Will bidders come out in force for Vintage Star Wars poster
A rare vintage Star Wars poster looks set to be one of the most sought after items in an upcoming vintage poster sale taking place in Surrey later this month.
Auctioneers Ewbank’s is to sell a British Quad film poster advertising Star Wars, the iconic first film in the franchise. The poster features art work by Tim and Greg Hildebrandt, and was used when the film was initially released in the UK.
However, following the film’s launch, the studio decided the characters on the poster should more closely resemble the actors in the movie, so the Hildebrandt-designed poster was discontinued. The studio reissued the poster, featuring artwork by artist Tom Chantrell, and it’s his design that is now most associated with the film.
The Hildebrandt Star Wars poster on sale at Ewbank’s is folded, measures 30 by 40 inches, and carries a pre-sale estimate of between £2,500 and £3,500.
Another high-value poster sure to entice collectors is one from the well-loved 1969 crime caper The Italian Job, starring Michael Caine. The poster is folded and has been valued at between £500 and £800 by the team at Ewbank’s.
Elsewhere in the sale, horror fans will have the chance to snap up posters promoting two classic Hitchcock films. The first poster advertised the 1958 movie Vertigo, while the other promoted the 1963 classic The Birds. Both posters have guide prices of between £200 and £400.
Other lots of note include:
- An original poster from 1996 western The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, starring Clint Eastwood, valued at between £200 and £400
- One advertising 1971 Steve McQueen film, Le Mans, with an estimate of between £150 and £250
- A US one-sheet poster for The Beatles documentary Let It Be (1970) with a guide between £150 and £250.
- An unusual 1966 poster of double bill of Batman, starring Burt Ward and Adam West, and animated film The Man Called Flintstone, artwork by Tom Chantrell, has a guide price of between £150 and £250.
The sale takes place on May 31.