Near Mint R1959 Big Heat Glenn Ford Lobby Card # 3 Film Noir

Hi, here is an original 1959 re-release, USA made, 11"x 14" lobby card (#3) for the classic Columbia Studio film noir, "The Big Heat". This classic noir was directed by Fritz Lang and starred Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame (one of her best performances) and a young Lee Marvin. The story was based on a Saturday Evening Post serial story. An honest homicide detective refuses to let go of an apparent suicide case of an aging police official. Unknown to most the dead official wrote down names, facts and figures for all the corrupt politicians and city workers on the mob's payroll. His wife is using the paper's to blackmail the mob for money and a long term cushy life. The mob, crooked politicians and corrupt police officials put the heat on the detective to let the case go. Over ambitious hoodlums accidentally kill Ford's wife while trying to get him. That sets off a tension filled film of revenge and ultimate justice. This is lobby card # 3 from the 1959 set. It shows a Glenn Ford putting the collar on hitman/hoodlum Larry. Cards from the 1959 set are identical to the 1953 cards with only the differences being, the 1959 copyright date and the word "reprint" which Columbia put on their re-release paper during this time period. Cards from either studio release (1953 and 1959) are extremely difficult to obtain and even more so in Near Mint condition! Condition grades are subjective, so please study my photo of the actual lobby card for sale to judge the condition for yourself. The card is sold as is. It is an original card from 1959, it was issued for movie theatre use by the National Screen Service. It is not a reproduction.

Please check out my other cool and interesting collectibles for sale. There's something for almost every interest.

**************** 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.

****************