This Guide looks at 11x14 inch Lobby Cards produced specifically in Australia in very small numbers and are considered scarce. We feature such cards regularly in our eBay sales at Phil Edwards Cinemarts .

Here are two examples of Australian made (hand-made by the films distributor) 11x14 Title cards for Corman/Poe movie TALES OF TERROR. The artwork would have been done by a signwriter or whoever did this small distributor's - Blake Films - artwork (it's an acrylic paint of some kind) and the two versions of the stars heads are actually pasted on.

 

The fact that there are two versions in the one collection acquired perhaps indicates that there were others and that each of these "mock" title cards  may be well "one of a kind" pieces with their own variations.

These were used as Title Cards that accompanied a set of Australian printed 11x14 black & white photographic cards (yes, photographic, not lithographic because in this instance the film was a small release and either American-International or NSS could not supply cards, or it was simply cheaper  to have a couple of dozen sets done to cover the release). The paper used for these is a satin sheen, double weight paper.

The film was actually on the banned list for a couple of years, so it may account for lack of imported materials ... or Blake's usual parsimonious approach to marketing costs for their late-in-the-day pick-ups.

  

The card above is one of the seven cards done to accompany the Title card.


All the latter day THREE STOOGES features did pretty well in Australia on first release than as staples of childrens matinee programmes,  and so the regular sets of Lobby Cards supplied from the USA dried up fairly quickly - after all, once they went to the matinee circuit,  paper was less necessary - the weekly trailers for the next weeks Saturday Matinee show and word of mouth was pretty solid.
Once the US imported cards were used up, and others were required, it was easy for the distributors to have few sets of these (again double weight photographic paper) photographic 11x14s made for use and re-use.
Here is a Title Card and one of the cards in the set. The shine is paper sheen from the lighting used to photograph them.

 

The Title Card components were taken from ad or still mats from the US pressbook, the title art etc. from same or locally initiated. The PMTs were then pasted up and negative for printing en masse was made. A similar treatment was used for the scene cards, with publicity stills being  anointed with all-important censor rating and a smaller version of the Title card paste-up as "border art".

As always, understanding censor ratings of different countries and when specific wording changed and how different country ratings work and are  applied, etc., can be one of the best ways of determining  what one might be looking at.

We are preparing more detailed Guides with real historical facts for real poster collectors. More information on all aspects of film poster collecting will be available on our forthcoming blog.


Phil Edwards
Phil Edwards Cinemarts