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BEST: George Best All by Himself

Name: BEST: George Best All by Himself
SKU: 12580
Price: 125.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

BEST:-George-Best-All-by-Himself-Movie-Poster

£125.00

“He was football’s first rock and roll star – a handsome, charismatic Belfast boy who could thrill and excite the crowds with every turn of the ball. But George Best was also the lead in his own Shakespearean tragedy, a flawed genius, brought down by drink, temptation and depression”

Film Description

BEST: George Best All by Himself Movie Poster

“Maradona. Pelé. Best. Northern Ireland’s legendary star remains one of the most naturally gifted footballers there has ever been. Famously called the ‘best player in the world’ by Pelé, George Best galvanized Manchester United’s five-year recovery from the tragedy of the Munich air crash. His skill and exuberance inspired them to win league titles and the European Cup, even though he was little more than a teenager. Tragically, his career in the upper echelons of sport was over before he turned 29, the result of his bruising battle with alcoholism and the crushing pressure of modern fame.”

I once met George Best at a book signing on the King’s Road a few years before he died and still have the book to prove it. For me, he was and always will be the best footballer I’ll ever see, above Pele, Maradona, Cruyff and certainly the overrated superstars of today like Messi and Ronaldo. As a player he had the lot, dribbling skill, two good feet, fine in the air, brave as a lion and an eye for goal. This unauthorised biography uses vintage footage of his life and times, combined with retrospective comments by fellow footballers and voice overs by the man himself. The story is ultimately a lonely at the top tragedy as the shy young Irish boy who ran away back home to his native Belfast after his first day of training as a 15 year old teenager with the mighty Manchester United only to return to play his first match at age 17 and quickly establish himself as the hottest new talent in the Football League. By the age of 22 he’d won the League, European Cup and been player of the year in England and indeed Europe.

If I was judging this film on George’s peerless talent alone I’d give it a ten. Rarely seen archive footage tells the story in back to front fashion although by the halfway point, pretty much all the football action is over, bar one miraculous goal only he could have scored for the San Jose Earthquakes in America, which means much time is spent documenting his later battle against his addiction to drink until his sad death at only 59, although you actually wonder he got that far so excessive appears his off-field behaviour.

I’d have preferred to see more of the great goals he scored in his heyday and a little bit more of a salute to his fabulous skills on the field as opposed to his tribulations off it. I’d have also appreciated some reference to the famous partnership he formed up front with Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, neither of whom hardly get a look-in. I also personally didn’t think the Munich Air Disaster of 1958 was a necessarily important factor in his emergence as is perhaps made out here.

Best undoubtedly paved the way for latter-day multi-media superstars as David Beckham, Ronaldo et al. but as is said repeatedly throughout he lacked the support he’d surely get today from media savvy back-up teams at the top clubs.

Now he’s passed on, Belfast Airport is named after him and he’d still walk into any world best 11 football line up you’d care to mention. Although remembered as much sadly for his early retirement from the game at only 26 and his dissipation as a person over the rest of his life, I truly hope he’ll be better remembered for his incredible sporting talent. It’s sad but true to say he was better with the ball than the world at his feet… LEGEND.

Vintage Movie Posters Grading Criteria

Mint
A poster that has never been used or displayed and may show the most minor signs of age and wear. The poster should have no holes or tears.

Near Mint
A generally unused poster with fresh, saturated colors. May have minimal tears at folds. Has no significant holes, no paper loss, may have minor tears along edges, may have fine pin holes.

Very Fine
A poster with bright colour and crisp overall appearance. It may have very general signs of use including slight fold separation and fold wear. It may have pin holes or very minor tears. This is the highest grade allowed for a poster that has been restored either on linen or on paper.

Fine
A poster with good colors and overall clean appearance. It may have minor tears small paper loss and minor stains. It may have some fold seperation.

Good
An average poster with overall fresh color. May have tears, minor paper loss, minor hazing. Paper may be brittle due to age, may have minor stains. May have a small amount of writing in an unobtrusive place. May have medium or major restoration.

Fair
A poster with faded colors and brittle paper, showing significant signs of use. May have tears and paper loss. May have tape, writing, stains in image area. In need of restoration or had major restoration.

Poor
A poster that is worn, torn, and/or damaged. May have staining, cracking, dry rot, and/or large tears. May be heavily soiled, may have pieces missing. In need of major restoration.

All photographs and images used on our site are photographs of the actual poster/item you are buying, we do not use stock photographs.

Most Popular Poster Types

US Posters

LOBBY CARD
11 x 14" printed on heavy stock paper. Used as display in theatre lobbies. Originally made in sets of eight. Some sets have a title card, which contains credits and artwork, essentially a mini-poster. The remaining seven cards are coloured photographic credits and poster artwork showing different scenes from the movie.

WINDOW CARD
14 x 22" printed on heavy stock paper with the top 4-6 inches usually left blank for the local cinema owner to fill in the cinema and the date it was due to play. Largely discontinued during the 1970's.

HALF SHEET
22 x 28" printed on heavy stock paper. The image displayed is normally a smaller version of the main poster, although some do have different artworks and sometimes come in two versions.

INSERT
14 x 36" printed on heavy stock paper. Inserts usually have the same artwork as a one sheet. Popular with collectors since they are smaller and easier to frame. Normally come tri folded or rolled.

STYLE Y/FORTY BY SIXTY
40 x 60" printed on heavy stock paper. Rare since they were primarily used for major motion pictures only. Designed to be used outside the theatre, on an easel, normally at a drive-in movie theatre.

ONE-SHEET
27 x 41" printed on paper. This is the most common size of poster, intended to be displayed in a glass "marquee" case. It is the most sought after size by collectors. Since the 1980's most posters are sent to the theatre rolled and maybe slightly smaller measuring 27" by 40" and with the advent of backlit light boxes a growing number of modern movie posters are available double-sided and the more traditional single-sided.

THREE-SHEET
41 x 81" printed on paper. These were printed on two or three separate sheets designed to overlap, few survive. Used for larger advertising spaces, normally posted on walls, perfect for huge movie theatres the drive-in, where people could see them from a distance. From the 1970's on, three-sheets were sometimes printed in one piece and issued as "international" versions to be used abroad.

BRITISH Posters

BRITISH QUAD
30 x 40" Most common poster size used in the UK. British Quads are horizontal and may have different artwork to the US one sheet. Like a US one sheet they normally come in two versions. Like a US one sheet they are usually supplied single-sided or more commonly now as a double sided poster.

BRITISH ONE-SHEET
27 X 40", printed on paper. Very rarely used size.

ITALIAN Posters

ITALIAN LOCANDINA
13 x 28" six inches shorter than the US insert, very nice size to frame. Italian poster illustrators are some of the best in the industry.

ITALIAN PHOTOBUSTA
18 x 26" Glossy, high quality, used as lobby cards in Italy. Size may vary, either vertical or horizontal format. There are also double Photobusta or mini Photobusta.

2-FOGLIO (DUE)
(DUE): 39 x 55" This is the standard poster size used in Italy. Italian poster illustrators are some of the best in the industry.

4-FOGLIO
(QUATTRO) 55 x 79" Very large Italian poster printed in two pieces, often contains very beautiful artwork.

FRENCH Posters

FRENCH
47 x 63" (GRANDE) or 24 x 33" (PETITE) French movie posters normally come with different artwork to either the US or the UK. Like the Italian's some of the artwork is extrememly beautiful.

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