I picked up a collection of posters that originated from the private collection of the owner of F. Cunninghame printers. They printed many posters for Universal, Ray Films and Blake Films in the 50s including this one. Interestingly, he often noted actual the number of daybills and one sheets that were printed on the back of the poster.
Pattern for Murder daybill - another rare Ray Films poster from the F. Cunninghame collection. There are many others in these 50s one colour styles from MGM, Universal, IFD, London Films and more. Pattern for Murder and The Brass Key were 1955 British second-feature films constructed by editing together episodes of the television series The Cases of Eddie Drake
The original Australian printed one sheet and daybill of the 1947 20th Century Fox released film Roses Are Red. Interestingly the Australian Ray Films one sheet copied the artwork used on the original dayill and not as seen on the one sheet.
Regarding The Glass Key and Pattern For Murder dayblls, along with the Roses Are Red one sheet. if per chanch any of these three posters has the printed number of printed posters written on the back of the posters it would be great to know this information.
Brass Key and Pattern for Murder each 1000 daybills. Roses Are Red 1015. In the collection there are some one sheets and dabills that have as few as 200 - 400 posters. No idea why they would print more for obscure films like Pattern for Murder and Brass Key although from what I can gather, printing costs did not increase a huge amount for quantities. The main cost was setup etc.
Very interesting, and it would be great to understand the company's logic in the allocating of print run numbers. I am thinking that with the 1,000 plus poster allocations determined for each of the three films in question, and with very little in bookings received that the vast numbers of the uncirculated printed posters would have eventually ended up going to the dump.
I am really looking forward in seeing what other rarities you have in the F. Cunninghame collection that you acquired..
Ray Films during their brief run during the 1950's produced duotone daybill film posters for second printings, re-release and some first release films.
Ray Films also ended up distributing films circa 1956 in New Zealand and the islands.They were one of the leading independent distribution organisations in the Commonwealth in the late 1950s.
In the late 1950's they obtained the rights to 18 Columbia Pictures reissue films. Only one Columbia title have I been able to confirm that Ray re-released here was for a Sydney suburban 1958 booking in Penrith for Destroyer (1943). Being a year or so before closing down operations here in Australian one has to wonder what the titles of the other 17 Columbia films were, and how many of them may have received a re-release .
The original Columbia Pictures Australian daybill is shown below. Has anyone per chance happen to have the Ray Films re-release daybill poster that was printed for this film?
Circa 1956 Ray Films acquired rights to a huge backlog of Warner Brothers product following WB's sell-out to PRM Inc. of Toronto. Canada. Ray at the time claimed acquisition of 750 films, with theatrical,TV and other rights (The Australian The Film Weekly Motion Picture Directory 1956-7). Unknown if any of the Warner Brothers library had any theatrical re-releases here.
PRM. Inc. immediately shifted the acquired library into a new controlled subsidiary called Associated Artists Production ( a.a.p.) ( The New York Times / Google). 750 to 850 feature films and roughly 1,500 short subjects and cartoons (Including early Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies) included in the package.(Google)
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I picked up a collection of posters that originated from the private collection of the owner of F. Cunninghame printers. They printed many posters for Universal, Ray Films and Blake Films in the 50s including this one. Interestingly, he often noted actual the number of daybills and one sheets that were printed on the back of the poster.
The original Australian printed one sheet and daybill of the 1947 20th Century Fox released film Roses Are Red. Interestingly the Australian Ray Films one sheet copied the artwork used on the original dayill and not as seen on the one sheet.
I am thinking that with the 1,000 plus poster allocations determined for each of the three films in question, and with very little in bookings received that the vast numbers of the uncirculated printed posters would have eventually ended up going to the dump.
I am really looking forward in seeing what other rarities you have in the F. Cunninghame collection that you acquired..
In the late 1950's they obtained the rights to 18 Columbia Pictures reissue films. Only one Columbia title have I been able to confirm that Ray re-released here was for a Sydney suburban 1958 booking in Penrith for Destroyer (1943). Being a year or so before closing down operations here in Australian one has to wonder what the titles of the other 17 Columbia films were, and how many of them may have received a re-release .
The original Columbia Pictures Australian daybill is shown below. Has anyone per chance happen to have the Ray Films re-release daybill poster that was printed for this film?
PRM. Inc. immediately shifted the acquired library into a new controlled subsidiary called Associated Artists Production ( a.a.p.) ( The New York Times / Google).
750 to 850 feature films and roughly 1,500 short subjects and cartoons (Including early Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies) included in the package.(Google)