A gorgeous and dynamic Mexican lobby card for Big House, U.S.A draws attention to the crime drama. Five criminals go after the loot. Who will survive? Lon Chaney Jr gets minuscule billing. (Note: I'm thinking this is a repop, not the original card, but still a beauty.)
Dick Powell made an excellent Philip Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet. He plays another tough guy here, successfully going against type (you know, the musical comedy leading man role that Hollywood wanted to peg him to). This Mexican lobby card shows the dames, the look, and the gun, essential elements for any noir crime drama.
Here's one for Doris Day's 97th birthday. I don't think she showed as much cleavage in the movie as shown here, but yee-haw! Keep 'em cracking, DD!
The old dark house trope as done by Alfred Hitchcock–and quite a movie it is. This Mexican lobby card does the movie justice. Well, except for the typo.
Here's the Mexican lobby card for Neutron contra los Asesinos del Karate (1964). At first glance it looks like a simple layout, but look deeper. The inset scene and text are given dynamism by being slanted short of the diagonal, allowing the proscenium illustration to show the story's key themes. Notice the careful balance of the woman at bottom left, perfectly positioned along the slanting text and scene, as she looks to left and upward, while Neutron looks toward left (ostensibly towards her).
Interesting that the leading lady doesn't receive top billing in this 1953 Western, Woman They Almost Lynched. She does get an embellished bosom, however, in this Mexican lobby card (and also in the American poster art). Of particular note is how she's holding two guns (again, also in the American poster art), but has only one holster. Hmm.
A very ominous Mexican lobby card for Damiano Damiani’s The Witch in Love (La strega in amore). This is a good example of how a simple layout can add subtle and not so subtle themes: the main scissor illustration showing violence and death; the younger woman on the left showing erotic fantasy but also foreboding as she faces toward the woman on the right; and the flaming passion or ill-intent shown by that older woman on the right. The eyes are drawn to each of these three visual statements in that order. The inset scene is one of action, too, which keeps the level of tension across this lobby card quite high.
Amando de Ossorio (he did the Blind Dead movies and other horrors) serves up a tale of sorcery and warlocks, decapitation, and leopard skin clad women. This Mexican lobby card incorrectly lists his name as "Armando."
By now you may have noticed I'm a horror AND western movie fan. (Well, toss in science fiction, fantasy, film noir…) Here's a tidy Hopalong Cassidy Mexican lobby card, with the requisite gun and tussle illustration. This one's unusual in that the English title isn't mentioned. While Hasta el Ultimo Cartucho translates to "until the last cartridge," I'm not sure which Hopalong movie this lobby relates to. I haven't watched all of them, so I can't match up the scene to its movie.
Lively colors, bared shoulder with a little bit more, and a rough and tumble wrestle with guns drawn. What more can you want from a rip roarin' western movie? Or lobby card? Although I doubt the seductive skin baring in this lobby card ever made it into the movie.
A thrilling Mexican lobby card for The Black Whip.
One of James Stewart's best performances. Straightforward illustration with Stewart's face commanding attention makes this Mexican lobby card effective.