The Capitol Theater
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Seen on eBay. I was outbid. Damn.
January 2015
Mexican Lobby Card: Venganza Apache (1960)
The usual elements of exploitative promotion are here: cowering, partially undressed female and a weapon held in an attacking posture. But due to an imbalance in the illustration, the ho-hum left side of this Mexican lobby card for Venganza Apache greatly lessens the impact of the more aggressive right half of the card. Also the proportions on all elements in the illustration aren't well thought out: one giant guy, three little heads, and a doll-sized woman. I hope the movie has more action than this lobby card and better thematic sense.
Mexican Lobby Card: En Carne Propia (1961)
Another visually charged Mexican lobby card, this time for the thriller En Carne Propia. Note the fearful female huddled against the unperturbed male, and the blood dripping down across the newsprint. I can't make out what the shadowy figures are in the top middle of the card. I'm open to suggestions.
Mexican Lobby Card:
El Camino De La Vida (1956)
The tone and mood of the illustration for this Mexican lobby card for El Camino De La Vida (The Road of Life) is poetic and emotionally charged, and tells a story all by itself.
Movie Pressbook: The Wolf Man (1941)
Courtesy of Tony Rivers comes these scans for the movie pressbook to the Universal Studios classic, The Wolf Man! Once again, the showmanship pages are killer.
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Mexican Lobby Card:
La Marca Del Cuervo (1958)
Highly connotative illustration and uncluttered layout give this Mexican lobby card for La Marca Del Cuervo its promotional power. Intrigue, action, and what I call the "western way" are embraced here.
Mexican Lobby Card: La Mujer Tarzan (1932)
Blended use of the elephant photograph with the illustration gives a lively, and a little awkward, sensibility to this Mexican lobby card for The Savage Girl with Rochelle Hudson. Sadly she wears more clothes in the movie than in the illustration, and she walks around with a killer gorilla (Charles Gemora)–no, not the guy in the inset scene holding her savage body.
Double Bill Pressbook:
The Monster That Challenged the World
and The Vampire
Tony Rivers strikes again, providing us with these movie pressbook scans for the thrill-bill double bill of The Monster that Challenged the World and The Vampire. (I particularly enjoy the exploitation ideas for both movies.)
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Double Bill Pressbook:
The Monster That Challenged the World
and The VampireRead More »
Mexican Lobby Card: Las Dos Galleras (1964)
Here's another Mexican lobby card for the duo of Kitty De Hoyos and Dacia Gonzalez. Not sure what the chickens are meant to convey, but I'll let you draw your own conclusions. Two words will come to mind, I'm sure. Very lively card showcasing the two women. Notice the absence of their usually brandished whips.
Mexican Lobby Card:
Las Vengadoras Enmascaradas (1963)
Looks like Zorro has some competition. Careful attention devoted to this lobby card's layout and colors draws your eyes first to the masked characters on the left while inferring their capabilities at providing suitable action for this southwestern actioner. Note the diagonal flow of the card and how two characters, a cowboy on the right and a masked rider on the left, are facing each other. Perhaps a love interest is being hinted at?