THE BIG NIGHT Original 1960 Australian Stone-Litho Daybill
Movie Poster Randy Sparks, Venetia
Stevenson, Dick Foran, Jesse White, Dick Contino
Title: The Big Night
Production Team: Maycliff Productions, Paramount
Pictures
Director: Sidney Salkow
Stars: Randy Sparks, Venetia Stevenson, Dick Foran,
Jesse White, Dick Contino
Genre: Comedy Drama
Printer: W. E. Smith Limited Australia
Produced by Richardson Studio
Distributor: Paramount Films
Condition: Fair (see image and our grading scale
below)
Format: Folded (as issued) Australian Stone-Litho Daybill
Movie Poster 13” x 30”
Film Release Date: 1960
Location: Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
Shipping Dimensions: 45 cm x 33 cm x 1 cm (large
rigid cardboard envelope with backing board)
Total Approximate Shipping Weight: 450 grams (including packaging)
Description & Condition: You are bidding on a folded (as issued) Australian stone-litho daybill
movie poster with total separation of the top fold, and almost total separation
of the bottom (both not repaired), numerous small tears (some repaired with
cello tape on the reverse side), and paper loss along top edge. This poster has
significant damage and suitable for restoration so please inspect the images
carefully before placing your bid (see the image of the actual poster and our
grading scale below). This is not a
reproduction or reprint poster, it is a genuine original 1960 Australian theatre release stone-litho
daybill movie poster as printed by W. E. Smith Limited Australia, and distributed in Australia by Paramount Films. We will combine
multiple purchases into one package (if feasible) to save you on postage cost.
All
items are sent standard with tracking (registered post, express post, and extra
cover is available upon request), and are either rolled in bubble wrap and
packed in a very sturdy round end-plugged tube, or folded into their original
folds and placed into a protective sleeve and carefully flat packed into a
large stiff mailing folder with backing board for extra protection during
transit.
Image
Information: A picture
speaks a thousand words and form an important part of the item description so
please take the time to look at all the images carefully. All images of the
actual item for sale and are photographed under natural lighting (where
possible) and have not been digitally doctored. We do not use stock photos so
what you see is what you get.
Movie
Synopsis:
Teenagers find a large amount of money and fight over it, resulting in violence
and death…
How Our Posters
Are Graded: All
images of the posters are of the actual poster for sale so what you see is what
you get, we do not use stock photos.
Very Fine: Almost Mint: Unused with no flaws.
Fine: Generally unused with the original
folds and possible signs of minor ageing but no significant flaws.
Very Good: These have the usual folds, possibly
some pinholes, possible very light blue tack stain spots, minor edge or fold
wear and/or splits or tears, and unobtrusive stains but no paper loss.
Good: Has possible staining, pinholes, minor paper
lifts in corners, small tears (possibly taped on reverse) slight fold
separations, minor paper loss, foxing and age-browning, and possible blue tack
stain spots, and edge wear but still good enough to frame.
Fair: These posters will need some restoration and
are usually only sold on this site if they are rare and hard to find. There
will be a combination of tears, paper loss, staining, pinholes and blue tack
stains but because of the rarity of the poster, worth linen backing.
Combined Postage
Information: We will
combine any auction or fixed price posters to save you on postage. If you are
buying multiple posters please let us know and then wait until we adjust the
invoice before making payment.
About Australian
Daybill Movie Posters: The
Australian daybill movie poster is the Australian equivalent to the American
insert. The sizes vary, depending on the era, from 13" x 30" from the
40s to the mid-60s to 13" x 26" 13” x 27”, 13” x 28” and even 11” x
27” and 13” x 20” from the 80s. Many modern daybill posters, particularly after
2000, are produced in various sizes depending on the printer.
Pre 1940 the regular daybill size was 15" x
40" but note that for a brief time during World War II (WWII) Australia
printed their daybills in a 10" x 30" format (no doubt to conserve on
paper, because they had been printing daybills in a 15" x 40" size,
and by going to 10" x 30", they were able to print four daybills with
the same amount of paper they used to print two!).
The usual process
for producing Australian daybill posters was the hand litho process, which
produced posters with a rich texture and subtle toning.
The artists would
generally use US poster art or press book images for their inspiration and they
would either trace or use their own imagination or a combination of both to
come up with a design for the poster.
This artistic
licence led to some beautiful posters unique to Australia, which often featured
superior artwork with rich deep colour.
Virtually
all vintage daybills are now hard to obtain and as such, are becoming
increasingly popular due to their convenient size and that a very low number of
each produced. They are a very good investment in entertainment history.
It is important to note that daybills
for the original release of a film often included a two-colour (duotone) or
black and white version. In many cases these are mistakenly referred to as
copies or later reissues but they were generally released at the same time as
the full colour versions were issued and as such, are also originals. These one
colour daybills were used as a second printing when the full colour daybills
ran out.
Over the decades there were also a fair
number of daybill posters printed without printer's credits appearing. Some
examples are United Artists product and the majority of sub-standard produced
duotone posters from the 1950's and 1960's.
Some posters like those produced by RKO
Pictures and Brown Prior Anderson Pty. Ltd., Victoria bleed the printing
process right to the edge of posters so there was no white border. Many of
these posters appear to have been trimmed but are not.
Certain printing firms seem to
predominate during certain periods, such as W.E. Smith and Robert Burton of
Sydney during the 1940s and 1950s. Several other printers like RKO Pictures, F.
Cunninghame & Co. Pty. Ltd. (litho) Sydney, Royelltone Prints Pty. Ltd.,
Victory Publications Pty. Ltd., Melbourne, W & B Litho, Sydney and Simmons
Ltd. printed older posters but W.E. Smith and Robert Burton produced most.
During the 70s M.A.P.S started
producing movie posters and there is an overlap where both Robert Burton and
M.A.P.S printed some of the same original posters and both are originals.
Other printers like Brown Prior
Anderson in Burwood, Victoria, Australia, also printed some of the B grade and
R rated Australian posters, and some of the film distributors like Roadshow
Australia produced and distributed their own posters.
Parcel Post with
Signature: We highly recommend you use this
option as it also offers priority handling and tracking where available, and a
signature on delivery. Extra cover is available for loss or damage in transit
for more valuable and delicate items. If you choose not to opt for parcel post
and/or extra cover, we will not be responsible for items damaged or lost in
transit.
Domestic Extra
Cover: Extra Cover against
loss or damage in transit is available on registered articles only and is
calculated at $1.50 per $100 value or part thereof, in excess of $100 and up to
a maximum of $5000. This option is highly recommended for items valued over
$100.
Worldwide
Shipping Costs:
International shipping will vary depending on your location in the world so
please ask for a quote before placing your bid to avoid disappointment at
check-out time. The zones are generally divided up into United States and
Canada, Europe, and Asia Pacific and there is a maximum weight of 20 kg.
We will combine items to save you on
postage so please notify us if you are bidding on more than one item and we
will combine all you items onto the one invoice.
Registered Post
International (signature
required at your end) is available to most International destinations for about
$6 extra. We highly recommend you use this option as it also offers priority
handling, basic tracking where available, and a signature on delivery.
International
Extra Cover ($9.60 for
1st $100 and $2.50 per $100 thereafter to a maximum of $5000) is also available
to most International destinations. We will not be responsible for items lost
or damaged in transit if this option is not taken.
Happy Bidding!