1933 ‘The Mummy’ movie poster may scare up $60K

DALLAS — Rare movie posters from classic American horror flicks, including the only-remaining Belgian poster for The Mummy (Universal, 1933), haunt Heritage Auctions’ Movie Posters event April 7-8 in Dallas. Cinema’s classic monsters in the 600-lot auction range from a beastly, 47-inch tall poster for King Kong (RKO, 1933) to an elusive poster from the iconic vampire film London After Midnight (MGM, 1927).

“Our spring auctions traditionally offer posters with stunning images from some of the most iconic movies ever made,” Heritage Auctions Vintage Posters Director Grey Smith said. “We believe there are rare posters in this wonderful group for every taste."

The 24-1/2-by-33-1/2-inch stone lithograph poster for The Mummy is the only remaining poster of its kind. It is making its auction debut at Heritage. It depicts the haunting visage of Boris Karloff as the shrouded Egyptian priest Imhotep. He is the mummy who escapes thousands of years after burial. The poster comes from Universal’s original European distribution and carries an estimate of $60,000.

A London After Midnight (MGM, 1927) Argentinean one sheet ($30,000-$60,000) shines a spotlight on one of the “holy grails” of lost movie posters. It is the last known copy of the film which was destroyed in a fire.The fire took place in an MGM studio vault in 1965. Posters from the film, which starred Lon Chaney and directed by Dracula’s Tod Browning, have been as elusive as the film itself over the last 80 years. Furthermore, this Argentinean one sheet is the first to appear at Heritage since 2009.

In addition, a 21-by-58-inch Japanese STB tatekan from The Seven Samurai (Toho, 1954) ($20,000-50,000) is an extraordinary collectible poster for fans of Japanese cinema and director Akira Kurosawa. This rare country-of-origin poster from Kurosawa’s most prestigious film is thought to be the only copy in existence. A bittersweet tale of the price of war and the loss of noble warriors is The Seven Samurai. It is one of the most influential films in cinema history. Furthermore, it is among the highest-grossing films ever made in Japan.

An oversized Swedish King Kong (RKO, 1933) poster ($20,000-$50,000) is coming to auction. It features “The Eighth Wonder of the World” raging through New York. He is holding Fay Wray in one hand while smacking planes out of the sky with the other. Among the greatest horror/fantasy films ever made, King Kong definitely is one of the most innovative, using stop-motion animation that became the industry standard for decades. The rare, oversized stone litho Swedish poster, from the Kirk Hammett Collection, is reminiscent of the U.S. three sheet with its striking image of King Kong atop the Empire State Building.

Also on offer is an extraordinary post-war French release double grande poster from Casablanca (Warner Brothers, 1947), which is expected to sell for $60,000, as well as an arresting British six sheet poster from the 1939 hit The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (20th Century Fox), which measures a mammoth 77-3/4 inches by 87-1/2 inches.

Finally, other top lots of movie posters include:
• Creature from the Black Lagoon (Universal International, 1954) ($15,000-30,000)
• The Lady Eve (Paramount, 1941) ($15,000-30,000)
• This Gun for Hire (Paramount, 1942) ($15,000-30,000)

For more information, visit www.ha.com.