The Adventures of Robin Hood Australian 3 Sheet
On another thread titled Robin Hood Daybill the daybill of this title is currently under discussion. The posted image here is of a rare Australian 3 sheet of The Adventures Of Robin Hood ( 1938 ). Sold by Heritage in the past as listed as being an original poster from the 1938 Australian release but is it? Before I comment does anyone agree or disagree that it is original release? Love to hear comments from anyone.
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My sense is they were not around at the time the movie was released. Only because other posters i know of from the same printer were 1940s.
However, Lawrence has said before that Victory took over printing Warner Bros daybills in Australia from Hackett Offset Print & Marchant Print Sydney around 1943. Lawrence, do you think that also applies to three sheets and other Warner Bros posters?
Incidentally, the price that was achieved for this poster is one of the highest recorded for an Australian movie poster.
I will shortly comment but just at present I am following up and gathering some more details originating from another thought of mine. It has become apparent to me today this new information once compiled will have a definite bearing on my answer along with the already procured information I have collected to whether The Adventures Of Robin Hood Australian 3 sheet is an original release or a re-release poster.
Dave i think the highest recorded price for an aussie movie poster sold in Australia is wizard of oz one sheet, sold at Bidll.
Highest Prices for Australian Movie Posters
Let me know if I have omitted anything and I will update it.
1 ) The printer of the poster was Victory Publicity Pty Ltd and is credited on the bottom of the poster as being VP Lithographed & Printed By Victory Publicity Pty Ltd which in this form didn't happen until 1944 or 1945 when this logo was introduced. Prior to this the occasional times the name appeared on film posters I have located it was printed on two 1930s posters as Victory Publicity Litho on one poster & Lithographed In Australia By Victory Publicity Sydney & Melbourne on the other one. After Victory Publicity took over the role of preferred printer from Marchant & Co. for Warner Bros. poster work in or around around 1943 and only for a short time their name was printed on Warner Bros. posters as Victory Publicity Pty. Ltd. Melb. until around 1944 or1945 when the VP Lithographed & Printed By Victory Publicity Pty Ltd credit came into being.
2 ) Between 1934 - 1937 from U.S. records the logo that appeared on film posters was just WB appearing in a shield shape. Then between 1937-1938 the wording Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. was added across the centre of the WB logo. Keep in mind in overseas countries including Australia in would have taken a little longer to change the logos.From a The Film Weekly trade publication a advertisement which appeared in the June 21, 1938 issue an advertisement for The Adventures Of Robin Hood has the plain WB only logo on it and from a newspaper advertisement for the Warner Bros. title Gold Is Where You Find It following at the end of 1938 the plain WB logo also appears in print thus backing up my thoughts Australia took a lot longer to change over to the new style of advertising of the WB logo.
3) The wording Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. Present which appeared on the top of Warner Bros. posters roughly around this time is missing from the 3 sheet.
To sum up -
The printer details on the 3 sheet were not used in that format until around 1944 or 1945. Image above.
The WB logo on the 3 sheet is different than on the trade advertisement.
The missing Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. Present doesn't appear on the 3 sheet.
In my opinion only I believe the Australian 3 sheet was printed for the circa 1949 Australian re-release based on the printers style of identification used being spot on for the re-release at this time and in this form the style definitely wasn't used in 1938. The second and third facts in my mind only serve to support my opinion.
Personally, I'd like to see a variety of original Australian 3Sheet movie posters for a cross section of Warner Brother movies for both the 1938 year and the 1949 year (not re-release titles).
Incidentally, I absolutely would have been fooled by this poster, UNLESS I had Lawrence to find this out.
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I agree with you David.
I think you're barking up the wrong tree here.
Sea Hawk (WB 1940) 3sht was also printed by Victory. There is good reason to believe this is orig release because the tag line is referring back to Robin Hood in 1938.
Also WB used a plain shield logo between 1948 - 1952. See Silver River, Don Juan. It's a Great Feeling, Montana & Mara Maru.
Almost forgot - It's a Wonderful Life db made US$5500 at HA Sig Auction off $1-2K estimate.
(Asking Tim where Robin Hood came from could also save time)!
I like Hondo's angle with the Victory logo, but having been down this road before, I know there are almost no examples from the period to compare against, so definitely not conclusive in that area.
I only had a quick look, but the green ratings triangle does seem to match with other contemporary posters.
Lastly, the few re-release press sheets I have seen ('50s era) didn't offer 3 sheets as part of the advertising campaign.
By that you mean he's barking up the wrong tree?? (sorry, couldn't resist)!
My main argument was item one. Two and three were only possibly supporting it but in my defence I may still be correct as The Film Weekly trade advertisement was dated June 21, 1938 and has the plain WB logo which appears on it to have been used up to the end of 1938 in Australia. Note the wording on the front of the herald " the first of our 1939 attractions''. By 1939 or very late 1938 the changeover of the logo most likely happened.