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World’s most beautiful movie posters to sell at Heritage Auctions


An upcoming sale at Heritage Auctions will offer collectors more than 1,000 of the world’s rarest and most beautiful movie posters.

Leading the auction are a pair of highly rare horror posters featuring two of Universal’s most famous monsters – Dracula and the Phantom of the Opera.

The Dracula style-A one-sheet poster dates from the film’s original release in 1931, and is one of just two known examples.

Featuring a striking close-up of sinister star Bela Lugosi, and described as a “holy grail” in the world of poster collecting, it is expected to sell for $150,000 – $300,000.

The Phantom of the Opera poster is a 1925 style-L one-sheet, featuring the film’s hero Raoul de Chagny watching chaos unfold blow him from an opera house balcony.

Appearing at Heritage for the very first time, the beautifully-restored poster comes with an estimate of $50,000 – $100,000.

Moving from big-screen bogey men to ‘Bogey’ himself, the sale also offers up two rare posters from the timeless classic Casablanca.

Most notable is a ‘grande’ poster for the film’s original French release in 1945, following the end of WWII.

One of only four-known surviving examples, the poster features stunning artwork by French artist Pierre Pigeot, and is estimated at $100,000 – $200,000.

The second is a 2-sheet poster for an Italian rerelease of the film in 1962, bearing artwork by the renowned illustrator Silvano ‘Nano’ Campeggi, which is valued at $40,000 – $80,000.

It would be no surprise if either of the posters surpassed their estimates, as Casablanca posters are amongst the most sought-after and valuable in the entire hobby.

In July 2017, a 4-sheet poster for the Italian release of the film in 1945 sold at Heritage for an amazing $478,000, equalling the auction record for any vintage movie poster.

Further highlights from the sale will include a rare six-sheet poster for the 1951 science fiction classic The Day the Earth Stood Still, estimated at $45,000+; the only-known six-sheet poster for the 1939 John Wayne western Stagecoach, estimated at $40,000+; and the original 1957 Albert Kallis poster artwork for Invasion of the Saucer-Men, estimated at $20,000+.

The Heritage Movie Posters Auction takes place in Dallas on November 18-19.


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