Post-auction analysis - OMGs!, LOLs!, WTFs!, whatev....

[erik1925]

That is one fine looking poster, there, Martin. Its always great when gems like these still pop up on ebay.

The artwork and lithography are fantastic, imho. 

[jayn_j]

I agree.  That's the sort of poster that can hang in any parlor.  I think it was worth the price

[MoviePosterBid.com]

Am digging these door panels from Freaks (1932), too, seen in action. I bet these would go for a HUGE penny today.

(The Rialto Theater in NYC)

They aren't door panels, they are custom displays. The photographic nature of the materials is why there is reflection & gloss

[MoviePosterBid.com]

it was a big price and one factor about it's rarity is that it is a Fox distribution, which is probably the most difficult company as a rule to find paper of this time period of the major companies

[erik1925]

They aren't door panels, they are custom displays. The photographic nature of the materials is why there is reflection & gloss

Thanks. I overlooked that glaring glare before. So what do you think they were? Enlarged B/W photo images that were then trimmed down and applied to the doors directly?

[MoviePosterBid.com]

So what do you think they were? Enlarged B/W photo images that were then trimmed down and applied to the doors directly?

pretty much the method theatres used, just like those hand-made Meloy Bros 40x60s that theatres could buy that are a collage of photos & printed elements

http://www.ebay.com/itm/JEAN-HARLOW-CLARK-GABLE-40X60-POSTER-MELOY-BROS-WIFE-VS-SECRETARY-1936-MYRNA-LOY-/382069291696?hash=item58f51abab0:g:FG0AAOSwdGFYwbxl

[Simes]

That would explain my question then.  Cheers.

[Louie D.]

This was a very healthy price for a poster from a very obscure Buster Keaton picture, a two-reeler made when his career was petering out in the mid-1930s :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VERY-RARE-VINTAGE-ORIGINAL-1935-BUSTER-KEATON-Hayseed-Romance-LITHO-MOVIE-POSTER-/391766868635?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=ET2vs2OwRWs9lYtWSQeC2OFnE1w%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

A very nice image of Keaton. Neither EMP nor Heritage appear ever to have sold a single piece of paper of any type for this film.

Petering out? He still had 30 years in the business and worked steadily until his death.

[martinc]

I guess "petering out" wasn't the kindest description, mavbe a better choice of words would be that his work was in decline at that time. Even when he was working through the 50s and early 60s I don't think that there are many memorable moments to pick out other maybe than cameos in Sunset Boulevard and Limelight. He certainly kept busy, especially on tv, but it was just bread-and-butter stuff mainly.

When he was regaining critical acclaim in the 60s just before he died, it was for his self-directed classics from the 20s. I watched The General recently and it still seems fresh and funny now (which can't always be said for a lot of silent films) and the same could be said for at least half-a-dozen other films he made in that period. Which makes it all the sadder when you look at his film career thereafter.   

[MoviePosterBid.com]

When he was regaining critical acclaim in the 60s just before he died, it was for his self-directed classics from the 20s. I watched The General recently and it still seems fresh and funny now (which can't always be said for a lot of silent films) and the same could be said for at least half-a-dozen other films he made in that period. Which makes it all the sadder when you look at his film career thereafter.

his silent films are still fresh comedy. No doubt he was a genius and the total loss of his fortune on Black Tuesday 1929 crippled his ability, which seemed to have been crippled by the advent of sound movies as well. He should have continued making silents like Chaplin did, except I think he had a hard time getting financing for his films by that time.

[erik1925]

I guess "petering out" wasn't the kindest description, mavbe a better choice of words would be that his work was in decline at that time. Even when he was working through the 50s and early 60s I don't think that there are many memorable moments to pick out other maybe than cameos in Sunset Boulevard and Limelight. He certainly kept busy, especially on tv, but it was just bread-and-butter stuff mainly.

When he was regaining critical acclaim in the 60s just before he died, it was for his self-directed classics from the 20s. I watched The General recently and it still seems fresh and funny now (which can't always be said for a lot of silent films) and the same could be said for at least half-a-dozen other films he made in that period. Which makes it all the sadder when you look at his film career thereafter.

As well as his small cameo in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Mad World (1963) 

[jayn_j]

As well as his small cameo in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Mad World (1963) 

Actually, if you search them out, his cameos continue to show his genius right up to the end.  The producers didn't tend to giv3e him much, but he always made the best of what was given him.

[Louie D.]

Actually, if you search them out, his cameos continue to show his genius right up to the end.  The producers didn't tend to giv3e him much, but he always made the best of what was given him.

Exactly. He also made tons of very funny commercials, had his on TV show and appeared in may great TV shows:

[Louie D.]

his silent films are still fresh comedy. No doubt he was a genius and the total loss of his fortune on Black Tuesday 1929 crippled his ability, which seemed to have been crippled by the advent of sound movies as well. He should have continued making silents like Chaplin did, except I think he had a hard time getting financing for his films by that time.

His move to MGM and the loss of complete control in making movies and the divorce from his wife Natalie Talmadge (in which she took his two boys away from Buster and changed their last name) led to his alcoholism and downfall in the early 30's. His sound pictures for MGM did pretty well but it was his boozing which did him in there.

[erik1925]

I think someone got a pretty nice deal on this US OS for Moulin Rouge (1934). It got one bid for $1900.00

It is unbacked and hs some nicks and bumps but nothing horrible. It's a beautiful poster, imo, and totally unrestored. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Moulin-Rouge-Movie-Poster-with-Constance-Bennett-Very-Rare-Pre-1940-039-s-/322422669675?hash=item4b11e3816b%3Ag%3Au3QAAOSw%7EAVYoiKV&nma=true&si=4Zwn8Q8wxFUKu430opECu%252BYyqns%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[Zoongrew]

I think someone got a pretty nice deal on this US OS for Moulin Rouge (1934). It got one bid for $1900.00

Sure, that's a pretty pretty nice deal ! Love that poster

[Filmlobbycards]

This was a very healthy price for a poster from a very obscure Buster Keaton picture, a two-reeler made when his career was petering out in the mid-1930s :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VERY-RARE-VINTAGE-ORIGINAL-1935-BUSTER-KEATON-Hayseed-Romance-LITHO-MOVIE-POSTER-/391766868635?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=ET2vs2OwRWs9lYtWSQeC2OFnE1w%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

A very nice image of Keaton. Neither EMP nor Heritage appear ever to have sold a single piece of paper of any type for this film.

I've been meaning to reply to this all week...as one of the most aggressively active Keaton collectors I can hopefully give some useful observations:

1.  The mid-1930s educational pictures shorts ephemera are pretty much completist areas of interest...there are quite a few deep pocketed silent film collectors who have great material from the important films starting with the true Keaton shorts starting in 1920 and ending in the desultory Keaton-Durante films circa 1933...

2. At this point the serious interest is in upgrading exceedingly scarce paper from the silent material, finding great lobby cards from the truly important Keaton classic shorts 1920- 1923, finding large format or one of a kind pieces from the  Keaton full length silent films (good luck).. scoring great cards (or larger sizes) showing Keaton and Arbuckle from the two reelers 1917-1920 ( the highlight of which were the lobby cards sold by heritage fetching nearly $8,500 for 2 scene cards in 2016) wow!!!!!

3. After Leonard Schrader sold nearly 183 early (& previously unknown) Keaton cards to Osian's film archive in India a few years ago....there was a palpable renewed interest in  Keaton material....records were set all over the place...especially by the serious collectors who know how rare the pieces are and just won't quit at auction....just ask Michael hawks...it's not very easy to buy high quality Keaton material from the silent era...expect a long fight for anything really nice

4. Morrie auctioned a lot of really great obscure cards from the Keaton silent era and those prices were really high compared to earlier results....some were one of a kind!!....hardly anything that sold has resurfaced from dealers or Heritage...so they were swallowed up in collections....and for good reason

So for anything later than 1933 this could be considered a great result....but then again compare this Hayseed Romance 1935 20 minute Keaton starring short one sheet that fetched $2200 with the Keaton supporting part 1918 Bell Boy one sheet that fetched $36,000 with Heritage in 2016 and you can see where the real interest is....and rightfully so!!

[erik1925]

Great info there, Tait. And what a great read.

So, to boil it down, would it be safe to say that early, silent Keaton is the gold standard, collecting wise, and as the years and decades go by, it becomes a sliding (downward) collect-price scale?

Another actor that comes to mind, in this same vein, is Gloria Swanson, whose early, silent material is also rather coveted. Her LC and stone litho OS are beautiful. 

And she did have quite the resurgence bump in 1950, with Sunset Boulevard. And also deservedly so, imho.

[Filmlobbycards]

It's pretty safe to say that from 1917- 1927 .... A mere 10 years....that this Keaton material is super rare, heavily sought after and very expensive....a nice combination....

I would like to amend some info and add some more:

1. Leonard Schrader didn't sell to Osian's ....his estate did...for 30 years he hid his buying habits and although he was active in the hobby and apparently acquired this material from many dealers....I think they found a perfectly documented partially hidden archive of black portfolios after he died...apparently no  one knew he had 8,500 lobby cards from the silent era and early talkies...from 1913-1937... Plus 5,000 related window cards, posters, stills and slides...it was 189 Keaton lobby cards and window cards that really blew everyone away....complete sets and some doubles of all the best full length silent classics ...the general, our hospitality, college, the navigator, steamboat bill Jr. Etc..And a complete set of Dracula lobby cards and window card!!

2. As soon as you get into the 1930's the gold standard for classic comedy posters, lobby cards etc. becomes the paramount Marx brothers material, early Columbia 3 stooges material with curly and the early Laurel and hardy posters ....Keaton value drops off sharply after 1930

3. Morrie undoubtably had one of the better Keaton collections....I'm not sure what exactly Ron Moore or mike or kev or marty or mike h. All have but together they hold a shitload of material....so there isn't really much available....Heritage was consigned some of the very best early Keaton short comedy material Pre 1925 from a silent film estate find that included complete sets of The Playhouse, the electric house and assorted other cards....they were in remarkable condition...I am not sure where Heritage got the General, college and Steamboat bill Jr. Cards that they sold over the past year...but they appear to be sets from a single find....I was lucky to win some of those cards

In any event these past 3 years have been really epic for collecting Keaton ....so much fresh to market material in such a short time....certainly better than  2003-2013.....I can't wait to see what the next find will bring!!! 

[MoviePosterBid.com]

nice post Tait

[erik1925]

It's pretty safe to say that from 1917- 1927 .... A mere 10 years....that this Keaton material is super rare, heavily sought after and very expensive....a nice combination....

I would like to amend some info and add some more:

1. Leonard Schrader didn't sell to Osian's ....his estate did...for 30 years he hid his buying habits and although he was active in the hobby and apparently acquired this material from many dealers....I think they found a perfectly documented partially hidden archive of black portfolios after he died...apparently no  one knew he had 8,500 lobby cards from the silent era and early talkies...from 1913-1937... Plus 5,000 related window cards, posters, stills and slides...it was 189 Keaton lobby cards and window cards that really blew everyone away....complete sets and some doubles of all the best full length silent classics ...the general, our hospitality, college, the navigator, steamboat bill Jr. Etc..And a complete set of Dracula lobby cards and window card!!

2. As soon as you get into the 1930's the gold standard for classic comedy posters, lobby cards etc. becomes the paramount Marx brothers material, early Columbia 3 stooges material with curly and the early Laurel and hardy posters ....Keaton value drops off sharply after 1930

3. Morrie undoubtably had one of the better Keaton collections....I'm not sure what exactly Ron Moore or mike or kev or marty or mike h. All have but together they hold a shitload of material....so there isn't really much available....Heritage was consigned some of the very best early Keaton short comedy material Pre 1925 from a silent film estate find that included complete sets of The Playhouse, the electric house and assorted other cards....they were in remarkable condition...I am not sure where Heritage got the General, college and Steamboat bill Jr. Cards that they sold over the past year...but they appear to be sets from a single find....I was lucky to win some of those cards

In any event these past 3 years have been really epic for collecting Keaton ....so much fresh to market material in such a short time....certainly better than  2003-2013.....I can't wait to see what the next find will bring!!! 

This guy sounds interesting, for sure. Was he a long time collector? And the finding of those secret, unknown portfolios of material had to be very exciting. Do you know much about him? Did he have family or children that decided to put this material up for auction after his passing?

I mean, a quietly, privately held collection of some 8500 items is amazing and astounding!   

Were the Dracula LC set and WC from the first release, do you know?

[erik1925]

Unfortunately, I own no poster material on Keaton at this point. My one piece is not paper but this plaster life mask of him from the 1960's, done for one of the films he was in:

[Filmlobbycards]

This guy sounds interesting, for sure. Was he a long time collector? And the finding of those secret, unknown portfolios of material had to be very exciting. Do you know much about him? Did he have family or children that decided to put this material up for auction after his passing?

I mean, a quietly, privately held collection of some 8500 items is amazing and astounding!   

Were the Dracula LC set and WC from the first release, do you know?

Both Leonard and Paul Schrader were successful screenwriter brothers....Paul (the younger brother) helped Scorsese write scripts for Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and several others...Leonard was nominated for an Oscar for Kiss of the spider woman....Later he Ran the screenwriting department for the American Film Institute....he collected for 30 years...so he clearly had access to material through some back channels...I suspect he may have even been able to purchase vault copy lobby cards from the archives of the studios themselves....I know universal kept publicity material copies and scripts of everything successful...Heritage sold some sets a few years ago from an "executive" from universal

The wife shopped them around and of course large auction houses wanted to break up the material....but David Weisman the curator and close friend advised to keep it together since it was immaculately organized...Osian's cinema archive in India purchased it all and it resides there in entirety....you can google the Leonard Schrader collection and find out more...there are articles and pictures of select material as well

Yes the Dracula cards were original release....book 0192 I believe....and they were in Beautiful condition!!!

[timelessmoviemagic]

I've been meaning to reply to this all week...as one of the most aggressively active Keaton collectors I can hopefully give some useful observations:

1.  The mid-1930s educational pictures shorts ephemera are pretty much completist areas of interest...there are quite a few deep pocketed silent film collectors who have great material from the important films starting with the true Keaton shorts starting in 1920 and ending in the desultory Keaton-Durante films circa 1933...

2. At this point the serious interest is in upgrading exceedingly scarce paper from the silent material, finding great lobby cards from the truly important Keaton classic shorts 1920- 1923, finding large format or one of a kind pieces from the  Keaton full length silent films (good luck).. scoring great cards (or larger sizes) showing Keaton and Arbuckle from the two reelers 1917-1920 ( the highlight of which were the lobby cards sold by heritage fetching nearly $8,500 for 2 scene cards in 2016) wow!!!!!

3. After Leonard Schrader sold nearly 183 early (& previously unknown) Keaton cards to Osian's film archive in India a few years ago....there was a palpable renewed interest in  Keaton material....records were set all over the place...especially by the serious collectors who know how rare the pieces are and just won't quit at auction....just ask Michael hawks...it's not very easy to buy high quality Keaton material from the silent era...expect a long fight for anything really nice

4. Morrie auctioned a lot of really great obscure cards from the Keaton silent era and those prices were really high compared to earlier results....some were one of a kind!!....hardly anything that sold has resurfaced from dealers or Heritage...so they were swallowed up in collections....and for good reason

So for anything later than 1933 this could be considered a great result....but then again compare this Hayseed Romance 1935 20 minute Keaton starring short one sheet that fetched $2200 with the Keaton supporting part 1918 Bell Boy one sheet that fetched $36,000 with Heritage in 2016 and you can see where the real interest is....and rightfully so!!

Great read.

[erik1925]

Thanks for the info, Tait. Paul Schrader is a name I know well and also his brother's to a lesser degree, but I wasnt tying the 'Keaton collector' to the screenwriter. If he did have access to those backdoor channels and studio stock, it makes sense why such a number of his items, as you described, were not only complete sets of rare and early material but also in fantastic condition.

I will check out Osian's and check out some of the imagery. And even this collection is now so far away from home, it's good to know that it was kept intact and not broken up.

Any idea what Osian's winning bid/purchase price was for the Schrader Collection? 

I see that the same Osian Group also has this auction house bearing the same name: http://www.osians.com/