''RKO 4 Star Logo Australian Poster Discussion'' (formerly the Dating the Wonder Man One Sheet)
Two similar Australian one sheets. One image courtesy of eMovieposter.com.One poster is from the original Australian release and the other one, always credited as being an original release poster too, is actually a 1954 re-release. Who can correctly name which poster is which?
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Comments
Meant to say 1950's re-release not 1954RR.Mixing it up with Up In Arms.
Hondo.
Before anyone tells me I have posted this entry under Dating The Daybill incorrectly as it is actually Dating The One Sheet.it is because I was informed to do so as there wasn't such a category. Apparently first time dating a one sheet.has happened.
Will let this run for a while before I comment again with my reasons for dating the two one sheets as I have and for now let us see what members think.
Hondo
Yes please. This is all new to me.
Hondo.
My guess would be this one is the first release.
Something about the late 50s into the 60s and beyond that caused a massive decline in artwork. Must have been a HUGE hippie cultural down under...
The emovieposter version appears to have been pretty much copied from the original US one sheets. The details at the bottom of the poster are the same, particularly the reference to "Released through RKO Radio Pictures Inc".
Here is an Australian advert from the original Australian release of the film with the RKO logo
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David mentions a 1940 Primrose Path daybill in which the RKO logo is not boxed and is without the stars .In a 28th of September,1940 newspaper cinema advertisement from the Northern Star, Lismore, NSW, The Primrose Path cinema advertisement has the RKO logo in a box with the four stars. Very interesting and I will raise the RKO daybills later on. They are completely different from the Australian RKO one sheets in the printing area over many years. .Don't wish to say too much at this stage. I'll let the Wonder Man quiz run a bit longer for the time being. I'm enjoying the comments so far.
ondo.
The quiz is officially closed. For those who participated you were very good in stating you thought the one sheet image boxed with the four stars was the original and you were correct. What could have thrown you was the 1950's re-release poster had extra credits on the bottom of the poster and one could have thought it would have been the other way around. The printer of both posters being the same one gave no clues.
In the late 1930's in Australia RKO started printing their one sheets with the 4 stars logo and this continued until around 1948. The 4 stars appeared to have been discontinued in around 1949 as no examples of one sheets after then have been sighted with the stars.The only exception to an Australian one sheet being printed during the period starting in the late 1930's through to 1948 without the four stars is the 1939 film Gunga Din printed by Marchant . Draw your own conclusions why the stars were not printed on the poster. The only thing I can think of is Marchant wasn't their usual printer and maybe this is why perhaps the four stars was overlooked.There is also something else that worries me .There is an Australian one sheet of the 1936 film A Woman Rebels which stars Katharine Hepburn with the 4 stars on it. I believe this poster is a re-release 1940's poster as the printer is Victory Publicity who were a 1940's to early 1950's printer.
Now saying all this the four stars printed on daybills is different.The printing in this format had a checkered history and different to the Australian one sheet. The 4 stars seem to have started appearing on daybills around 1937 and finished around 1941. .The only example after this if the 1947 film Banjo printed by F.Cunninghame.The daybills were being printed around this period by Simmons and all without the stars.As F. Cunninghame were printing the RKO one sheets ( rather badly ) around this time with the 4 stars on them that when they were given this daybill of Banjo to print, they without thinking, added the 4 stars logo they were currently using on the one sheets. There was a period from around 1939 to 1941 when RKO daybills were being printed with the 4 Stars and also without the 4 stars by Simmons. One wonders Why?
Hondo
Does Bruce agree with you on your findings about the Wonder Man one sheet, Hondo? I presume that you would have informed him but notice that the listing has not been changed as yet.
David is Primrose Path a long daybill?
Hondo
Sorry John i'm not certain what in particular you are referring to when you mention "' I presume that you would have informed him ( Bruce ) but the listing has not been changed as yet''. Exactly what are you asking me ? Informed him about what exactly and which listing that hasn't been changed are you referring to? Is it A Woman Rebels and if so the answer is no because I have not enough proof about this poster being a re-release although I do believe I am correct.
Hondo
I was referring to the Wonder Man one sheet that Bruce sold and was pictured at the beginning of this thread. Just curious as to whether Bruce has been contacted as he would want to correct the listing.Bruce has been informed. Should notice the correction within 24 hours.
Hondo.
Well, I have to say that I am not convinced that the one sheet that Bruce auctioned is a reissue. I have the greatest respect for the knowledge of Hondo but I think the case for calling the poster a reissue is based purely on the RKO logo. There are other more compelling arguments for calling it an original poster.
1. Have a look at the comparison between the original 1945 US one sheet and the Australian one sheet. The Aust one sheet is obviously copied directly from the US one sheet along with the director and distribution details at the bottom of the poster.
2. Have a look at the RKO logo from the original 1946 advert in Australia. Its the same as the logo for the Australian one sheet that is being referred to as a reissue.
3. The boxed logo on other one sheets from the era is an unknown commodity. It could be that the printers just used and reused logos without anything being "official". However, if the logo was "official" surely it would have had to be used in the advertising as well as on posters.
4. Why were the directors details and distribution details removed on the second poster? Does that affect whether it is original or not? I don't know the answer to that but I do feel that the inclusion of those details on the poster that Bruce auctioned, being similar to the US one sheet, points to it Aust one sheet being original.
On balance, I don't think there is enough evidence to say that the poster is not original. In fact, I think there is more evidence that suggests that it is in fact original.
That's just my humble opinion! What do others think?
I will respond to John's case at a later date but first let's hear what other members think.
Hondo.
By any chance does anyone have an image of either of the daybills that would have been printed for Wonder Man in 1945 or the 1955 ( date confirmed ) Australian re-release? Please post image/s if you do.
Hondo