The Streaming Effect: The Loss of Iconic Film Poster Art
- Theresa Corvino
- Apr 20
- 11 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
By Kris Peck
My fellow Property Master and colleague, Andy Siegel, pointed out to me recently that as streaming movies at home continues to grow, and theatrical releases decline, we are losing one of our great industry pastimes: The Movie Poster. Like nerdy little kids collecting baseball cards, both Andy and I covet our movie poster and lobby card collections. We are truly of the last generation to grow up seeing movies in drive-ins and theaters (movie palaces), as the only option. In honor of the “theatrical release” and all of the great artists that made movies in the past and in the future, I wanted to share my appreciation of something that I’m very passionate about: Great PROP-CENTRIC Movie Posters.
I bought my very first movie posters in 1989, right after graduating from film school and moving to Hollywood. I have a pretty good idea what many of you are thinking right now, “Dude, I wasn’t even born then!”
If you think Hollywood is dirty and dangerous now, you should have seen it then. Especially after dark, between Cherokee and Whitley streets. Drug deals and murder were not uncommon. Prostitutes and low riders ruled the Boulevard on weekends. There were several, now closed, old theaters, up and down Hollywood Blvd, like The Vogue, where my wife and I saw THELMA AND LOUISE, and the second INDIANA JONES. We became regulars at old Hollywood landmarks like Musso and Franks, Miceli’s, Bob’s Frolic 2 and The Burgundy Room. I was 21 and this was my stomping ground. Even then, Hollywood had all the trappings of old tourist shops with T-shirts, shitty replica Oscars, and Chinese snow globes of the Hollywood sign. In the rear of those old shops, they had old movie poster hanging racks and this is where I bought my very first one sheets: TAXI DRIVER, SCARFACE, THE GODFATHER, and APOCALYPSE NOW. As long as I’ve lived here in LA, these posters have graced the walls throughout my home and still do today.
Those I bought in Hollywood were cheap reprints. Not original one sheets worth any real value. None the less, they were sacred to me. Even today, when I walk past these posters, they remind me of my arrival to Hollywood as a young man, pursuing a dream.
Original one sheets (27”x 40”) were folded movie posters given to theaters to advertise current and upcoming movies. The major studios had a National Screen Service, (NSS) numbering system on the bottom right corner of each one sheet and sometimes they were even ink stamped on their backside for additional identification when folded. For example, an NSS number might read “74/205, which meant the movie was the 205th movie release of 1974. Does anyone want to take a stab at what 74/205 is? No cheating.
Did you know an original Fritz Lang, METROPOLIS, sold to a US collector in 2005 for $690,000? The artwork on this poster is credited to Heinz Schulz and at that time, it was the most money ever spent on a movie poster. I’ve heard stories about the insane prices of what an original Dracula, Frankenstein and Mummy one sheet can bring. My romantic side would like to think that Johnny Depp has a couple of these vintage classics hanging on the walls of his historical Hollywood Hills home, the old Lugosi Castle.
Martin Scorsese is also a well known collector of old movie posters. I once read that he owns over 30 variations of THE THIRD MAN! Are you kidding me? If that’s actually true, I am both jealous and disturbed by this. Life’s not fair. My little THIRD MAN half sheet cost a small fortune (half a fortune actually), but it’s one of the most prized and cherished posters that I own. Each, like children to me. Especially this one.
As you can imagine, collecting movie posters can be a lot of fun. For me, closer to an addiction. Prized possessions, real art, made by great artists like Saul Bass (Vertigo, The Man With The Golden Arm, Spartacus), Bill Gold (Casablanca, Giant, Outlaw Josey Wales), Bob Peak (Westside Story, Star Trek, Apocalypse Now), Drew Struzan (Blade Runner, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future), Tom Jung (Dr. Zhivago, Star Wars, Papillion), just to name a few. Oftentimes there are many artists working on one movie poster.
These posters come in many formats other than one sheets, half sheets and lobby cards, that have already been briefly mentioned. There are also 3 sheet and 6 sheet formats and formats that I am not even familiar with. Andy Siegel prefers collecting lobby cards, for their small size and easy storage. They are beautiful and he is right, they don’t take up a lot of space and are usually less expensive. That having been said, I have an original lobby card of John Huston’s TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, which cost me $1,500. So it just depends. Personally, I prefer the larger than life format of the 3 sheet. If you have the room on your walls, the 3 sheet is an eye-catching format to brilliantly display these works of art.
Imagine, before computers and graphic programs were the norm, and these artists had all these different formats to service. Artwork for each format, each market, different languages in many different countries. That’s just to arrive at the approval process. The art was all done by hand, before they would go to print, which was the easy part. The art work for a US APOCALYPSE NOW alone is completely different from the Japanese version, which if you are not familiar with, it’s unrecognizable as APOCALYPSE NOW if you saw it. This is an entire industry that I wish I knew more about. Of course, today, when publicity decides to do a movie poster, it usually starts with a photo shoot, adjacent to the movie set, on the hardest day of the production schedule…when you have 300 extras. Has anyone besides me ever experienced this? I just want to meet the genius that decided this was a great idea.
Lastly, two recent movies that pay homage to the lost art of hand drawn movie posters, are Tarantino’s, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, and PTA’s, LICORICE PIZZA. Both period movies. I’m not saying that these posters were drawn by hand, but it makes sense that these two film making giants paid homage to our lost art.
In honor of this classic artform that so often focuses around the film’s iconic, world-building props, I wanted to share with you what I consider the top 25 PROP-CENTRIC movie posters of all time. Now for the posters…
1
CAST AWAY
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER ROBIN MILLER
One of the best props ever conceived is CAST AWAY’S Wilson and my vote for 2000 Best Supporting Actor. This poster is not the original theatrical release one sheet, but it’s the iconic prop we all remember from this movie. Great prop work throughout. Number 1 on my list.
2
CITY LIGHTS
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER UNKNOWN
Perhaps the oldest and most iconic prop in movie history is Charlie Chaplin’s cane from City Lights. Chaplin’s Little Tramp was born in front of a mirror, at a costume house. Examples like this make it clear why the Property Master should always be included in an actor fitting. Can you imagine the Little Tramp without his cane? Film historians consider this movie one of the greatest films of all time.
3
2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY
ARTIST ROBERT McCALL
PROPERTY MASTER FRANK BRUTON
As seen here on this poster as well as in the movie, Stanley Kubrick conceptualized the iPad 40 years before Steve Jobs could deliver it. Check out the PLSS (Primary Life Support Systems) and tripod unit. No detail was too small for Kubrick to dive into. This is an Italian Style B, 58” x 78” poster. I would love to have the wall space for this poster.
4
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER ROBERT GOODSTEIN
If you are over 50, you probably grew up watching this Cecil B DeMille Easter classic on primetime network television. I still get chills thinking of Charlton Heston’s Moses. His long hair and beard, turned grey after speaking with God. Coming down from Mt Sinai with those grand tablets in his hands. Movies didn’t get any better or bigger as a kid. One of the all-time great movie props.
5
OPPENHEIMER
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER GUILLAUME DELOUCHE
Going full biblical with Moses’s tablets at number four, I’m staying with the motif. Guillaume Delouche’s armageddon atomic bomb for OPPENHEIMER easily comes in at number five on my list. Check out this poster! When I heard Chris Nolan was making AMERICAN PROMETHEUS into a movie, I thought “how depressing,” I’ll admit, I was wrong. After I saw OPPENHEIMER at the Chinese Mann, l called Guillaume and told him, “I just saw the Best Picture of the year. I ended up seeing it two more times on MAX, Not only did it win Best Picture, but seven Academy Awards in total. Very deserved, Will go down as one of the great Hollywood movies ever.
6
STAR WARS
ARTIST TOM CHANTRELL
PROPERTY MASTER FRANK BRUTON
What started with George Lucus’ first Star Wars movie in 1977 has become a 70 billion dollar franchise today. My dad was a semi professional photographer when I was growing up and his medium format cameras and flashes were always present in my life. The decision to use a Speed Graphics flash for light sabers inspires me to this day.
7
THE AVENGERS
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER DREW PETROTTA
While putting this article together, I reached out to several Property Masters, hoping to get a “quote,” about their favorite prop movie poster. I never actually got a quote, but the thing I heard the most was, “movie posters, like Marvel’s Avengers, is the best example to show people what we do for a living.” A fantastic prop driven poster and an Artist’s nod to the first Star Wars. Great work by Drew and Russell who both have been instrumental in realizing Marvel’s characters and created hundreds of union jobs in Hollywood and beyond.
8
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
ARTIST RICHARD AMES
PROPERTY MASTER FRANK BRUTON
There are multiple posters on my list that could easily have be #1, including RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. It has everything. The Ark. It’s the movie title. For God’s sake! The prop is actually on the movie poster. Much to my surprise, not even Maltese Falcon and POTC Dead Man’s Chest can’ make this claim. You have the biggest Director in Hollywood (Spielberg) along with Harrison Ford, arguably the highest grossing actor all time. You have Indiana Jones front and center with his iconic leather whip, his pistol and bottomless haversack. You’ve got NAZI’s and bad guys. All iconic stuff. Prop porn for nerds like me.. It truly doesn’t get any better for a Property Master.
9
GHOSTBUSTERS
ARTIST MICHAEL GROSS
PROPERTY MASTER JACK ACKERMAN
I’m embarrassed to admit, I’ve never seen this movie. But it’s poster as always got my attention and pure props at its finest. Just fantastic stuff.
10
PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER STEVEN LEVINE
The stories that are out there about the creation of this bike are stuff of legend. For starters, I think they only had one. Though I never spoke with Steve about this, it must have been both a lot of fun and a lot of stress. Great poster.
11
MEN IN BLACK
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER DOUG HARLOCKER
I’ve stared at this poster hundreds of times throughout my career. It hung at ISS and I would pass it and dream about one day building props for a big, summer blockbuster movie. Doug Harlocker set the standard for guys like me and continues to this day. The poster is timeless.
12
THE CONVERSATION
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER TED MOEHNKE
Inspired by Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow Up, Coppola wrote this script at 14 years old. He had to agree to direct Godfather 2 before Paramount’s Robert Evan’s would green light Coppola’s art film. Francis squeezed in The Conversation during Godfather 2 preproduction. Imagine, in less than 10 years, Francis Ford Coppola directed Godfather 1 and 2, The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now. Four of the greatest movies of all time. Unprecedented. I love this poster and own an original One Sheet of it.
13
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
ARTIST JOHN ALVIN
PROPERTY MASTER CHARLES STEWART
Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies have grossed over 4.5 billion dollars worldwide and is the 16th highest grossing film series all time. Jack Sparrow’s sword, flintlock pistol and compass are synonymous with one of Hollywood greatest characters. A throw back to Errol Flynn’s early swashbuckling pirate movies of the 30’s. It was Halloween and my wife got me on the phone. She was at the local mall and was watching lines of little kids who were all dressed up as Jack Sparrow. Overnight, Johnny went from Indie favorite to International star.
14
DIRTY HARRY
ARTIST BILL GOLD
PROPERTY MASTER EDDIE AIONA
No other movie has sold more guns than Don Siegel’s Dirty Harry. One of the original vigilante cop movies, John Milieus’s brilliant script is perhaps the most quoted in movie history. It’s worth noting that this was Eddie Aiona’s first of 21 movies with Eastwood and Assistant Property Master on Dirty Harry was long time Eastwood collaborator Mike Sexton father, John Sexton.
15
20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER ARDEN CRIPE
I’ve been waiting a decade for Disney to update this 1954 classic- 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. I saw a screening at the Egyptian recently and it’s so wonderful. Kirk Douglas, James Mason and Peter Lorre. Three of my favorite actors. Check out the props in this poster. This is an Italian One Sheet.
16
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
GHOST PROTOCOL
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER KRIS PECK
At $700 million dollars, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol became the highest grossing film in Tom’s
long career. This poster shows Ethan Hunt, scaling the side of Dubai’s Burj Kalifa, 130 stories up the worlds tallest building.. Hundreds of hours went into designing and developing the gekko gloves and
sand storm goggles. Countless more hours were dedicated to rehearsals with Tom and the Stunt Dept. It was a huge success for Tom. I felt lucky to be a part of it. This poster is specific to the IMAX release.
17
THE PATRIOT
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER DOUG HARLOCKER
Aside from Mel at the absolute peak of his career, this poster is all props. Three flintlocks, a tomahawk, knife, haversack and custom sheath and bead work. A beautiful, hand made, colonial flag in the background. Again, this poster easily could have been #1 on my list, Some of my favorite work by Doug and his team.
18
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S
ARTIST ROBERT E. MCGINNIS
PROPERTY MASTER UNKNOWN
Truman Capote’s best selling novel introduced the world to Holly Golightly’s, “the new Modern Woman.” I love Robert McGinnis simple image of Audrey Hepburn, Her larger than life cigarette
holder makes a dramatic, unforgettable statement.
19
PLATOON
ARTIST BILL GOLD
PROPERTY MASTER DAVID DELINA
This poster silhouette reminds me a of The Wild Bunch poster, which I love. The use of dog tags to spell out Platoon is very clever and why its number 19.
20
ROSEMARY’S BABY
ARTIST PHILIP GIPS
PROPERTY MASTER BOB MCCRILLIS
I’m drawn to simple images and silhouettes. How great is this baby carriage? One of the all time great movie posters ever. One of two Polanski movies on my list.
21
BLADE RUNNER
ARTIST JOHN ALVIN
PROPERTY MASTER TERRY LEWIS
Tim Flattery would have shamed me if I didn’t include Deckard’s PK-D 5223 and Blade Runner as one of the great prop movie posters ever. So, this is for you Tim. Ridley Scott hired Syd Mead to design Blade Runner’s concept art. Syd was a neo futurist concept designer. In 2014, Dean Eilertson and I had the great honor to work with Syd on Tomorrowland.
22
CLOCKWORK ORANGE
ARTIST BILL GOLD
PROPERTY MASTER FRANK BRUTON
The second of two Stanley Kubrick movies on my list. Actor Malcolm McDowell, an eyeball and a dagger seen thru a keyhole. Very simple. Sums up the movie perfectly.. In film school, I remember learning that Clockwork Orange was released Christmas 1971. Audiences walked out in disgust. Can you imagine? It’s Christmas and you take your family to see Clockwork Orange?
23
SCARFACE
ARTIST UNKNOWN
PROPERTY MASTER JOHN ZEMANSKI
“Say hello to my little friend.” One of the great lines ever. This is not the original One Sheet but is my favorite of all the Scarface promotional posters. I saw the 30th anniversary for Scarface at the Cinerama Dome.
24
HALLOWEEN
ARTIST ROBER GLEASON
PROPERTY MASTER CRAIG STERNS
John Carpenter’s $300,000 original slasher has gone on to become a 13 film franchise that has grossed 900 million dollars worldwide. Michael Myers murder weapon of choice was the knife and has been the source of many sleepless nights for young boys and girls.
25
CHINATOWN
ARTIST JIM PEARSALL PROPERTY MASTER BILL MAC SEMS
Chinatown is not only one of my all time favorite movies, but also my absolute, favorite movie poster ever. I believe Jack Nicolson’s green silhouette was inspired by Peter Lorre’s The Man Who Knew Too Much. Check it out. Film Noir movie posters, during Hollywood’s golden age seem to always include a cigarette, pistol or both.. Artist Jim Pearsall pays homage in this neo noir classic with Jack’s green image, pinstriped suit, fedora hat and cigarette dangling from his lips. Smoke rises and curls to create Faye Dunaway’s face. The font used on this poster reminds me of the old the restaurant signage I used to see in LA’s Chinatown. One of my favorite retired Property Masters, Bill Mac Sems, told me this movie was originally offered to Alan Levine. But Alan was working and passed it on to Bill. His first of many credits on some of Hollywood’s best movies ever.