Back in the 80s and 90s there were two major dealers in Australia. Moviola were based in Melbourne with a shop in Little Collins St and Stars Rock and Movie Posters had 4 retail outlets at one stage in Sydney. They both had access to the distributors and were able to acquire huge quantities of posters over the years.
Moviola had large quantities of Rancho Notorious, Cry Danger and Tarzan And The Slave Girl and many, many other titles.
In the mid 1990s, I purchased a massive collection of posters in New Zealand from a distributor who was closing down. As you would all know, NZ was a bit of a dumping ground for movie posters from the UK, US and Australia and there were many bundles of various titles for US one sheets and lobby cards. In many cases there were well over 200 US one sheets for single titles usually tri folded and then folded again with NZ censor stamps added.
Vic Forsythe worked for one of the distributors in Qld for many years and he salted away one of the world's largest collection of posters. He loved getting multiples for various titles and had thousands of bundles of posters from all over the world.
It is not unusual to see multiple copies of posters and many originate from some of these massive warehouse finds that have occurred all over the world.
Let us not forget also of the huge number of posters that the late Col Porter from Sydney had in his possession in the late 1990s. I was told in the past that he had originally worked for Universal, and it would appear most likely later at CIC, and even possibly at UIP.
Col owned huge numbers of Universal and Paramount film posters that CIC and UIP distributed that he would have acquired from his time when he worked at these film distributors.
I am continuing working on compiling a list of titles where twenty or more daybill copies exist in the market place. One title I have found has at least 65 copies of the same daybill on Bruce's website.
Interesting most of the multiple copies come from only certain distributors. There are only three Australian film distributors were no large numbers over twenty of the same title have been located at all.
One thing I am really sorry about that never happened is that the friend that I had worked for at the archives knew Col well, and after Col passed on he volunteered my services to help sort out the remaining posters with Col's wife. Unfortunately this offer was never taken up by her. It would have been fantastic to have seen the different titles and the numbers of posters that were remaining in his estate.
Of course Col had sold large numbers of his posters at fairs over the years so what would have remained would have decreased significantly in number over the years from the time that he acquired them.
More on this subject later, with a list of located titles with twenty or more and up to 65 available to be included here soon. I am currently still working on compiling a list though. Some of the posters were re-releases, but the majority of them were first release versions.
A late mention here is that while I was focusing only on major Australian film distributors I wasn't originally thinking small independent ones. I hadn't thought, at the time, they would have anything to qualify. How wrong I was in one case though, There is a certain film where not one, but two versions are seen in very large numbers. It just dawned on me today about this film title. I am sure some members have worked out by now the name of the film in question Although large in numbers previously seen it continues to be currently very sought after.
Most likely a very early1960's printed Robert Burton stock daybill. A difference with the crowd depiction on this poster when compared with the original printed version following below.
Original 1950's first printing version by the Richardson Studio / W.E.Smith of the design, followed by a similar one printed without any printer's credits. I am thinking with this version it was most likely printed in the very late 1950s when both Richardson and W.E.Smith. were winding down their poster printing involvement.
Robert Burton printed for Cinema International Corporation (CIC) at least two versions of the design as seen above post November 1971.
This design is often credited as being a Paramount stock poster only, and no mention that it was also printed for Universal films as well. A Universal logo appears on the bottom right hand side of the poster.
Let us not forget also of the huge number of posters that the late Col Porter from Sydney had in his possession in the late 1990s. I was told in the past that he had originally worked for Universal, and it would appear most likely later at CIC, and even possibly at UIP.
Col owned huge numbers of Universal and Paramount film posters that CIC and UIP distributed that he would have acquired from his time when he worked at these film distributors.
I am continuing working on compiling a list of titles where twenty or more daybill copies exist in the market place. One title I have found has at least 65 copies of the same daybill on Bruce's website.
Interesting most of the multiple copies come from only certain distributors. There are only three Australian film distributors were no large numbers over twenty of the same title have been located at all.
One thing I am really sorry about that never happened is that the friend that I had worked for at the archives knew Col well, and after Col passed on he volunteered my services to help sort out the remaining posters with Col's wife. Unfortunately this offer was never taken up by her. It would have been fantastic to have seen the different titles and the numbers of posters that were remaining in his estate.
Of course Col had sold large numbers of his posters at fairs over the years so what would have remained would have decreased significantly in number over the years from the time that he acquired them.
More on this subject later, with a list of located titles with twenty or more and up to 65 available to be included here soon. I am currently still working on compiling a list though. Some of the posters were re-releases, but the majority of them were first release versions.
A late mention here is that while I was focusing only on major Australian film distributors I wasn't originally thinking small independent ones. I hadn't thought, at the time, they would have anything to qualify. How wrong I was in one case though, There is a certain film where not one, but two versions are seen in very large numbers. It just dawned on me today about this film title. I am sure some members have worked out by now the name of the film in question Although large in numbers previously seen it continues to be currently very sought after.
First of all I will address my above comment regarding a certain independent film distributor's film that is available in large poster numbers. The daybill poster in question is The Haunted And The Hunted (Dementia 13).
Bruce has a total of 100 Australian daybill images on his website that were printed for this film. The details of the various styles appear following below.
For the full colour version there are 53 images,
For the horizontal teaser version there are 37 images
.
For the record there are also 10 images in a more muted version of the original design.
There are many opinions as to why so many copies exist.
Apart from Bruce's copies of these posters the first two above versions are often seen advertised for sale on Google.
Before I begin to list individual film titles of Australian daybills where multiple copies exist I thought I would mention some information regarding the Australian film distributors involved. The 1950s and the 1960s are the decades that I will cover for the following major distributors.
Universal / Universal -International Paramount Columbia MGM Warner Bros. United Artists British Empire Films (BEF) RKO 20th Century Fox
Something I thought that I would throw in here is to mention some facts regarding the above distributors where no daybill images have been sighted for 1950s and 1960s titles. The leader here and way out ahead of the others is United Artists. In second place is 20th Century Fox. out ahead of the remaining distributors. Appearing at the bottom of the list is RKO with the least missing daybill images. .
0 O.k. now back to the Australian daybill posters I had intended to list of titles having twenty and over copies of the same designs that are found on Bruce's website. Due now to the large number of located films within the 20 to 29 range, I have decided to alter the targeted sold years and now to have it cover only 30 and over.
The two decades I have covered are the 1950s and the 1960s. There is a possibility that there could be some others that I may have missed, but I believe I have located and listed the vast majority, if not all of them. The located titles follow below.
66 copies of The Bridge On The River Kwai (AA awards credited version) 59 copies of The Birds 55 copies of Raintree County 52 copies of Spartacus 50 copies of How The West Was Won (Original release poster, different from another later designed 1960s version) 49 copies of Rancho Notorious 38 copies of The World Of Abbott And Costello 37 copies of South Pacific 37 copies of One Million Years B.C, 36 copies of Gunfight In Abilene 34 copies of The Monolith Monsters 33 copies of Hello Dolly 33 copies of Family Plot 32 copies of Vertigo 32 copies of Alfie 32 copies of Gidget 31 copies of Rhapsody (1960's re-release) 30 copies of Monster On The Campus 30 copies of The Ten Commandments Robert Burton later printing in the 1960s)
Something that I do find of interest is the fact that 13 out of the listed 19 titles are from only three distributors These three distributors being Universal, Paramount and MGM. The combined three distributors product amounts to being 68.4% of the total listed titles. It would have been very much higher had i included the 20 to 29 titles as well.
My thinking is that a fair percentage of the three distributors posters originated from Col Porter, who I recently mentioned here on this thread. Col through his working at Universal then CIC where the three companies posters were stored. Early in the 1970's Universal and Paramount films commenced being released CIC and MGM product followed as well in 1973 giving Col access to all the three companies posters.
Some information to also include here is that for all the located daybill posters that have multiple copies there are hundreds of original release printed daybill titles where no copies have been located at all.
A very small listing of titles from the 1950s and the 1960s, where I haven't been able to locate any images.
Be Your Age (Monkey Business) Love Nest Bad Day At Black Rock Broken Lance Kiss Me Deadly The Wooden Horse Destry 23 Paces To Baker Street The Winslow Boy Bitter Springs ( the original Australian film W.E.Smith poster) Cyrano De Bergerac Three Coins In The Fountain Carmen Jones The Great Caruso Sergeant's Three On Moonlight Bay Money From Home Voodoo Island The Happiest Days Of Your Life The Captain's Paradise The Glenrowan Affair ( Australian BEF film poster) Heaven Knows Mr. Allison The Racers Torpedo Run Port Sinister Underworld, U.S.A.
Judging from U.S.A. insert poster images sighted for the above titles there should be some great images to be seen on the missing daybills.
This is only a very small number of the missing daybill titles for films released in the 50s and 60s.
Does anyone have any daybill images for any of the above titles? If this may be the case then I would very much like to see them.
U.S.A. insert images for three of the above listed titles follow below.
This is the only daybill I have ever seen for Torpedo Run. There could possibly be a full colour version but no sighting of one as yet
How many instances of first release monotone printings are there for releases from a major studio? That would likely indicate whether there was a full colour version of this (I suspect there would have been)
John said; Here is one of the missing posters from your list....
Thank you John for the very nice 23 Paces To Baker Street daybill image.
I am also appreciative of your including the duotone version of Torpedo Run. I was aware of this image. Hopefully the full colour version will surface soon.
This is the only daybill I have ever seen for Torpedo Run. There could possibly be a full colour version but no sighting of one as yet
How many instances of first release monotone printings are there for releases from a major studio? That would likely indicate whether there was a full colour version of this (I suspect there would have been)
!00% certain there would have been a colour version printed for Torpedo Run, which hopefully we will see turn up in the near future.
Comments
Moviola had large quantities of Rancho Notorious, Cry Danger and Tarzan And The Slave Girl and many, many other titles.
In the mid 1990s, I purchased a massive collection of posters in New Zealand from a distributor who was closing down. As you would all know, NZ was a bit of a dumping ground for movie posters from the UK, US and Australia and there were many bundles of various titles for US one sheets and lobby cards. In many cases there were well over 200 US one sheets for single titles usually tri folded and then folded again with NZ censor stamps added.
Vic Forsythe worked for one of the distributors in Qld for many years and he salted away one of the world's largest collection of posters. He loved getting multiples for various titles and had thousands of bundles of posters from all over the world.
It is not unusual to see multiple copies of posters and many originate from some of these massive warehouse finds that have occurred all over the world.
Col owned huge numbers of Universal and Paramount film posters that CIC and UIP distributed that he would have acquired from his time when he worked at these film distributors.
I am continuing working on compiling a list of titles where twenty or more daybill copies exist in the market place. One title I have found has at least 65 copies of the same daybill on Bruce's website.
Interesting most of the multiple copies come from only certain distributors. There are only three Australian film distributors were no large numbers over twenty of the same title have been located at all.
One thing I am really sorry about that never happened is that the friend that I had worked for at the archives knew Col well, and after Col passed on he volunteered my services to help sort out the remaining posters with Col's wife. Unfortunately this offer was never taken up by her. It would have been fantastic to have seen the different titles and the numbers of posters that were remaining in his estate.
Of course Col had sold large numbers of his posters at fairs over the years so what would have remained would have decreased significantly in number over the years from the time that he acquired them.
More on this subject later, with a list of located titles with twenty or more and up to 65 available to be included here soon. I am currently still working on compiling a list though. Some of the posters were re-releases, but the majority of them were first release versions.
A late mention here is that while I was focusing only on major Australian film distributors I wasn't originally thinking small independent ones. I hadn't thought, at the time, they would have anything to qualify. How wrong I was in one case though, There is a certain film where not one, but two versions are seen in very large numbers. It just dawned on me today about this film title. I am sure some members have worked out by now the name of the film in question Although large in numbers previously seen it continues to be currently very sought after.
A Paramount daybill is included.
Peter
Most likely a very early1960's printed Robert Burton stock daybill. A difference with the crowd depiction on this poster when compared with the original printed version following below.
Original 1950's first printing version by the Richardson Studio / W.E.Smith of the design, followed by a similar one printed without any printer's credits. I am thinking with this version it was most likely printed in the very late 1950s when both Richardson and W.E.Smith. were winding down their poster printing involvement.
Robert Burton printed for Cinema International Corporation (CIC) at least two versions of the design as seen above post November 1971.
This design is often credited as being a Paramount stock poster only, and no mention that it was also printed for Universal films as well. A Universal logo appears on the bottom right hand side of the poster.
Bruce has a total of 100 Australian daybill images on his website that were printed for this film. The details of the various styles appear following below.
For the full colour version there are 53 images,
For the horizontal teaser version there are 37 images
.
For the record there are also 10 images in a more muted version of the original design.
There are many opinions as to why so many copies exist.
Apart from Bruce's copies of these posters the first two above versions are often seen advertised for sale on Google.
Universal / Universal -International
Paramount
Columbia
MGM
Warner Bros.
United Artists
British Empire Films (BEF)
RKO
20th Century Fox
Something I thought that I would throw in here is to mention some facts regarding the above distributors where no daybill images have been sighted for 1950s and 1960s titles. The leader here and way out ahead of the others is United Artists. In second place is 20th Century Fox. out ahead of the remaining distributors. Appearing at the bottom of the list is RKO with the least missing daybill images.
.
O.k. now back to the Australian daybill posters I had intended to list of titles having twenty and over copies of the same designs that are found on Bruce's website. Due now to the large number of located films within the 20 to 29 range, I have decided to alter the targeted sold years and now to have it cover only 30 and over.
The two decades I have covered are the 1950s and the 1960s. There is a possibility that there could be some others that I may have missed, but I believe I have located and listed the vast majority, if not all of them. The located titles follow below.
66 copies of The Bridge On The River Kwai (AA awards credited version)
59 copies of The Birds
55 copies of Raintree County
52 copies of Spartacus
50 copies of How The West Was Won (Original release poster, different from another later designed 1960s version)
49 copies of Rancho Notorious
38 copies of The World Of Abbott And Costello
37 copies of South Pacific
37 copies of One Million Years B.C,
36 copies of Gunfight In Abilene
34 copies of The Monolith Monsters
33 copies of Hello Dolly
33 copies of Family Plot
32 copies of Vertigo
32 copies of Alfie
32 copies of Gidget
31 copies of Rhapsody (1960's re-release)
30 copies of Monster On The Campus
30 copies of The Ten Commandments Robert Burton later printing in the 1960s)
Something that I do find of interest is the fact that 13 out of the listed 19 titles are from only three distributors These three distributors being Universal, Paramount and MGM. The combined three distributors product amounts to being 68.4% of the total listed titles. It would have been very much higher had i included the 20 to 29 titles as well.
My thinking is that a fair percentage of the three distributors posters originated from Col Porter, who I recently mentioned here on this thread. Col through his working at Universal then CIC where the three companies posters were stored. Early in the 1970's Universal and Paramount films commenced being released CIC and MGM product followed as well in 1973 giving Col access to all the three companies posters.
A very small listing of titles from the 1950s and the 1960s, where I haven't been able to locate any images.
Be Your Age (Monkey Business)
Love Nest
Bad Day At Black Rock
Broken Lance
Kiss Me Deadly
The Wooden Horse
Destry
23 Paces To Baker Street
The Winslow Boy
Bitter Springs ( the original Australian film W.E.Smith poster)
Cyrano De Bergerac
Three Coins In The Fountain
Carmen Jones
The Great Caruso
Sergeant's Three
On Moonlight Bay
Money From Home
Voodoo Island
The Happiest Days Of Your Life
The Captain's Paradise
The Glenrowan Affair ( Australian BEF film poster)
Heaven Knows Mr. Allison
The Racers
Torpedo Run
Port Sinister
Underworld, U.S.A.
Judging from U.S.A. insert poster images sighted for the above titles there should be some great images to be seen on the missing daybills.
This is only a very small number of the missing daybill titles for films released in the 50s and 60s.
Does anyone have any daybill images for any of the above titles? If this may be the case then I would very much like to see them.
U.S.A. insert images for three of the above listed titles follow below.
Peter
I am also appreciative of your including the duotone version of Torpedo Run. I was aware of this image. Hopefully the full colour version will surface soon.
Another three U.S.A. insert poster images displayed for missing daybill titles that I had listed previously.
These are titles that I am keen on seeing the Australian daybill versions of.