Newly-Discovered "Style D" Bride of Frankenstein One Sheet to be Auctioned by Heritage!

Dallas, TX: Few posters are as sought after by collectors as those promoting the Universal Studios horror classics. Such titles as Frankenstein (1931), Dracula (1931), The Wolfman (1941), The Phantom of the Opera (1925), and The Mummy (1933) are "the stuff that dreams are made of" for many. Unfortunately, demand far outstrips supply, with many of these legendary titles represented by sometimes as little as a single poster. Of all the classic horror films released between 1925 and 1948, none can compare to the immortal Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

Directed by James Whale, and featuring Boris Karloff as the Monster and Colin Clive as his creator - both reprising their roles from the previous film - Bride improved upon its predecessor in almost every way imaginable. Where the original was grim and forbidding, Bride boasted a dark sense of humor, particularly evident in the scenes featuring the incomparable Ernst Thesiger as the mad Dr. Pretorious. Where the original featured music only in the opening credits, a wonderful and lush soundtrack by Franz Waxman makes Bride a true standout. In addition, due to the success of the first film, and the bigger budget allowed for the sequel, Bride ups the ante in terms of special effects, sets, costumes, and more.

"Bride of Frankenstein is, for many, the high point in the Universal horror catalog," said Grey Smith, Director of Vintage Movie Posters for Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries. "Unfortunately for poster collectors, very little paper exists from this iconic film. According to pressbooks issued at the time of the film's release, we know with fair certainty that Universal produced two different styles of 24 sheet, labeled A & B, three different styles of one sheets, referred to as styles C, D & E, and three different styles of three sheets, known as styles F, G & H, in addition to various lobby cards, inserts, and heralds. Of the poster styles, none of the three sheets and none of the 24 sheets have surfaced, and only one complete copy each of the Style C and E one sheets and an additional tattered copy of the Style C have been known to exist. Until now."

"A beautiful copy of the Style D one sheet, featuring beautiful images of both Karloff and Lanchester in their monster makeup, has now been discovered in a long-held private collection," Smith said, "and will be offered in our upcoming auction. The consignor purchased this poster in the 1960s, as part of a larger collection, and has had it displayed in his home until now. Few collectors will argue that a newly discovered poster from any of the Universal horror films is an incredible find. For that poster to be from Bride, arguably the greatest of a great franchise, makes this an unbelievably exciting event."

"The question everyone asks is, 'How much will it sell for?" Smith said. "We've placed an estimate of $200,000 - $400,000 on this piece, based in part on the selling price of $286,800 realized for the Black Cat one sheet, another classic Universal chiller starring both Karloff and Bela Lugosi, that we sold in March 2007. Of course, there are four copies of that wonderful poster in existence, as opposed to the single copy of this poster. The real answer is: we'll see in November when the dust clears from the bidding war that's sure to erupt."

"For anyone interested in movies, monsters or just fine examples of poster art, I'd urge you to visit our website at www.HA.com and view this magnificent treasure," Smith said. Once there, you'll be able to see enlargeable, full-color images of each and every lot in the auction, complete with our informative catalog descriptions, and even place your bids online."

The Bride of Frankenstein (Universal, 1935) Style D One Sheet (27" X 41") will be offered in Heritage Auction Galleries' upcoming Vintage Movie Poster Auction, to be held November 13 & 14, 2007 in Dallas, Texas. For more information, please visit www.HA.com/MoviePosters.

Bride of Frankenstein (Universal, 1935). Style D One Sheet (27" X 41"):
ESTIMATE: $200,000 - $400,000

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/PressRelease

Prospective consignors and sellers of vintage movie posters and related material should contact Grey Smith at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 1367, or 214-409-1367, or email GreySm@HA.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please Client Services at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 1150, or visit www.HA.com/Catalog to order by email.