Welcome back to this week's look at Heritage's Sunday night movie poster auction! Each week Heritage auctions off some truly unique finds across all movie genres, such as movie serials, animation, science fiction, romance, and more. Each week I find a few gems that could be overlooked! Here are my pics for this week's unique finds!
The Bride of Frankenstein Lobby Cards
The 1935 sequel to one of Universal's greatest horror films had much to live up to. Bride opens with Mary Shelley (portrayed by Elsa Lanchester, who also portrays the Bride), Percy Bysshe Shelley (Douglass Walton), and Lord Byron (Gavin Gordon) discussing Mary's new book. As a literary nerd seeing a film portrayal of two influential writers interacting with each other is a delight. The three are talking about Frankenstein's frank ending, and Mary reveals there is more to the story. The movie then dives into one of the most acclaimed sequels in cinema history.
The Bride is considered by many to be a cinematic masterpiece. Despite being the titular character, the character only appears for roughly 3 minutes. Despite the short screen time, Lanchester's performance as the Bride is iconic and celebrated to this day. Both movies also hold up well and can - and should - be rewatched often. Both the Monster and the Bride are pop culture fixtures and have inspired countless imitators to this day.
This set of two lobby cards from the 1953 re-release is great. While both monsters only appear on the border, these are still great for any horror, classic film, or monster movie collector. Heritage notes that these cards are unrestored and in Very Fine condition.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West Posters
As a child of the late 1980s (and early 1990s), Roger Rabbit was everywhere. The movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, seemed like a fever dream at the time. Having cartoon characters from different studios interact -- and even live with each other -- was extremely cool. The effortless blending of live-action and animation impressed viewers of all ages. The story was also well thought out and at times frightening. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is based on the 1981 mystery novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf. The novel takes a much darker turn (the titular character is murdered, leaving behind a speech balloon as a clue), but works extremely well as an early 80s mystery novel.
The movie sparked a bit of controversy within the Disney corporation, resulting in the movie being released under the Touchstone Pictures banner. The movie was a success, resulting in several awards - including 4 Academy Awards - and one hell of a legacy character in Jessica Rabbit. This movie is, to date, the only time Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny appear on screen together at the same time. While a sequel was proposed shortly after the film's release, the idea has been stuck in production hell.
The second poster in this set is An American Tail: Fievel Goes West one sheet. The follow-up to the popular Don Bluth film An American Tail, this sequel lacked the charm the first movie had. While still enjoyable, the movie was doomed from the start. Don Bluth did not return for this sequel, and it was released on the same day as Disney's Beauty and the Beast in North America. Unfortunately, any film being released the same day as that Disney renaissance juggernaut, was doomed to fail.
Despite the lackluster reception on opening, Fievel Goes West did spawn a Marvel mini-series and a cartoon series. There have even been a handful of direct-to-home media movies, with the most recent one released in 1999. Since then the series has been mostly abandoned, with no new projects announced.
Both of these posters are noted as being unrestored and in overall Very Fine- condition. Both would be a great addition to any animation collection and deserve to be displayed!
Beverly Hills Cop Betamax CGC 9.6
Eddie Murphy was on fire in the 80s. It might be safe to say he was one of the dominant comedy actors of the decade. 1984's Beverly Hills Cop cemented his stardom and would become one of the defining movies of the 80s. The theme song - Axel F - by Harold Faltermeyer is arguably one of the most well-known movie theme songs of all time. If the theme song is currently stuck in your head, you're welcome.
Beverly Hills Cop was received exceptionally well on its release. It is one of the highest-grossing R-rated films of all time, and had at least one decent sequel, and another sequel that was shot in a theme park. Later this summer a new sequel will make its debut on Netflix, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. While none hold a candle to the first film, each one is enjoyable in its own way.
This Betamax copy of BVC is graded CGC 9.6 with an A+ seal. First introduced in 1975, Betamax was a new way for people to watch movies and other media at home. Betamax would go head to head with VHS in the 1980s for home movie dominance, with VHS winning out. As a result, Betamax movies are harder to find and can be collectible in their own right. While I can't guess what this Beta will go for, it would be a unique addition to any home media collection.
