Pressbooks (Horror, Sci Fi, Fantasy)
Movie Pressbook: The Beast From
20,000 Fathoms Part 1
Here’s a nifty holiday treat: the 24 page, 11 x 17 inches, pressbook for The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms. Lots of promotional gimmicks for the theater and great ad mat art set this baby on fire. One amusing story concerning this movie, as told by Ray Bradbury, is how the producers forgot to include him in the payroll, especially since his short story, The Fog Horn, was the basis for the Beast. He let them know of their oversight, they quickly shot a check over with thanks.
Movie Pressbook: Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure (1959)
Courtesy of Tony River (Teenage Horror Factory) comes this Paramount Showmanship Manual (aka pressbook) for Gordon Scott’s Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure. Tony says: “Here’s the 8 page press book for one of the best Tarzan movies, TARZAN’S GREATEST ADVENTURE. The middle 2 pages are like one large page with ads in the middle.” Note: You can see the double-page spread for pages 4 and 5, and following it, the separate adverts closeup.
Double Bill Pressbook: The Return of Dracula
and The Flame Barrier
Here is an exuberant double bill pressbook for The Return of Dracula and The Flame Barrier. Notice how most of the box office promotion is geared toward Dracula and the vampire theme. The Return took a beating from Hammer's Horror of Dracula the same year (1958), but Francis Lederer and this United Artists release is not bad.
Theater Herald: The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms
Here’s the theater herald for The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (the movie was very loosely based on Ray Bradbury’s short story, The Fog Horn). I’ll have the exciting pressbook posted soon. Note: the blank page on the cover is for the theater to add their own information. These were given away for free to promote the upcoming movie showing at the local theater.
Movie Pressbook: World Without End (1956)
One of my favorite movies to catch on local television, way back when, was World Without End. Giant spiders, gorgeous women, and mutants! This pressbook is large, 12 x 18.25 inches, and it has some interesting promotional gimmicks: Vargas, for one, drawing sexy futuristic women, and one product tie-in is a vacuum cleaner. Yup. They still need to clean, even in the future. Those giant spiders leave an awful mess.
Monsters and Maidens: A Film Poster Collection
From the redoubtable West Nelson, science fiction maven and geek extraordinaire, comes this news about the Monsters and Maidens poster showing at the Swann Auction Galleries.
"Get carried away! Every poster in this sale depicts a beautiful damsel in distress in the clutches of a monster (or monster of sorts). Images range from promotions of A-list classic films like Dracula and Frankenstein to posters for B movies and beyond."
Title: MONSTERS & MAIDENS: A FILM POSTER COLLECTION
Date: December 18, 2012
Time: at 1:30 PM
Exhibition: Fri., December 14, 10-6
Sat., December 15, noon-5
Mon., December 17, 10-6
Tues., December 18, 10-noon
Here are examples of the wonderful posters on display.
