Hi and welcome to my blog. I’ve started this one to complement the one I started on blogspot: http://www.moviestillsbyhazardousoperations.blogspot.com/. I found myself a bit restricted on subject matter on that one and wanted to go a bit further. I decided to keep that one and stay within the limits I set myself beforehand. All the other stuff I’ll stick on this one.
So, first entry.
Thief of Bagdad 20x60 R1944
Last November I went to London for the 50th anniversary of the release of the classic movie Peeping Tom directed by Michael Powell. As it was a special occasion I already spent too much money for a long weekend, so I should have known better and not go to this poster shop. I did though and I found this very rare British doorpanel poster from 1944 of the Thief Of Bagdad that I loved since I was quite young.
I think it’s an irrestible design with the cloak of Conrad Veidt hovering menacingly over the heroes John Justin, June Duprez and Sabu. The design is from Clifford Rowe. Rowe is an interesting artist. Together with Pearl Binder and Mischa Black he founded the Artists’ International Alliance. For more on Rowe and the AIA see http://www.grahamstevenson.me.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=495:cliff-rowe&catid=18:r&Itemid=126. The reason for the rarity of this poster is because almost every snip of paper produced in the United Kingdom during World War II was to be recycled for the war effort. Very few movie posters from that period are left. Another reason is that this poster is a so-called British doorpanel. Doorpanels are one of the more rare sizes for movie posters, they measure about 20×60 inches. This one is a bit smaller, because it’s slightly trimmed. The trims reduce the commercial value for this poster, but the odds on finding another one in prime condition are very remote.