Well this has been a veritable nightmare to research, lots of mistakes and assumptions in dating this Daybill movie poster, I believe much of my research (along with logic) will agree with the statements I've made, as always I don't claim to be 100% accurate but I think in general I am more accurate than what's out there at the moment. As before, I am contributing to the Daybill pot for edification and general discussion.
First of all I want to give a brief overview of the distribution of films in Australia which will help identify a few dates:
In 1928 Greater Union (GU) sold their first distribution company “Australasian Films” but by 1932 they were back in the game with Union Theatres Feature Exchange which was subsequently restructured in 1932 to become British Empire Films (BEF). Over the years Disney has used a range of companies to distribute their films in Australia, including Union Theatres Exchange in 1929; United Artists 1933 to 1937; RKO 1937 to 1954; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 1959 to 1972 and BEF-MGM from 1973 to 1975. So bearing all that in mind, along with the information we already know about (the dating of) censorship here in Australia, let’s look at some Sleeping Beauty Daybill movie posters…
http://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/film_title/SLEEPING%2520BEAUTY%2520%2528%252759%2529/type/Aust%2520daybill/archive.html------------------------------------
This poster is called R70 – correct!• The designs was used on US 1SH in 1970 (and I believe 1979?).
• The movie was released in the USA in June 1970 (according to IMDB)
• I have found evidence it played in limited theatres in Australia in May 1970
This poster is called R70 (and also R80s) – wrong!http://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/archiveitem/8656758.htmlhttp://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/archiveitem/2217387.html• The design is the same one from the 1970 Daybill, so I can see why it is assumed to be 1970.
• The designs was used on US 1SH in 1970 (and I believe 1979?), so that’s why it is assumed to be 1970.
• The poster shows the G Rating so that dates it post November 1971
• The BEF logo dates it before 1976 (
and after 1973).
• There WAS a general release in 1975 during the August School Holidays and the Christmas Holidays of 1975.
• I am aware that is has a 1970 date printed on it (“Re-released by Buena Vista Distribution Co 1970 Walt Disney Productions”) but given the statements above it seems more logical the poster has simply been re-used from the earlier distribution and overprinted with the G rating and BEF logo.
So I am calling it R75
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In 1976 BEF (Film Distributors) was renamed Greater Union Film Distributors, and became the distribution arm of Greater Union cinemas. From 1976 to 1987 Disney titles were distributed in Australia by Greater Union Film Distributors (after their merger with BEF). In 1987, Greater Union Film Distributors merged with Village Roadshow Distributors.------------------------------------
This poster is called R70 (and also R80, R86, R90s) – wrong!http://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/archiveitem/9866864.htmlhttp://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/film_title/SLEEPING%2520BEAUTY%2520%2528%252759%2529/type/Aust%2520daybill/tag/R86/archive.htmlhttp://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/archiveitem/2252834.htmlhttp://movieposters.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=161146&lotNo=51459Also it is dated R80s
http://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/archiveitem/3306828.html• This design was first used on the US 1SH in 1986
• The poster shows the G Rating so that dates it post November 1971
• The poster has the Greater Union stamp, which dates it post 1976
and pre 1988.
• There was an August holiday release in 1987
So I am calling it R87
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This poster is called R70 – wrong! http://www.emovieposter.com/agallery/archiveitem/12786566.html• The design is based on the R70 US Insert and 3SH so I can see why it is dated that.
• The poster shows the G Rating so that dates it post November 1971
• At the bottom of the poster is the Disney mission statement “Look to the name Walt Disney for the finest in family entertainment” that I believe was used from the 60s (perhaps earlier?). In 1973 this was changed to “50 Happy Years of Family Entertainment”
Unfortunately I cannot read the bottom left of the poster and I suspect that will have a copyright date on it.
Although I feel it is R72 I cannot call it – anyone?
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You’re welcome.