Eight Original 20th Century-Fox British Front of House Cards (8×10) for the Carol Reed historical biography, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTACY (1965) starring Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento, and Harry Andrews. Based on the novel by Irving Stone, this film chronicles Michelangelo’s (Heston) commission to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Pope Julius II (Harrison). Heston and Harrison are wonderful in their parts, and the film had many other fine qualities that resulted in five Oscar nominations. These original British front of house cards are fine plus to very fine.

Original Paramount Pictures One Sheet Poster (27×41) for the Cecil B. DeMille circus epic, THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (1952) starring Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Charlton Heston, and Dorothy Lamour. This film tells the dramatic stories of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer against a background of circus spectacle. DeMille toured the Midwest for two months with the Ringling Bros. circus—collecting anecdotes, slang, and behind-the-scenes ideas. Furthermore, the director, always demanding of his performers, insisted that everyone truly learn to perform the circus stunts they were supposed to be performing in the film. The popular movie was nominated for five Academy Awards and won two, including Best Picture. This original one sheet poster is folded and in very good plus condition. Some tape residue on the front and a chip is missing from the border area. Would linen back very successfully. Ask us about poster restoration.

Original Set of 8 British Front of House Cards (8×10) for the Anthony Mann epic, EL CID (1961) starring Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone, and Genevieve Page. This is an epic film of the medieval Spanish hero, El Cid Rodrigo de Bivar (Heston) who ultimately drove the Moors out of Spain. Interlaced into this epic story is a star-crossed romance between Rodrigo and Jimena (Loren). The film was nominated for three Academy Awards; Best Costume Design, Best Original Score for Miklos Rozsa, and Best Original Song for Rozsa and Paul Francis Webster. This original set of British front of house cards is in fine plus condition.

Original one sheet poster for the Cecil B. DeMille epic of Circus Life, THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (1952) starring Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, James Stewart, Gloria Grahame, Dorothy Lamour and Henry Wilcoxon. One of DeMille’s most popular films, the movie was honored with the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1953. Colorful and lively, with great heaping dollops of melodrama and in-the-arena excitement, THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH was filmed up close and personal at Ringling Brothers summer headquaters in Florida. Other pictures have tried to capture the glamor of the circus, but somehow are not remembered with the affection that this magnificent, rowdy and sentimental movie inspires. DeMille was nominated by the Academy of Motion PIcture Arts and Sciences for Best Director, and was awarded the Golden Globe. For a wonderful read about the production of this movie and the many other films which defined DeMille as a great showman, read the wonderful DeMille biography by Scott Eyman, “Empire of Dreams.” The one sheet is in very fine condition.

Original MGM 1969 Re-Release One Sheet Poster (27×41) for the William Wyler historical epic, BEN-HUR (1959) starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, and Haya Harareet. Considered by many critics to be the greatest achievement in cinematic history, Wyler not only had to direct literally “a cast of thousands,” but also was able to pull from his main actors the performances of their lives. Everything about this production was “Enormous.” 50,000 people were used to make the film on 300 sets covering more than 340 acres. The famous chariot race scene was shot in an 18-acre arena that took 40,000 tons of sand to make the track. The stands were packed with 8,000 extras, and it took over three months to shoot the entire scene. MGM, which nearly went bankrupt making the picture, spent over $12.5 million but grossed over $40 million on the project. The film won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor to Heston, Best Supporting Actor to Griffith, and Best Director to Wyler. Interestingly enough, Gore Vidal worked as a script doctor on this film. This original re-release one sheet poster is folded and in very good condition, with minor tears and foxing.

Original MGM Twenty Four Sheet Poster (exterior billboard) for the William Wyler historical epic, BEN-HUR (1959)—starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith and Haya Harareet. Considered by many critics to be the greatest achievement in cinematic history, Wyler not only had to direct literally “a cast of thousands,” but also was able to pull from his main actors the performances of their lives. Everything about this production was “Enormous.” 50,000 people were used to make the film on 300 sets covering more than 340 acres. The famous chariot race scene was shot in an 18-acre arena that took 40,000 tons of sand to make the track. The stands were packed with 8,000 extras, and it took over three months to shoot the entire scene. MGM, which nearly went bankrupt making the picture, spent over $12.5 million but grossed over $40 million on the project. The film won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor to Heston, Best Supporting Actor to Griffith, and Best Director to Wyler. Interestingly enough, Gore Vidal worked as a script doctor on this film. The 24 sheet measure approximately 9 x 20 feet and is printed on multiple panels which have been butted together to make this photograph.
24 sheets are among the rarest posters on any given title. With a few notable exceptions (GOLDFINGER and SPELLBOUND come to mind) 24 sheets have not survived in any significant quantity when they do exist and for many films there are no known examples. In most cases 24 sheet posters were destroyed, if they were utilized at all, because some other 24 sheet advertisement was pasted over them. Because the 24 sheets were bulky to store, they were routinely discarded by the National Screen branches after a film went out of first run. So these are iconic artifacts of a system of national exhibition that simply no longer exists. And there is no more iconic film than BEN HUR. Very fine condition, unused.

Original MGM Color Printed Lithographic Still (8×10) for the William Wyler historical epic, BEN-HUR (1959) starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith and Haya Harareet. Considered by many critics to be the greatest achievement in cinematic history, Wyler not only had to direct literally “a cast of thousands,” but also was able to pull from his main actors the performances of their lives. Everything about this production was “Enormous.” 50,000 people were used to make the film on 300 sets covering more than 340 acres. The famous chariot race scene was shot in an 18-acre arena that took 40,000 tons of sand to make the track. The stands were packed with 8,000 extras, and it took over three months to shoot the entire scene. MGM, which nearly went bankrupt making the picture, spent over $12.5 million but grossed over $40 million on the project. The film won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor to Heston, Best Supporting Actor to Griffith, and Best Director to Wyler. Interestingly enough, Gore Vidal worked as a script doctor on this film. This color scene still of Tribune Massala arresting the Hur family was found with a cache of roadshow posters from the movie. The still is dated 1959 and is in very fine condition. We have several stills from this release available on the site.

This is an original MGM Color Printed Lithographic Still (8×10) for the William Wyler historical epic, BEN-HUR (1959) starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith and Haya Harareet. Considered by many critics to be the greatest achievement in cinematic history, Wyler not only had to direct literally “a cast of thousands,” but also was able to pull from his main actors the performances of their lives. Everything about this production was “Enormous.” 50,000 people were used to make the film on 300 sets covering more than 340 acres. The famous chariot race scene was shot in an 18-acre arena that took 40,000 tons of sand to make the track. The stands were packed with 8,000 extras, and it took over three months to shoot the entire scene. MGM, which nearly went bankrupt making the picture, spent over $12.5 million but grossed over $40 million on the project. The film was photographed in MGM’s Camera 65 70mm process. BEN-HUR won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor to Heston, Best Supporting Actor to Griffith, and Best Director to Wyler. Interestingly enough, Gore Vidal worked as a script doctor on this film. This color still portrait of Admiral and Consul Quintus Arrius was found with a cache of roadshow posters from the movie. The still is dated 1959 and is in very fine condition. We have several stills from the release available on the site.

This is an original MGM Color Printed Lithography Still (8×10) for the William Wyler historical epic, BEN-HUR (1959)—starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith and Haya Harareet. Considered by many critics to be the greatest achievement in cinematic history, Wyler not only had to direct literally “a cast of thousands,” but also was able to pull from his main actors the performances of their lives. Everything about this production was “Enormous.” 50,000 people were used to make the film on 300 sets covering more than 340 acres. The famous chariot race scene was shot in an 18-acre arena that took 40,000 tons of sand to make the track. The stands were packed with 8,000 extras, and it took over three months to shoot the entire scene. MGM, which nearly went bankrupt making the picture, spent over $12.5 million but grossed over $40 million on the project. The film won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor to Heston, Best Supporting Actor to Griffith, and Best Director to Wyler. Interestingly enough, Gore Vidal worked as a script doctor on this film. This color still of Heston competing in the famous chariot race was found with a cache of roadshow posters from the movie. The still is dated 1959 and is in very fine condition. We have several stills from this release available on the site.

Original MGM Color Printed Lithography Still (8×10) for the William Wyler historical epic, BEN-HUR (1959)—starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith and Haya Harareet. Considered by many critics to be the greatest achievement in cinematic history, Wyler not only had to direct literally “a cast of thousands,” but also was able to pull from his main actors the performances of their lives. Everything about this production was “Enormous.” 50,000 people were used to make the film on 300 sets covering more than 340 acres. The famous chariot race scene was shot in an 18-acre arena that took 40,000 tons of sand to make the track. The stands were packed with 8,000 extras, and it took over three months to shoot the entire scene. MGM, which nearly went bankrupt making the picture, spent over $12.5 million but grossed over $40 million on the project. The film won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor to Heston, Best Supporting Actor to Griffith, and Best Director to Wyler. Interestingly enough, Gore Vidal worked as a script doctor on this film. This color still of House of Hur with Cathy O’Donnell, Haya Harareet, Martha Scott, Sam Jaffe, and Charlton Heston was found with a cache of roadshow posters from the movie. The still is dated 1959 and is in very fine condition. We have several stills from this release available on the site.

Original MGM Color Printed Lithographic Still (8×10) for the William Wyler historical epic, BEN-HUR (1959) starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, and Haya Harareet. Considered by many critics to be the greatest achievement in cinematic history, Wyler not only had to direct literally “a cast of thousands,” but also was able to pull from his main actors the performances of their lives. Everything about this production was “Enormous.” 50,000 people were used to make the film on 300 sets covering more than 340 acres. The famous chariot race scene was shot in an 18-acre arena that took 40,000 tons of sand to make the track. The stands were packed with 8,000 extras, and it took over three months to shoot the entire scene. MGM, which nearly went bankrupt making the picture, spent over $12.5 million but grossed over $40 million on the project. The film won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor to Heston, Best Supporting Actor to Griffith, and Best Director to Wyler. Interestingly enough, Gore Vidal worked as a script doctor on this film. This color portrait still of Haya Harareet as Esther was found with a cache of roadshow posters from the movie. The still is dated 1959 and is in very fine condition. We have several stills from this release available on the site.

Original MGM Color Printed Lithographic Still (8×10) for the William Wyler historical epic, BEN-HUR (1959) starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, and Hugh Griffith. Considered by many critics to be the greatest achievement in cinematic history, Wyler not only had to direct literally “a cast of thousands,” but also was able to pull from his main actors the performances of their lives. Everything about this production was “Enormous.” 50,000 people were used to make the film on 300 sets covering more than 340 acres. The famous chariot race scene was shot in an 18-acre arena that took 40,000 tons of sand to make the track. The stands were packed with 8,000 extras, and it took over three months to shoot the entire scene. MGM, which nearly went bankrupt making the picture, spent over $12.5 million but grossed over $40 million on the project. The film won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor to Heston, Best Supporting Actor to Griffith, and Best Director to Wyler. Interestingly enough, Gore Vidal worked as a script doctor on this film. This color still of Christ,played in the film by actor Claude Heater, carrying the cross as The House of Hur looks on, was found with a cache of roadshow posters from the movie. The still is dated 1959 and is in very fine condition. We have several stills from this release available on the site.