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You know that blank bit of living room wall that’s been annoying you for about four weeks now? How good would a ‘Princess Bride’ poster look hanging there? An original, dating all the way back to 1987 when Buttercup and co were first unleashed on the world. Well, if you have a few pounds squirreled away, this Thursday brings an online cinema poster sale that could fill a gap in your life.
Boasting more than 340 originals, Prop Store’s Cinema Poster Live Auction is a big ol’ treasure trove for film poster aficionados and movie fans generally. You’ll find everything from classics like ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘Casablanca’ to recent Mondo designs and Jock’s privately commissioned posters for ‘Apocalypse Now’ and ‘Heat’.
You’ll also find original ‘ET’ posters, ‘Harry Potter’ art and a lobby card for ‘The Graduate’ featuring that iconic shot of Benjamin and Mrs Robinson’s stockinged leg. Bid for that – it’s estimated at £150-£250 – and you’ll be able to bore visitors in perpetuity with the fact that the leg belonged not to Anne Bancroft but her ‘leg double’ Linda Gray aka Sue Ellen Ewing in ‘Dallas’.
For the discerning hipster cineaste, there are plenty of foreign versions of famous Hollywood posters up for grabs too. For instance, an unsullied poster for ‘Das Imperium Schlägt Zurück’ – you know, the one where Hans Solo gets frozen in das carbonite – is up for grabs at a cool £3,000-£5,000. We’re total suckers for this poppy Adam West ‘Batman’ design (£7,000-£9,000).
The auction gets underway at noon BST on Thursday April 23, and online bidding has already opened at the Prop Store site. The bidding will be live-streamed there on the day. The item to watch? Undoubtedly, this 1951 UK poster for ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’, estimated at £11,000-£13,000.
Even if you’re not in the market for some movie art, it’s well worth having a browse of the catalogue of on-sale items. There’s a ton of greats to appreciate and lots of fascinating insights into this beloved, universal art form to dig into.
NB That ‘Princess Bride’ poster is expected to go for £100-200.
Looking for other cultural excursions to take from the comfort of your sofa? Go on a virtual tour of a London art gallery.
The best virtual movie clubs to get you through lockdown.