Many Rare and One-of-a-Kind Movie Posters to be Offered in Upcoming Heritage Auction!

Dallas, TX: "Movie posters were designed to be disposable," said Grey Smith, Director of Vintage Movie Poster auctions for Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries, "so it's amazing that so many have survived down through the years. Nevertheless, there are a number of posters that are, seemingly, lost to the ages, so it's always a thrill when one of these 'lost' posters surfaces."

"One of the best examples," Smith said, "is the one sheet for the Boris Karloff-Bela Lugosi thriller, The Black Cat. Universal's biggest hit of 1934, less than a handful of these striking posters have survived for avid collectors to fight over today. I'm very happy to report that we're offering a superb example of this classic sheet, only the fourth known to exist, in our March auction. Best of all, this is probably in the finest condition of any copy known. I feel very fortunate that this particular Black Cat has crossed my path!"

"Complementing the Black Cat one-sheet is an exceptional Style B half-sheet for The Raven (1935)," Smith said, "the second Edgar Allan Poe-inspired film that Karloff and Lugosi made. Of the few copies that exist, only four that we know of, this stunning copy is by far the nicest."

"Even rarer is the stunning six sheet for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939), starring Basil Rathbone," Smith said. "The only copy of this gorgeous sheet known to exist and hailing from a Danish poster exchange, if the censor stamp on one panel is any indication, this stunning piece uses artwork similar to the photographically-produced insert, but in a version printed using the older technique of stone lithography. Many collectors today prefer the stone lithography process, as it resulted in a very soft, pleasing grained texture that allowed for subtle shades impossible to achieve using the later color offset technique. This is the very definition of rarity, and should inspire some spirited bidding."

"Another 'only-known' is the three sheet for the Marx Brother's classic, Horse Feathers (1932)," said Smith. "Marx Brothers paper is exceptionally rare to begin with, especially for the early Paramount comedies, and this lovely three sheet, the only one known to have survived, has the added bonus of being signed by Groucho. It will, no doubt, bring some lucky collector one step closer to building that definitive Marx Brothers collection."

"Animation fans haven't been forgotten in this auction," Smith said. "Fans of classic cartoons can compete for several early Mickey Mouse posters, including a beautiful Wayward Canary (1932) one sheet, and even a hard-to-find one sheet for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Early Disney posters have set record prices in our past several auctions, and I expect this time to be no different."

"Silent film fans will be pleased with our offering of a one sheet for the John Barrymore film, The Sea Beast (1926), the first attempt to film Herman Melville's classic novel, Moby Dick. Paper on this title has always been extremely elusive. Rendered in a beautiful stone litho process, the image is of an enraged whale utterly destroying a fishing boat. Whether you're a fan of silent movies, John Barrymore, stone litho posters or just wonderful images, this is a rare opportunity you don't want to pass up."

"Another real treat for fans of silent cinema is a window card to Fritz Lang's landmark Metropolis (1927), the first original window card we've ever seen for this important film. One of the earliest science-fiction movies ever made, the film is still revered today for it's outstanding special effects, art direction and one of the earliest robots to be seen on screen, depicted in all her art deco glory on this wonderful piece. Material from Metropolis rarely surfaces, and I expect this piece to be the subject of some very aggressive bidding."

"Maybe classic cinema is more to your taste," Smith said. "In that case, you'll want to look closely at our offerings of such desirable one sheets as How Green Was My Valley (1941), one of director John Ford's greatest films, Out of the Past (1947), the most sought after poster in the film noir genre, or the rare Style C sheet for the classic Mae West/W.C. Fields comedy, My Little Chickadee, all worthy of a place in the finest collections."

"Of course, this barely scratches the surface of this great auction," said Smith. "I haven't even mentioned the Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) six sheet, or the one sheets for such creepy classics as Werewolf of London (1935) or The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), or the lobby cards from the Houdini classics, The Grim Game (1919) and The Master Mystery (1920), the very first appearance of a robot in the movies, or the exceptional slate of Western posters being offered. I'd invite anyone interested in finding out more about this auction to visit our website at HA.com, where you'll be able to see full-color, enlargeable images of each lot, read our complete and informative catalog descriptions, and even bid online. It's sure to be a blockbuster, one that no film fan will want to miss!"

Heritage Auction Galleries' upcoming Vintage Movie Poster Signature Auction will be held March 30, 2007 in Dallas, Texas. For more information, or to bid online, please visit www.HA.com/MoviePosters.

The Black Cat (Universal, 1931)
One sheet:
ESTIMATE: $75,000 & up

The Raven (Universal, 1935).
Half Sheet (22" X 28") Style B:
ESTIMATE: $25,000 & up

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (20th Century Fox, 1939).
Six Sheet (81" X 81"):
ESTIMATE: $10,000 - $15,000

The Sea Beast (Warner Brothers, 1926).
One Sheet (27" X 41") Style A:
ESTIMATE: $7,000 - $10,000

Metropolis (UFA-Paramount, 1927).
Window Card (14" X 22"):
ESTIMATE: $15,000 - $20,000

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (RKO, 1937).
One Sheet (27" X 41.25") Style C:
ESTIMATE: $24,000 - $30,000

Horse Feathers (Paramount, 1932).
Three Sheet (41" X 81"):
ESTIMATE: $15,000 - $20,000

How Green Was My Valley (20th Century Fox, 1941).
One Sheet (27" X 41") Style A:
ESTIMATE: $

Out of the Past (RKO, 1947).
One Sheet (27" X 41"):
ESTIMATE: $8,000 - $10,000

The Wayward Canary (United Artists, 1932).
One Sheet (27" X 41":
ESTIMATE: $35,000 - $40,000

Werewolf of London (Universal, 1935).
One Sheet (27" X 41") Style C:
ESTIMATE: $20,000 - $30,000

My Little Chickadee (Universal, 1940).
One Sheet (27" X 41") Style C:
ESTIMATE: $1,800 - $2,400

The Master Mystery (United Artists, 1920).
Lobby Card (11" X 14":
ESTIMATE: $2,000 - $3,000

The Grim Game (Famous Players Lasky, 1919).
Lobby Card (11" X 14"):
ESTIMATE: $2,000 - $3,000

The Creature From the Black Lagoon (Universal International, 1954).
One Sheet (27" X 41"):
ESTIMATE: $9,000 - $12,000

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.

To access the Heritage Press Release Archives, please visit www.HA.com/MoviePosters/common/info/press

Prospective consignors and sellers of vintage movie posters and related material should contact Grey Smith at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 367, or 214-252-4367, or email GreySm@HA.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Nicole Jewell at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272, or visit www.HA.com/Catalog to order by email.