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Something A Little Different In Advertising For Some Classic Films

Film poster advertising of any kind has always been hard to find for the original release of The Third Man in Australia.The above daybill image recently surfaced courtesy of Heritage Auctions and is the only poster of this film for the first release that I have ever seen. I just recently  found the above Australian newspaper advertisement published for a screening of the film in 1950 and was impressed by the different film noir look about it and different from any artwork I have ever seen anywhere.

'The Ghost Of Frankenstein' ( 1942 ). Apart from the error in the leaving out of the word 'The' in the title of the film on the daybill, people have often remarked on the appearance of the monster on the daybill being a little odd. A member on this forum once said ''The monster looks a little bit like an overweight Elvis, who is wearing a black turtleneck sweater''. In the above centre Australian newspaper advertisement from 1942 the monster looks like what he should look like and the different tagline 'You Can't Keep A Good Monster Down' is great as well. The advertisement on the right hand side is from another venue in another state, that was also published in 1942. This one using a variation of the 'New thrills' tagline used on the daybill.

Comments

  • Mmmmmmm...Third Man daybill.  If only my wallet was heavier - sigh-
  • edited August 2017

                                                  Mr. Wong In Chinatown ( 1939 ). The Australian newspaper advertising at the top was partly copied from the two  U.S. images appearing just above, with the exception of the two gangsters image that just seems to have been added for dramatic effect. The Australian daybill has just Marjorie Reynolds image copied from U.S. artwork and the rest of the poster having Boris Karloff wearing glasses and five oriental men appearing at the very top of the poster.

  •   Daybill.
    Genevieve ( 1953 ). A different approach applied to advertising the film in an advertisement which appeared in a Perth W.A. newspaper when released there in 1954.

  • 'The Ghost Of Frankenstein' ( 1942 ). Apart from the error in the leaving out of the word 'The' in the title of the film on the daybill, people have often remarked on the appearance of the monster on the daybill being a little odd. A member on this forum once said ''The monster looks a little bit like an overweight Elvis, who is wearing a black turtleneck sweater''. In the above centre Australian newspaper advertisement from 1942 the monster looks like what he should look like and the different tagline 'You Can't Keep A Good Monster Down' is great as well. The advertisement on the right hand side is from another venue in another state, that was also published in 1942. This one using a variation of the 'New thrills' tagline used on the daybill.





    Another 1942 Australian newspaper advertisement with Bela Lugosi, missing from the previous newspaper advertisements, now featured with a nice image on this one. I love these old newspaper advertisements and I am hoping others do as well.

  • edited July 2019






    I, The Jury ( 1953 ),  Pickup On South Street ( 1953 ) and  Somewhere In The Night ( 1946 ) Australian daybills along with Australian newspaper advertisements. 

    I have had this one completed and sitting in the draughts folder for some time so thought it is time to reveal it now.

    I kinda like the three newspaper ads best of all. Anyone agree?
  • Agree with the first 2. Somewhere in the night daybill looks better though
  • Yep agree, not sure why the daybills needed to be a little less va-va-voom shall we say...
  • 110x75 said:
    Agree with the first 2. Somewhere in the night daybill looks better though
    It sure does ?
  • edited July 2019


    Midnight ( 1934 ). Pre fame Bogie film, where he was billed only 8th,  but his image featured prominently in the above  U.S.A. advertising, and also on the similar looking  Australian newspaper advertising.
  •  U.S. avertisement from the first release.
     Australian newspaper ad placed in 1953.

    A rare example here with The Maze ( 1953 ), where original material ( slightly altered ) U.S. artwork was used in Australian newspaper advertising in Australia in the 1950's. Creating our own artwork in Australia was the norm, but in this rare instance they decided to go with u.s. artwork for whatever reason..
  • edited August 2019


    The grittier U.S.A. artwork produced for Pickup ( 1951 ) posters.

             -  

    Similar U.S. artwork used in this Australian 1952 advertisement. For the original Australian daybill the Beverly Michaels depiction, in my eyes anyway, isn't as effective.  

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    Murder, My Sweet ( 1944 ). Australian daybill and the U.S.A. insert poster peoduced for the first release.


    A newspaper placed advertisement for January 1946 Australian screenings in Adelaide S.A.

    Anne Shirley's face is the only thing similar used on the three image items displayed above.

    All great effective advertising in their own presentations.
  • edited August 2019




    Niagara ( 1953 ).  The original U.S.A. insert poster, an Australian newspaper advertisement from 1953 and the original  Australian daybill. 

    Another case here of 20th Century Fox Australia / W.E. Smith coming up with a barebones poster version, by just using the smaller image of Marilyn appearing at the top of the U.S. insert and using very little else. On saying that the daybill image is very effective though.

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    The Company She Keeps ( 1951 ). An original U.S. insert poster and a U.K. quad using a similat design. Other U.S.  posters, including the one sheet and the 3 sheets also used this design. 


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         In Australia though a completlely different approach to advertising the film as seen above in an Australian newspaper advertisement from 1951 and the very impressive Australian Simmons daybill.





  • A different approach Sunset Boulevarde Sydney 1950 newspaper advertisement, thought up by some creative person.

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    ( Chris )

    Hangover Square ( 1945 ). An original Australian daybill and a 1945 Australian newspaper advertisement. The ad, in wording and images, gives one more of an idea as to what the film is all about.  
  • edited September 2019

      


    Knock On Any Door (     ). Original U.S.A. insert poster and an Australian daybill.




    An Australian newspaper advertisement from 1950 adding some guns for more dramatic impact.



  • Jet Pilot ( 1957 ). Nice original U.S.A. insert poster and an image produced along the same lines for a 1958 Australian newspaper adversisement. 



    The Australian Simmons Ltd. daybill is completly different in design, and in my eyes very disappointing. One of the last daybills produced by Simmons, and it is as if they had lost interest in designing great posters.

    Simmons had produced some magnificent daybill designs over many decades, but this one is way down near the bottom  if one was to list their achievements.

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    D.O.A. ( 1949 ). A U.S.A. original release insert poster  and a similar designed Australian daybill poster.




    An Australian newspaper advertisement from 1951 containing more exciting graphics, although a little misleading.
  • I always thought that DOA Aussie was a 3 sheet!
  • I always thought that DOA Aussie was a 3 sheet!
    Since it isn't can I have yours?   B)
  • Sure!  You want me to print the picture on normal paper or glossy photo paper?
  • Whichever one will look best linenbacked of course!


  • The Mobster ( Dillinger ) ( 1945 ). Australian daybill and one sheet  printed for the first Australian release in 1954.

    Previously is was  thought the Sydney release on April 21, 1955 was the first Australian screening, but now has been found that the film was screened in Perth, WA in November 1954 making 1954 the year of the first Australian release.

    The film was originally submitted by BEF, and was banned in Australia in 1946.

    Both the above Australian film posters do not mention the word Dillinger at all on them. Interestingly though on the following Australian film advertisement from 1954 with the words '' The story of Dillinger - most notorious bandit of our times." appearing there.





    One thing also of interest is that the Australian one sheet from 1954 is a slightly altered only copying of the original 1945 U.S.A. Monogram one sheet artwork, as seen below. The introducing Lawrence Tierney billing from the U.S. poster artwork was altered to him having top billing, as he had by then been in films from 1943 in small parts.





  • A collection of bits and pieces that I have been slowly adding to for now well over a year that I was thinking needed be revealed.





    Three Strangers ( 1946 ). Australian daybill and two different looking and more interesting Australian newspaper designed advertisements from the Australian first release.

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    Walk A Crooked Mile ( 1948 ).  Australian daybill and a more dramatic looking Australian newspaper advertisement from 1949.

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    The Sniper ( 1952 ). Australian daybill that to me looks a little out of place with what is depicted there. The Australian newspaper advertisement from 1953 is far more effective in my eyes.

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    ( John )

    All used newspaper images above from Trove ).

    Charlie Chan In The Secret Service ( 1944). A typically designed Charlie Chan Australian daybill, and a great different looking designed  Australian newspaper  advertisement from 1944 taking a more sinister looking approach, capitalising on the then World War that was taking place at that time. 

    Notice the two different logos. The BEF logo replaced the Monogram style logo in the early 1940's. The newspaper advertisement was a little behind the times.

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    How about this Australian newspaper advertisement from 1954 for Niagara then. Sizzlingly SEX-sational! tagline makes it stand out. The Australian daybill is effective though as previously mentioned earlier on in this thread. 

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    Dark City ( 1950 ). Original U.S.A. insert poster and an Australian 1951 newspaper advertisement displaying noir style images. The Australian daybill though, which was produced by the  Richardson Studio, took a completrly different approach with with its images. The images on the daybill are striking, but would some action on the poster been better suited to what is actually a crime, drama & film-noir film. 

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    Where The Sidewalk Ends  ( 1950 ). Original U.S.A. insert poster and an Australian daybill.




    An Australian newspaper advertisement from 1950 containing more actionful images. Which of the three do you prefer?

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    Shadow Of A Doubt ( 1943 ). Original Australian daybill and one sheet designed and printed for the 1943 Australian release.



    This interesting Australian newspaper advertisement from 1946 used the image displayed at the bottom of the ad that appeared on the original Australian one sheet.

    One has to wonder though about the creepy hands depicted in the top right hand corner of the ad. Are they from official film material produced for this film, which I cannot find anywhere, or maybe perhaps just some artists imagination in attempting to produce something  deemed exciting from another source. Perhaps inspired by another film such as The Hidden Hand from 1942 just as one example. What do you think?



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    The Getaway  ( 1972 ). An original Australian daybill and a 1974 Canberra ACT newspaper advertisement which I find slightly more attention grabbing.  

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    Shifting Sands (1923 ). Two different approaches here in promoting this film. It would appear to me the Australian daybill set out to appeal to the female audiences, while the Australian trade ad promotes the film as being more of an adventure melodrama.

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      (Trove )

    A locally produced poster from Broome Western Australia in 1936. Not a bad effort at all.


  • GREAT images Lawrence - thanks for posting!

    Dark City is one of my favourite daybills despite Richardson not taking a hardboiled approach with the art :)
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