1948 Escape Crime Film Noir Rex Harrison Lobby Card #3 VF to NM-

Here is an original USA made movie theatre lobby cards for the 1948 20th Century-Fox film noir-crime film, Escape. The movie starred Rex Harrison and Peggy Cummins (of Gun Crazy fame). The film told the story of a man (Harrison) charge with murdering a police officer; he escapes and finds comfort and protection with a young woman (Cummins). Shot in the UK - the film was released in the USA. This lobby cards is from 1948 it is not a reproduction. The card is around the VF/NM condition range with some minor pin holes. It is 75 years old. This card (#3) shows Rex Harrison and others around a deceased man. Please see my photos/scans for more details of the actual card for sale. If you are a collector of vintage movie memorabilia - you will want this card for your personal collection. It is very cool! The card is sold as is, all sales are final.

**************** A brief history of vintage movie theater posters. What all serious movie poster collectors should know. From the 1890's until the early 1990's the majority of movie theater posters were folded for shipping to movie theaters. Only lobby cards and window card posters were not normally folded, (folds on those two poster sizes are considered by collectors to be defects and affect their eventual value). The folds on other vintage movie theater posters, (i.e. one sheet, half sheet, insert, 3 sheet, 6 sheet and 24 sheet, etc.) are not considered a defect in themselves. In fact those size posters were folded soon after they came off the printing press. It is only when their folds have separated or paper loss has occurred from continually opening and closing the poster that it becomes a factor in condition and pricing. It is extremely important to know that vintage movie posters were never made for the general public's use. They were made to be used solely by the movie theater and then returned to a poster exchange for a credit or return deposit. Over the years most were returned to the poster exchanges, lost or destroyed in paper recycling drives, (especially during WWII). Vintage movie theater posters were made to be disposable and not considered as souvenirs or collectibles. Printed in very low numbers, (estimated at 3,000 to 8,000 copies per film title); and not by the tens or hundreds of thousands or even millions like comic books, gum cards or other items made for the general public's consumption. It is estimated that for most films in the 1910's to 1970's that no more than 8,000 one sheet size posters were issued for most Hollywood films in the USA. These same posters were used in Canada, as we were considered an extension of the American market. Over the years, vintage movie theater posters that survived in private hands usually have signs of theater use, (such as, pin holes, fold wear, stains, tape, etc.) and these things along with rarity, film title, star, and other factors enter into pricing. Vintage movie theater posters that survived with little to no wear usually bring a premium price from collectors. Around the early 1990's most movie theater posters were now shipped rolled, they were also being made in larger numbers, often as licensed products by many different printing companies. Hollywood saw the collectible popularity of their movie posters and finally decided to cash in on a part of the market that they had been missing out on.

DVD and video posters are a different product printed by the millions and distributed to corner stores, drug stores, grocery stores, video stores, department stores and poster distributors everywhere; almost any place where DVDs and videos were sold, rented, leased or distributed. Made in major abundance DVD/video posters were made to be mass distributed in a completely different manner than the traditional vintage movie theater poster and to date DVD/video posters have not acquired a substantial collectible value and that may take years to come.

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