DALLAS, TEXAS – Heritage Auction Galleries’ most recent Vintage Movie Poster Signature® auction, held July 11 & 12 in Dallas, Texas, realized $1,731,385 for 1,595 lots offered, although after-auction sales are still ongoing and are expected to push the final total to even higher levels.
“This was one of our largest offerings yet of rare and vintage movie paper,” said Grey Smith, Director of Vintage Movie Poster Auctions for Dallas-based Heritage, “including treasures from the very earliest days of motion pictures up through the more modern classics, and bidders responded enthusiastically.”
“The two top pieces in the auction were both from the same movie,” Smith said. “Flying Down to Rio, from 1933, is a significant film in that it was the first on-screen pairing of legendary dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The two sheet and the midget window card, both extremely rare formats and both featuring fabulous full-color Art Deco artwork, were the subject of intense interest, and, when all was said and done, brought an astounding $26,290 each, most likely a record result for either format.”
“Another exceptional result was the $25,095 realized for an incredibly clean, and likely unused, Creature from the Black Lagoon one sheet,” Smith said. “This has always been a strong title, with heavy collector demand, but this easily tops our previous price record of $20,315 set in July 2007. As a genre, 1950s science fiction remains solid, as seen in results like this as well as pieces like the Attack of the 50 Foot Woman that sold for $13,145, and the original Japanese B2 for Godzilla that brought $11,950.”
“Quality film noir titles also did extremely well in this auction,” Smith added, “A one sheet for This Gun for Hire brought $22,705, an Out of the Past one sheet realized $16,730, and a Post-War re-release French Grande for The Maltese Falcon fetched $14,340. This is definitely a genre to keep an eye on going forward.”
Smith continued, “Other results of note included four door panels for the Beatles’ film Help!, rarely offered as a complete set, that sold for $19,120; a beautiful Italian 4-folio for the Rita Hayworth version of Salome, with art by Anselmo Ballester, which brought $19,120; a midget window card from Ex-Lady, which realized, $16,730; and the exceedingly rare pressbook from Dracula, the movie that made an instant star of Bela Lugosi, that achieved $15,535.”
“We’re already working on our next Vintage Movie Poster Signature auction,” said Smith, “which will be held here in Dallas on November 7 & 8, 2008. Interested bidders should keep an eye on our website at www.HA.com/MoviePosters to watch the auction as it develops.”
Highlights of the July auction included:
Flying Down to Rio (RKO, 1933). Two Sheet (41″ X 54″): Realized: $26,290
Flying Down to Rio (RKO, 1933). Midget Window Card (8″ X 14″): Realized: $26,290
Creature from the Black Lagoon (Universal International, 1954). One Sheet (27″ X 41″): Realized: $25,095
This Gun for Hire (Paramount, 1942). One Sheet (27″ X 41″): Realized: $22,705
Help! (United Artists, 1965). Door Panel Set of 4 (20″ X 60″): Realized: $19,120
Salome (Columbia, 1953). Italian 4 – Folio (55″ X 78″): Realized: $19,120
Out of the Past (RKO, 1947). One Sheet (27″ X 41″): Realized: $16,730
Ex-Lady (Warner Brothers, 1933). Midget Window Card (8″ X 14″): Realized: $16,730
Thunderball (United Artists, 1965). Advance British Quad or Quad Crown Poster Style A (30″ X 40″): Realized: $16,730
Dracula (Universal, 1931). Pressbook (13.5″ X 19.5″) (8 Pages): Realized: $15,535
The Maltese Falcon (Warner Brothers, R-1962). Post-War Release French Grande (47″ X 63″): Realized: $14,340
Sons of the Desert (MGM, 1933). Midget Window Card (8″ X 14″): Realized: $13,145
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (Allied Artists, 1958). One Sheet (27″ X 41″): Realized: $13,145
Godzilla (Toho, 1954). Japanese B2 (20″ X 28.5″): Realized: $11,950
Fighting Caravans (Paramount, 1931). One Sheet (26″ X 39.75″) Style B: Realized: $11,950
Gone with the Wind (MGM, 1939). Signed Original Costume Sketch of Ellen (17″ X 22″): Realized: $11,950
Spellbound (United Artists, 1945). One Sheet (27″ X 41″): Realized: $11,352
Red Dust (MGM, 1932). One Sheet (27″ X 41″) Style D: Realized: $11,352
Gold Diggers of 1933 (Warner Brothers, 1933). Door Panel (27″ X 64″) Style F: Realized: $11,352
The Raven (Universal, 1935). Lobby Card (11″ X 14″): Realized: $11,352
Heritage Auction Galleries is the world’s third largest auction house, and by far the largest auctioneer of rare collectibles, with annual sales over $600 million, and 375,000+ registered online bidder members. For more information about Heritage’s auctions, and to join and gain access to 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 http://www.HA.com/MoviePosters
