Much like the famous vampire sucking blood, this classic jumbo lobby card poster from the 1931 classic horror film sucked up the bidders’ interest. It sold for $28,800, the highest price of the sale.
Review by Jessica Kosinski; Photos Courtesy Heritage Auctions
DALLAS — Heritage Auctions’ Movie Posters Signature auction took place September 30 and October 1. Featuring almost 1,150 lots, the sale of movie posters was presented by associate director of movie posters Zach Pogemiller; it included many classic horror movie posters, lots from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and posters from beloved film franchises like Star Wars and James Bond. At press time, the cumulative total for all lots sold was $1,570,199.
“Interest in the sale was strong, with more than 1,500 bidders participating,” Pogemiller said. No information was provided about specific bidders, but he explained, “The clientele for Golden Age Hollywood material from the 30s and 40s tend to skew older from the bidders chasing Star Wars, Pulp Fiction, Back to the Future and other newer films.”
At $28,800, the weekend’s top lot was a Dracula (1931) jumbo lobby card. It was one of many great classic horror lots to go under the hammer. Another was a pressbook for The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), which garnered the second highest bid of the weekend at $27,600. Pogemiller commented on these, stating, “The Golden Age of Universal Horror tends to be the most coveted genre in the movie poster hobby.” He was referencing horror films produced between the 1930s and 1950s by Universal Pictures. Those films also featured other iconic creatures like the Wolf Man, Mummy and Invisible Man.
L’inhumaine (“The Inhuman Woman”) was a groundbreaking film because it was such a collaborative artistic effort and. contemporary eExperts at the time in fields like music, dance, and painting participated in its production. This poster commemorating the unique film got the attention of bidders and sold for $24,000.
Sharing third place honors were two posters that each sold for $24,000. They were from L’inhumaine (La Societe des Films Armor, 1924) and My Man Godfrey (Universal, 1936). Universal played a large part in Hollywood’s Golden Age, in general. Many of its films of the day became classics, beginning with All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). The My Man Godfrey poster commemorates one of the studio’s earliest and most popular comedic romps about a rich girl who falls in love with a seemingly poor man she hires as a butler without knowing he is keeping a secret regarding his real station in life.
The popularity of the poster for L’inhumaine, which was gently restored, most likely stemmed from the unique nature of the film. Its director, Marcel L’Herbier deliberately invited many French masters in various artistic fields to participate in its creation. The purpose was to highlight their talents as a lead in for the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Pogemiller was quick to point out the poster’s stunning artwork by Georges Djo Bourgeois. He also mentioned most posters featuring this design are sought-after by museums because of its rarity.
Speaking of stunning artwork, another popular lot from the auction sold for $18,000. It included issue #60 from the classic horror magazine Eerie and an accompanying stunning piece of matted original cover art from the comic The Man Hunters by famed artist Ken Kelly.
Rounding out the top eight were posters from three films firmly cemented in pop culture: The War of the Worlds, Dr. No and The Wizard of Oz. Of the three posters, Dr. No sold for the highest amount, at $20,400. Pogemiller was not surprised by its showing. He explained “Because this is the first English poster for the first appearance of the legendary English superspy, it commands a premium.”
Al Hirschfeld produced some amazing drawings for this whimsical poster that rival the whimsy of The Wizard of Oz film itself. As a famous line from the film points out, “there’s no place like home,” and this lot found its new home for $18,000.
The other two posters mentioned above garnered $18,000 each on the auction block. Both had features that thrilled buyers. The poster for The War of the Worlds featured images of Martian war machines not depicted on other American posters for the film, making it a rare find for collectors. As for The Wizard of Oz, caricaturist Al Hirschfeld’s artistic work on the poster made it highly desirable. It also attracted a lot of interest because the film itself has an ever-growing fan base thanks to its universal appeal to various age groups.
Heritage Auctions has not yet announced the date of its next Hollywood Poster auction.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house.
For information, 214-528-3500 or www.ha.com.
