From The Birds to The Big Lebowski: Highlights from Original Film Posters

From The Birds to The Big Lebowski: Highlights from Original Film Posters

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  The Big Lebowski (1998), international style poster, US
  Estimate: £2,000–3,000

  If anyone in film understands the importance of well thought out home decor, it’s The Dude from the Coen brother’s cult 1998 film The Big Lebowski. Played by Jeff Bridges, The Dude is cinema’s greatest victim of mistaken identity – a bowling enthusiast who shares a name with a millionaire and ends up embroiled in a kidnap plot. This highly sought-after original poster shows The Dude in all his glory, with his beloved (and unfortunately defiled) rug reflected in his signature sunglasses.
  
  As The Dude himself might say, hanging this on the wall would really tie the room together.

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  Thor: Ragnarok/ The Mighty Thor vs. The Incredible Hulk (2017), studio printed vinyl prop poster, US
  Estimate: £2,000–3,000

  A particularly special lot from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this poster for 2017's Thor Ragnarok is actually a prop poster for one of the film's key scenes in which two of the Avengers, Thor and The Incredible Hulk have an almighty showdown battle on the planet Sakaar. Directed by Taika Waititi, the film's villain was played Jeff Goldblum and the moniker "Lord of Thunder", which features on the poster, refers to a running gag in the film in which Goldblum's character The Grand Master, repeatedly referred to Thor as "Lord of Thunder" rather than his actual title, "God of Thunder".

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  The Searchers (1956), poster, Japanese
  Estimate: £2,000–3,000

  With its narrow portrait dimensions and sweeping sunset sky, this is an arresting and extremely rare Japanese poster for 1956 Western, The Searchers starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood. In the film, Wayne played Ethan Edwards, a Civil War veteran and reportedly considered it to be both his favourite role, naming his son Ethan in homage to the character.

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  The Birds/ Ptaki (1963), poster, first Polish release (1965).
  Estimate: £4,000–6,000

  Alfred Hitchock’s The Birds is perhaps one of his most terrifying films, as a series of unexplained and violent bird attacks plague a small town in California. Starring Tippi Hedron, the movie is menacing and haunting, the mood of which is perfectly reflected in this stunning interpretation from Bronislaw Zelek. Known for his masterful use of typefaces, this rare first release poster is one of the polish graphic artist’s most well known designs, featuring the film’s title ominously advancing towards the viewer.

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  Jaws (1975), subway poster, US
  Estimate: £3,000–5,000

  Although the film poster for Jaws – featuring an unsuspecting woman enjoying a swim as beneath the surface, a great white prepares to strike – has become iconic, it was actually taken from an illustration for the novel from which the film was adapted. Artist Roger Kastel created the image for the paperback edition and did his research by photographing stuffed sharks at the American Museum of Natural History. In order to draw the women, Kastel paid a model to lie across two stools and pretend to be swimming.

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  The Red Shoes (1948), first Japanese release poster (1950)
  Estimate: £800–1,200

  This evocative and extremely rare Japanese poster for The Red Shoes stylishly conjures the dark drama of the story of ballerina Vicky Page being torn between love and dancing. The 1948 adaptation of a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale is known to be a favourite of director Martin Scorsese, whose own collection of memorabilia relating to it includes several posters from around the world and a pair of red slippers signed by Moira Shearer, who played Vicky in the film.

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  Brighton Rock (1947), poster, British.
  Estimate: £3,000–5,000

  This arresting poster for Brighton Rock, adapted from Graham Greene's novel, captures Richard Attenborough's legendary and chilling performance as the dead-eyed teenage murderer Pinkie Brown (a performance that was praised by Greene in a letter to Attenborough after the film was released).

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  Tonari no Totoro/ My Neighbor Totoro (1988), poster for double bill with Ghibli's film Grave of the Fireflies (1988), Japanese
  Estimate: £2,000–3,000

  Japan's Studio Ghibli is known for creating some of the most beautiful animation in cinema history so it is no surprise that this poster for a double bill of My Neighbour Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies is such a beautiful piece of artwork. Although Totoro would become a huge success and one of the most recognisable cartoon characters in the world (making cameos in several other Studio Ghibli films), the film was initially considered a financial risk, hence it being released as a double theatrical feature in Japan.

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