Original Warner Brothers One Sheet Poster (27×41) for the Richard Lester comedy farce, THE RITZ (1976) starring Jack Weston, Rita Moreno, Jerry Stiller, and Kaye Ballard. Based on the original Broadway play by Terrence McNally, Weston plays a gangster who is on the run from hit men and hides in a gay bathhouse. The film received three Golden Globe nominations: Best Musical Comedy, Best Musical Comedy Actor for Weston, and Best Musical Comedy Actress for Moreno. This original one sheet poster is folded and in fine plus condition, with only an extra fold and minor foxing along the fold lines.

Original United Artists Six Sheet Poster (81×81) for the Richard Lester musical comedy, A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (1964)—starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. This is the Fab Four’s first full-length feature film, and director Lester infuses the film with quick editing and energetic pacing, giving the film a documentary-like feel. The film is effortlessly charming, and each member of the audience has the real feeling of being transported into a day in the life of The Beatles and being given a VIP pass to accompany them wherever they go. This original six sheet poster is in very fine minus condition—with small staple holes in the border and image, minor stains in the left and right borders, a few light creases in the margins and corners, and a minor fold separation at the crossfold.

Original Belgian poster for the Richard Lester anti-war film HOW I WON THE WAR (1968). This mostly surreal, sometimes comic anti-war film joined a host of like-minded movies in the 1960s. This was garnered some special attention when John Lennon was cast in the film. Beatles fans looking for some outsized performance by John Lennon were surprised by his low key part in the film. Michael Crawford, later of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA fame, was the lead here. Lester, of course, had gained a permanent place in the halls of Beatle history for having directed A HARD DAY’S NIGHT and HELP!, the first two films The Beatles made for United Artists. The poster is in fine plus condition. A small tear has been repaired with archival tissue.

Original United Artists Six Sheet Poster (81×81) for the Richard Lester musical comedy, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (1966)—starring Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Buster Keaton, and Michael Crawford. Based on a play by the Roman poet Plautus, the original Broadway production opened at the Alvin Theater on May 1, 1962 and ran for 964 performances. The Broadway production won the 1963 Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book. But since musicals were on the wane in the 1960s, most of the original songs were cut from the film version. Ken Thorne was nominated for and won the Oscar for Best Musical Score. This original six sheet poster is folded and in very fine plus condition.

Original Polish Poster (23×32) for the Richard Lester -Beatles romp, HELP! (1965) starring The Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The wacky plot of this film, little more than an excuse to deliver (now classic) Beatles songs, revolves around a religious cult, who need to retrieve a sacrificial ring which Ringo cannot get off his finger. This James Bond spy spoof did not reveal the Fab Four to be great comedic actors, but the film did provide a showcase for some wonderful Beatles’ songs. While their earlier film, A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (1964) focused on their hits, this film is more concerned with their musical harmonies and virtuosity. With artwork by the famous Eryk Lipinski, this original Polish poster is folded and in fine plus condition, with only some minor edge wear, a very tiny chip out of the upper right corner and some minor fold separation.

Original United Artists Three Sheet Poster (41×81) for the Richard Lester music comedy, A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (1964) starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. This is the Fab Four’s first full-length feature film, and director Lester infuses the film with quick editing and energetic pacing, giving the film a documentary-like feel. The film is effortlessly charming, and each member of the audience has the real feeling of being transported into a day in the life of The Beatles and being given a VIP pass to accompany them wherever they go. This original three sheet poster is linen-backed and in very fine plus condition. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Original 20th Century-Fox One Sheet Poster (27×41) for the Richard Lester action adventure, THE FOUR MUSKETEERS (1974) starring Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, and Faye Dunaway. This was the second half of Lester’s THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973) and was actually filmed at the same time as the first movie, much to the consternation of the actors who were unaware that they were making two films! Certainly one of the better adaptations of the popular novels by Alexandre Dumas, this film is one of the wittier action films of the seventies. Lester, who had made a huge reputation for himself by directing A HARD DAY’S NIGHT in 1964, had become one of the cinema’s most wanted directors. His imaginative directing and fluid camera give the film his trademark antics. Originally folded, this one sheet poster is in very fine condition.