O.k. then the above black and white image is from NAA the National Archives Of Australia website.
Although the credit line at the very bottom is unreadable the following above isolated image has printed on the poster section in the top left hand corner Clements Photo Litho.
The enlarged printed credit line on the very bottom of the poster follows below, and it certainly isn't Clements Photo Litho.
The poster was definitely printed in Australia and will provide detailed information regarding this here shortly. The only thing I am after now is having the poster listed in print as being a 3 sheet,
This poster under discussion isn't exactly what it would appear to be. The more I delve into this film poster the more fascinating the poster and the film's history become. I will hold back at present in supplying any details until I follow up on a couple of other questions that need clarifying over the coming week.
Further info seems to indicate this is a poster for the 1908, now lost, version of "For The Term Of His Natural Life".
Charles MacMahon directed the first moving picture adaptation of Clarke’s in 1908 – produced with Edward J. Carroll – for a then extravagant sum of £7000. Partly shot amongst the ruins of the Port Arthur convict settlement, this was an early example of Australian cinema where actual historical locations were used as a strategy to market a film as well as familiarise its national audience with its own monuments of history.
Filmgoers would have certainly seen cinema gazettes featuring the Port Arthur ruins previously, but never had the site been an actual (visual) feature of fictional narrative drama. In Victoria, J. & N. Tait distributed the film to packed houses at the Athenaeum in Collins Street for a then record number of weeks.
The film was later sold on to Claude Kingston, the young theatrical entrepreneur, for £100. Touring the film throughout the Melbourne suburbs and Victorian country districts, accompanying Lecturer M. J. Bloomfield was so adept at narrating the story that in “country towns he had people fainting in their seats”
Great research covering some of the information I was intending to use here shortly. Full marks for including the information here.
For The Term Of His Natural Life premiered in Adelaide S.A. on 27 June 1908. The film Is credited on some websites as commencing screening in Australia on 8 August 1908, This is incorrect as the 8 August date is for later on in the year screenings in Sydney.
( Academy Of Music / Libraries Tasmania ) ( Trove )
The above poster was printed for screenings in Launceston, Tasmania on the 15 & 16 of November 1909.
I contacted NAA - National Archives Of Australia this morning to attempt to secure the details on the printer's credits printed on the bottom of the poster. They were unable to assist me as they had no recorded details regarding this information, or the size of the poster. It would be difficult to find out this information, and costly as well, as the poster id stored away somewhere in the building in Canberra and would involve some time and effort to check out the poster..
The previous black and white image poster's background is different from the background of this other above colour image.
I think that's because all they have is the image, not the poster itself
It certainly would appear to be the case with both the NFSA and also NAA.
I am currently attempting to contact an expert on this film title, and hopefully this 1908 version. If I am lucky enough to make contact with him, I am hoping he will confirm all the information I am holding back on, including some relevant information to when the poster in question was printed.
Australian three sheets are rare. The most available number of images are from the 1950's, and there aren't that many of them. There are even fewer existing examples from the 1940's, with the earliest example that I have sighted being South Of Samoa ( a.k.a. Typhoon ) from 1940. Not many examples have surfaced, but from some equally rare Australian press sheets, the images on the Australian Film distributor's copies, where the poster information was printed and can be read and obtained from posted images on Bruce's website and elsewhere, the one sheets are included under accessories on the RKO and Paramount examples at least. The big question is now where are the pre 1940 Australian three sheets? Has anyone every seen an example? A question then to ponder is where they at sometime pre 1940 supplied from the U.S.A. and the U.K. and perhaps only printed for made in Australia films, or is it just a simple case of none surfacing to date? If of course anyone does has any 1930's of before three sheets examples that may exist, please let us see them?
We now know of course that one Australian made film For The Term Of His Natural Life ( 1908 ) had a 3 sheet printed for its screenings here.
But there is more to reveal here now. An extremely rare Australian printed 3 sheet from the 1920's to have now surfaced. Wil kindly sent me two images today and is happy for me to include the poster image here. He has also today added it to his facebook page.
The Australian printed 3 sheet title is The Hound Of The Baskervilles ( 1921 ). The film was only released in 1924 in Australia. The poster was printed in Australia by Swift Print Sydney. Australasian Films Ltd released Master Pictures in Australia, along with Master Pictures product being released in New Zealand by New Zealand Pictures Ltd. Interestingly this poster has a New Zealand distribution credit printed on it, but has an Australian logo included on it. The Australian printed for local release daybills here always had the above kangaroo logo printed on the poster, so when the same posters were sent to N.Z it would appear to me that the N.Z, distributor's credits line were just added to the bottom of the poster.
Little poster images available from overseas The above image probably is the best example to compare with the 3 sheet image. Interestingly this U.S.A.? poster has printed on it the female name of Ellie on the poster instead of Eille. Although the Australian poster doesn't show an image of Sherlock Holmes, I really like the look of the poster design.
Hot Water ( 1924 ) is an interesting daybill poster. It was only released in Australia in 1926. Earlier on the distribution of Master Pictures was through two different film distributors. This 1926 released film poster now has Australasian Films Ltd. and Australasian Films ( N.Z. ) Ltd. being the same connected distributors, and they were now showing on their posters two different Australian and New Zealand Master Pictures logos.
To sum up we now have an Australian country of origin 1920's, and also a British 1920's country of origin examples of printed in Australia 3 sheets. The question then that I will now raise is were there any pre 1940's U.S.A. produced films to have printed in Australia for any 3 sheets , or were they all imported up to then into the country from the U.S.A.?
I contacted NAA - National Archives Of Australia this morning to attempt to secure the details on the printer's credits printed on the bottom of the poster. They were unable to assist me as they had no recorded details regarding this information, or the size of the poster. It would be difficult to find out this information, and costly as well, as the poster id stored away somewhere in the building in Canberra and would involve some time and effort to check out the poster..
I received a telephone call this morning from a member the National Archives Of Australia. The person informed me that on checking it was found that the NAA does not hold a copy of the poster in question for this film. What the archives hold is only in the form of black and white only photographic negatives and photos.
The previously only known to me 1930's Australian 3 sheet images were all from Paramount Pictures U.S.A. 1933 releases.
( incomplete )
( Incomplete )
The printer for International House and The Eagle And The Hawk was Troedel & Cooper. I am also thinking this printer would also have printed King Of The Jungle as well.
from Columbia Pictures released in Australia on December 29, 1939 the following magnificent Mr. Smith Goes To Washington ( 1939 ). The printer now being W.E.Smith.
In early 1933 there had been a drop in three sheet poster importation from America. You can read the article on Victory Publicity where this information originated from by accessing the 24 sheet Billboard Poster thread.
The earliest Australian printing of 3 sheets for overseas film poster examples from are as mentioned above, with these three examples being Paramount film titles, also from from 1934 and printed by Trodel & Cooper..
This Australian image of a style B three sheet Cleopatra ( 1934 ) poster from Paramount Pictures is from An Australian press sheet being currently auctioned on Bruce's website. A style A three sheet image, probably due to having insufficient available space, doesn't appear on the press sheet.
No proof, but I am convinced the two Cleopatra three sheers would have been printed in Australia.
Comments
Although the credit line at the very bottom is unreadable the following above isolated image has printed on the poster section in the top left hand corner Clements Photo Litho.
The enlarged printed credit line on the very bottom of the poster follows below, and it certainly isn't Clements Photo Litho.
This poster under discussion isn't exactly what it would appear to be. The more I delve into this film poster the more fascinating the poster and the film's history become. I will hold back at present in supplying any details until I follow up on a couple of other questions that need clarifying over the coming week.
Charles MacMahon directed the first moving picture adaptation of Clarke’s in 1908 – produced with Edward J. Carroll – for a then extravagant sum of £7000. Partly shot amongst the ruins of the Port Arthur convict settlement, this was an early example of Australian cinema where actual historical locations were used as a strategy to market a film as well as familiarise its national audience with its own monuments of history.
Filmgoers would have certainly seen cinema gazettes featuring the Port Arthur ruins previously, but never had the site been an actual (visual) feature of fictional narrative drama. In Victoria, J. & N. Tait distributed the film to packed houses at the Athenaeum in Collins Street for a then record number of weeks.
The film was later sold on to Claude Kingston, the young theatrical entrepreneur, for £100. Touring the film throughout the Melbourne suburbs and Victorian country districts, accompanying Lecturer M. J. Bloomfield was so adept at narrating the story that in “country towns he had people fainting in their seats”
Info from: https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2012/tasmania-and-the-cinema/what-sort-of-spot-is-port-arthur-for-the-term-of-his-natural-life-and-the-tasmanian-gothic/
Peter
For The Term Of His Natural Life premiered in Adelaide S.A. on 27 June 1908. The film Is credited on some websites as commencing screening in Australia on 8 August 1908, This is incorrect as the 8 August date is for later on in the year screenings in Sydney.
The above poster was printed for screenings in Launceston, Tasmania on the 15 & 16 of November 1909.
More on the below poster's history shortly.
Peter
http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=no;holdingType=digital=all;page=0;parentid=343343;query=Id:363171|Id:499121|Id:752392;querytype=Content-Contains;rec=0;resCount=3
I contacted NAA - National Archives Of Australia this morning to attempt to secure the details on the printer's credits printed on the bottom of the poster. They were unable to assist me as they had no recorded details regarding this information, or the size of the poster. It would be difficult to find out this information, and costly as well, as the poster id stored away somewhere in the building in Canberra and would involve some time and effort to check out the poster..
The previous black and white image poster's background is different from the background of this other above colour image.
I am currently attempting to contact an expert on this film title, and hopefully this 1908 version. If I am lucky enough to make contact with him, I am hoping he will confirm all the information I am holding back on, including some relevant information to when the poster in question was printed.
But there is more to reveal here now. An extremely rare Australian printed 3 sheet from the 1920's to have now surfaced. Wil kindly sent me two images today and is happy for me to include the poster image here. He has also today added it to his facebook page.
The Australian printed 3 sheet title is The Hound Of The Baskervilles ( 1921 ). The film was only released in 1924 in Australia. The poster was printed in Australia by Swift Print Sydney. Australasian Films Ltd released Master Pictures in Australia, along with Master Pictures product being released in New Zealand by New Zealand Pictures Ltd. Interestingly this poster has a New Zealand distribution credit printed on it, but has an Australian logo included on it. The Australian printed for local release daybills here always had the above kangaroo logo printed on the poster, so when the same posters were sent to N.Z it would appear to me that the N.Z, distributor's credits line were just added to the bottom of the poster.
Little poster images available from overseas The above image probably is the best example to compare with the 3 sheet image. Interestingly this U.S.A.? poster has printed on it the female name of Ellie on the poster instead of Eille. Although the Australian poster doesn't show an image of Sherlock Holmes, I really like the look of the poster design.
Hot Water ( 1924 ) is an interesting daybill poster. It was only released in Australia in 1926. Earlier on the distribution of Master Pictures was through two different film distributors. This 1926 released film poster now has Australasian Films Ltd. and Australasian Films ( N.Z. ) Ltd. being the same connected distributors, and they were now showing on their posters two different Australian and New Zealand Master Pictures logos.
To sum up we now have an Australian country of origin 1920's, and also a British 1920's country of origin examples of printed in Australia 3 sheets. The question then that I will now raise is were there any pre 1940's U.S.A. produced films to have printed in Australia for any 3 sheets , or were they all imported up to then into the country from the U.S.A.?
Peter
The printer for International House and The Eagle And The Hawk was Troedel & Cooper. I am also thinking this printer would also have printed King Of The Jungle as well.
The earliest Australian printing of 3 sheets for overseas film poster examples from are as mentioned above, with these three examples being Paramount film titles, also from from 1934 and printed by Trodel & Cooper..
This Australian image of a style B three sheet Cleopatra ( 1934 ) poster from Paramount Pictures is from An Australian press sheet being currently auctioned on Bruce's website. A style A three sheet image, probably due to having insufficient available space, doesn't appear on the press sheet.
No proof, but I am convinced the two Cleopatra three sheers would have been printed in Australia.