Author Topic: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...  (Read 7629 times)

Offline Harry Caul

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Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« on: September 01, 2010, 05:42:19 PM »
EDIT: These are not your standard large "subway" posters (59"x45") or even the less common (NYC-only afaik) half-subways (30"x45").


Does anyone know more about these posters?  I only bought the 4 posters below (probably the best of the bunch), but the seller had about 100 total ranging from about 1965 to 1971. They are all 22" square and printed glossy cardstock with notched corners along the bottom edge.  One more interesting tidbit is that nearly all of them appear to be "advanced" posters their NYC premiers, which I'm hoping means they are extremely rare!

I assume they were used in some sort of standard-sized advertising cases throughout the subway system.  However, I've never even come across a wiff of these existing so I'm guessing they were likely destroyed by someone at the city who was in charge of swapping them out.  This lot turned up in Eastern Washington state of all places... Most of the posters are probably only worth a dollar or two even though the seller is (probably stupidly) asking a quite high flat price regardless of title. Still, given the rarity of these (could be the only surviving copies?) I'm hoping my gamble paid off on these four.  The seller also had a Bullitt (HS artwork, but not as colorful) and Le Mans, but both of them had issues (see below).  Given the fact that the cardstock is glossy (?) I figured they would be expensive to restore... still for super-fans, I'm sure they are the rarest posters you can find for the titles.  If any wants them, PM me and I'll put you in touch with the seller...

COOL HAND LUKE
Aside from Dave's Military 1-sheet, I think this advanced NYC transit poster is the only other poster to have the famous line of dialog quoted ("what we have here...").  Also, this is the only artwork that shows him getting a beat down...




THE GRADUATE
Lets call them styles X, Y, and Z?  I think these would be awesome displayed together as a triptych!  These three show all the versions of the pre-awards artwork including the famous "leg scene". Given the dates and theaters listed at the bottoms (only two screens in all of NYC), these posters are probably as advanced as they get!




BULLITT
As mentioned, I passed on this one due to the surface paper loss and I didn't like the Radio City Music Hall banner and side ads.  Still, the artworks is much better than that ridiculous sweater 1-sheet! ;D




LE MANS
I passed on this one too given the large tear and tape stains.  However, if this glossy stock can be repaired (Dario?), it is clearly an advanced poster for the title... not sure if any others exist.

« Last Edit: April 25, 2016, 05:17:53 PM by erik1925 »

Offline MoviePosterBid.com

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Re: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2010, 06:44:58 PM »
Harry.. as a New Yorker I can tell you

Subway POSTERS were pasted up in the corridors on the walls of subway stations and related pathways

The posters you are showing were inside the train cars themselves for whcih there were 2 sizes, but rarely were they movie posters

they had the small signs probably measuring approx 12x24 inches which were in a row above head level so everyone could see them at all times. Then, each train car has a control room at both ends for the conductor.. These signs were posted on the empty wall facing lengthways down the train car.

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Offline Harry Caul

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Re: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2010, 07:18:56 PM »
Thanks for the insider info Rich!  Have you ever seen any other examples of movie posters in this format?  Do you think they are worth anything? 

Offline MoviePosterBid.com

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Re: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2010, 10:10:00 PM »
why shouldn't they be worth something Harry?
good titles are good titles in any format
I'll bet these are fairly rare

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Offline Harry Caul

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Re: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2010, 10:17:35 AM »
Well, by anything I guess I actually mean do you think they are worth a lot!  Given their rarity, if I ever sell I'm hoping they could go for a pretty penny...

Bruce said he has come across only 6 of these posters before (movie posters I assume, not regular advertisements).  Have you come across movie posters in this format before?  Anyone else?

By the way, in addition to the Bullitt and Le Mans I passed on, the seller also has advanced posters for Bonnie and Clyde and Dr. Zhivago.  Both have unique artwork compare with other posters, but I wasn't sure they would be worth the asking price.  PM me if anyone wants a link to the photobucket site with the complete listings...

« Last Edit: April 25, 2016, 05:19:07 PM by erik1925 »

Offline MoviePosterBid.com

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Re: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2010, 01:11:01 PM »
Harry.. I don't think that "advance posters" is the right description of them.
More likely a correct description would be "locally produced posters" much like Window Cards that are printed by a theatre showing a complete week's schedule.

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Offline Harry Caul

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Re: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2010, 01:25:54 PM »
Local text-only, window cards always seemed kind of boring to me. 

I would think these are a bit more official than those, no?  First of all, these posters were no doubt created by the studios (layouts, artwork, taglines, etc...).  They were also, in most cases, used to advertise the limited-distribution NYC premiers... that is why I referred to them as advance posters. 

I guess I had been thinking of them more along the lines of special wilding posters (2001), or roadshow posters (Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia), etc...  I realize they are not NSS posters, but these likely pre-date the regular NSS 1-sheets for most of the country.

Offline mahmudf

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Re: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2010, 02:17:27 PM »
a bullitt one with the  same artwork as the half sheet sold at Heritage a while back for over $1000

http://movieposters.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=694&Lot_No=28289

Offline Harry Caul

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Re: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2010, 02:55:48 PM »
That one looks much nice than the Radio City Music Hall one! 

Thanks for finding that... it gives me much more confidence that I made the right decision to purchase them. 

Offline erik1925

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Re: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2016, 11:36:31 PM »
Hey Matt..

Do you still have the jpeg files that you used in your first post? If so, we could get them put back in, if you happen to be hosting them on another site.

Let me know. Happy to plug them back in for you.  :)


-Jeff

Offline Harry Caul

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Re: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« Reply #10 on: April 24, 2016, 04:41:53 PM »
Images sent!!!

Offline erik1925

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Re: Special NYC Subway Movie Posters...
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2016, 05:19:50 PM »


-Jeff