I posted something over in the "what don't you collect" thread on this danish To Hat poster
Jeff posted back:
ay..a little off track of the thread.. so this will be the last thing about your Top Hat poster.
A couple things that caught my eye and a couple things uncovered that may suggest that this is a later RR poster:
1. The poster is lacking any production credits, director's name or other actors. If one looks on any first release poster, this info is usually present. This poster has just the title, the 2 lead actor's names only, and the titles of what had become popular Berlin songs from the film.
2. The tag line in Danish, in the upper right, translates to "The all time funniest dance film." New film posters will often make claims like this.. and here, too, it could have been a pure marketing hook to lure in audiences. Or was it added there in the 1950s, after the film had been out for almost 20 years and established itself as a well loved, comedic dance movie?
3. But the wording in the lower right corner, in capital letters. NY COPI seems a more solid clue. Those words translates to "New Copy." In the 1950's, Top Hat was re-edited before its re-release in the US. Could "new copy" also mean this was a re-edited version used in Denmark? (or would that wording have been printed on a first release Danish poster from Feb, 1936?)
I'm just throwing these ideas and finds out there. Wink
And that's what makes this hobby so fascinating. Looking, digging and examining the small details that might help to shed some light.
Rather than continue to drag the thread off topic, I started this one.
I did a bit more research
Denmark released Top Hat in late February 1936, a full 6 months after the US release. That could explain that the songs had become popular in Europe before the film's release.
They also re-released it in 1951, which explains the censor stamp. The poster is theater used with pinholes, and those most certainly came from that time (or at least some of them)
The US re-release of the edited version did not occur until 1953. I am skeptical that RKO would have done a foreign edited release 2 full years ahead of the larger US market.
As you say, it is all possible, but since no earlier Danish Top Hat has surfaced, Bruce's story is also credible.
So, bottom line, I don't know. I also don't really care. It looks great on my wall and I have no desire to sell it. It would be nice to solve the mystery, but not sure how to go further.
