Be the movie buff you wish you were at Spink’s vintage poster sale
13 October 2023 Who can deny the power of a film poster on the wall?
Estimated at £5000-8000, this original US poster for 2001: a Space Odyssey (1968) by Robert McCall has no title. Printed in Italy, it was used as part of the US advertising campaign for the film’s international release, and the absence of text made it easy to use all over the world. Based on the novel by Arthur C Clarke, Stanley Kubrick's science fiction classic remains one of the best-known and most influential films in the genre.
It is a classic decorative touch: film posters can add a splash of colour and give a bit of nostalgic style to any interior. Plus, a well-chosen poster can signify your wonderful taste in film. Or at least the taste in film you’d like to have – just make sure to Google the synopsis before your cineaste friends come to visit.
Spink & Sons Original Vintage Film Poster sale of October 25 features a curated selection of 100 vintage posters, lobby cards and photographs showcases some of the 20th century’s best-known and most beloved films.
Set in the American west but shot in Italy, Sergio Leoni’s Dollars Trilogy launched both the career of Clint Eastwood and the ‘spaghetti western’ as a genre. In the years that followed, Italy became a popular stand in for the US as European directors turned to stories of cowboys and pioneers. Appropriately, this is the original Italian poster for the second in Leone’s series, For a Few Dollars More (1966), and is estimated at £1400-2200.
My Neighbour Totoro, made in 1988, is so well loved that the eponymous character is now the mascot of Studio Ghibli. The film, advertised in this original Japanese poster estimated at £1200-1800, was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, one of the studio’s founders.
Sean Connerey had played the British spy James Bond twice before his historic turn in Goldfinger. The 1964 film featured a dead girl painted gold, a classic Shirley Bassey tune, and – who could forget – Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore. One of the best loved films in the series, Goldfinger also has much sought-after posters. This example, by Robert Brownjohn, is estimated at £7000-10,000.
It’s the 1960s. It’s fashion, New York City, and cats. For a pared back design, this poster is packed with significance. Nearly everything in it is iconic from Audrey Hepburn to that little black dress to kissing in the rain. The 1961 poster for Breakfast at Tiffany's has an estimate of £6000-9000.
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To see more lots, browse the full catalogue for the Spink Original Film Vintage Posters auction or, to learn more about this topic, check out our guide to collecting vintage posters.