AUST STOCK)
20TH CENTURY FOX ('70s daybill stock)
SCREAMING BONE-CRUSHING HORROR
ELVIS PRESLEY STOCK
NEW WALT DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
FISTS OF FURY ('73)
NEW WALT DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
MARX BROTHERS FUNNIER THAN EVER (STOCK)
SCREAMING BONE-CRUSHING HORROR
GOOFY (Aust stock)
MGM ('50s Aust stock)
SCREAMING BONE-CRUSHING HORROR
TODAY & TOMORROW
TROMBONE TROUBLE
NEW WALT DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
GRAND CENTRAL MURDER
TROMBONE TROUBLE
PUT-PUT TROUBLES
NEW WALT DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
SCREAMING BONE-CRUSHING HORROR
NEW WALT DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
COLUMBIA PICTURES ('50s STOCK)
MECHANIC ('72)
NEW WALT DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
PARAMOUNT STOCK ('60s)
NEW WALT DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
TROMBONE TROUBLE
ELVIS PRESLEY STOCK
Almost the same design of the above stock poster was used to produce a first release poster in 197I for the Night Of The Big Heat ( 1967 ) first release in Australia by Regent Trading Enterprises. The exact original stock poster I haven't seen used to promote any films.
Do you think the stock poster was created from that design?
No - as the ''...'' and ''!'' are different on the two posters, why didn't they just overprint Night Of The Big Heat on it, and not go to the trouble of printing a new poster.
Yes "The Big Boss'' poster is the same design but it would have been printed separately in Australia for a different distributor in N.Z.: ''The Chinese Connection'' would have been on this poster and the Australian BEF credit was intentionally left off and most likely the M certificate as well. "The Big Boss'' title of this film wasn't used in Australia until Filmways Distributors re-released it in the early 1980's. Why did the overprinting of the title take place? Was the film ever released in N.Z. as ''The Chinese Connection''? It most likely appears it was released there in the 1970's under the title of ''The Big Boss''.
The first time I believe that I have come across a title added to the blank stock poster ''Thundering Western Excitement!'' in the above ''Blazing Saddles'' example.
Pancho are these images inspired from an earlier film or films, or just created from the Australian film poster artists mind ? What do you think ?
The lizard / dragon on the right looks the most familiar to me. I feel like I've seen that elsewhere.
There was indeed a video release in Australia circa 1983 by 14th Mandolin through the King Of Video label with the 74 minute running time. This now poses a query with one wondering if contrary to the Australian Classification Board information published of the 14th Mandolin application in 1983 being 35mm, it was actually for the video release only. Did Roadshow retain the 35mm 87 minute version rights for cinema release after 1983? If this happened to be the case this would extent the period the Dracula Sucks stock poster could have been printed. Very confusing to say the least.
Raton Pass ( 1951 ) image I have recently come across. The question to be posed here is why would a 1951 "B' grade black and white film that had been shown on Australian television be screened again in cimemas in the 197O's. My only conclusion is that this poster was printed for 16mm screenings. Any other thoughts?
I am regularly noticing previously unseen overprinted stock posters used for follow up film releases popping up for the first time.
My question then is why then don't we see the vast majority of the stock posters that were overprinted for use sometime after the original release of the film commonly turn up in the marketplace.?
I feel that I need to point out for anyone who may no know about that the Walt Disney RKO Simmons produced cartoon stock posters, which turn up from time to time in the market place, The reason for this happening is of course that the stock poster versions were the only versions available, and started being printed in the early 1940's. There were some exceptions for some 1930's cartoons that had individual long daybill versions originally printed for them that were re-rereleased starting in the 1940's which were over printed on the stock poster.
My question is were the majority of the stock posters only printed in very small numbers. and perhaps they were also printed too late for any great demand at the end of their major bookings run, and the demand then just wasn't there? If this was the case would perhaps there be a possibility the remaining left over stock posters, perhaps thought to be of little value were then many years later. just disposed of?
Love to hear what others may think?
I think the answer is that the majority of known stock posters were found unused. Someone printed dozens or hundreds of them and a stack of the leftovers gets discovered, but that in the vast majority of cases, only one was used and then discarded afterwards.
The same is often true with old window cards. Some theater ordered 100 of them but only used 75, and then years later someone finds 25 of that one, and it is "common", but only because of that single "find".
Look at what I auction month after month, the same title over and over, of any type or size. Most often those are titles where "finds" were made.
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In Australian there have been huge finds of unused original printed film posters originating from distributor's vaults that have turned up in the past that I am aware of. Some contained huge numbers of mainly daybill posters with multiple copies, ,including the same titles that do turn up regularly in the marketplace here.
I knew someone who worked at a major film distributor who informed me that large amounts of film posters were regularly taken to the dump for disposal. This may explain a little as to why we don't see any copies. or so few copies of certain film posters existing here.
Maybe though some of the missing daybills and one sheets are held in private collections in limited numbers that are unknown to us. I could list hundreds just from the 1950's alone were images aren't available to be currently seen.
In Australia at least the huge finds only seem to be from the1950s, and to a lesser degree the 1960s.
It covered the Metro St. James Sydney theatre public sale of theatre equipment and film posters from MGM and it also included some RKO back product posters that MGM inherited when RKO ceased trading as a film distributor in the late 1950s. After this MGM took over Australian film rights. here for any unreleased films and the back catalogue library.
Bruce has in the past auctioned and sold posters that I am sure would have mainly been sourced from that sale;. A few of the most in number follow below.
Rancho Notorious with 49 sold.
Cry Danger with 27 sold.
Tarzan And The Slave Girl with 29 sold.
These titles are still appearing often in the market place to this day,
Any feedback on this current subject would be most appreciated.
Cry Danger with 27 sold.
With the top example there were 52 daybills of the same title auctioned by Bruce. Of interest there are many examples from the same studio involved here were no images of some well known films that aren't seen at all.
In one very rare case 22 Australian one sheets of one famous Science fiction film were sold by Bruce. This is a rarity indeed.
If you would like to learn more please notify me of your interest?
RAISING MY HAND!
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