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Billion Dollar Brain

£250.00

Film

Billion Dollar Brain

Additional information

Year

1967

Size/Type

UK Quad / (30″ x 40″) / Single Sided / Printed in England by Lonsdale & Bartholomew Ltd

Country of Origin

UK (Great Britain)

Condition

Very Fine-Very Fine Plus / Originally Folded (as issued)

Director

Ken Russell

Actor/Actress

Donald Sutherland, Ed Begley, Françoise Dorléac, Guy Doleman, Karl Malden, Michael Caine, Oscar Homolka

SOLD - this item is sold. Please browse our currently available stock

“POW…POWER…BRAINPOWER”

One of Michael Caine’s signature roles; Harry Palmer…A rarely seen, (incredibly scarce in this format) original country of origin UK quad film poster for Ken Russell’s “Billion Dollar Brain”. This incredible example features amazingly vivid colours and psychedelic ‘pop-art’ design and really is quite impressive. Folded (as issued) this original unrestored British film poster is from first year of release (1967)  in Britain and is a very rare find in this high grade condition. A fantastic stylish piece of 60’s nostalgia that typifies everything about the culture and lifestyle of the time and represents a very collectable and desirable example of original British and Michael Caine movie memorabilia.

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Vintage Movie Posters Grading Criteria... read more +

Film Description

Billion Dollar Brain Movie Poster

“Harry Palmer has left the British Secret Service and become a private detective. One of his first assignments is to deliver an apparently innocent thermos flask to an old friend in Helsinki, Palmer is suspicious of the flask contents and begins to doubt the motives of his friend and those of his boss a Texan billionaire.”

Billion Dollar Brain is the third of the Harry Palmer spy stories which made Michael Caine a big name star as sympathetic crook turned international secret agent. Nowadays Harry forced into retirement works as private eye and finds himself privately recruited by the British Secret Agency and he’s again hired by MI6 and his Colonel Ross (Guy Doleman, usual in the trilogy). He must to deliver a thermos flask containing strange eggs to American (Karl Malden) resident in Finland. Harry gets a little help from a gorgeous woman (Françoise Dorléac sister to Catherine Deneuve and deceased by car crash) but treachery is all around and he starts to doubt of his partners. Meanwhile a millionaire Texan (an overacting and blustering Ed Begley) prepares a military uprising in Estonia with the help of a billion dollar computer.His objective is the overthrowing communism by means a coup de’Etat in Riga. Meanwhile the Russian intelligence officer (a wickedly comic Oskar Homolka who appeared in Funeral in Berlin as defector) in charge of Russian espionage tries detain it.

Michael Caine as deadpan, flabby anti-hero is phenomenal , he makes a delightful creation as the cockney secret agent, an immensely agreeable role. Packs solid scenes such as the final spectacular icebound highlights, among others. Appears uncredited Donald Sutherland as a scientist at computer. This exciting picture displays a James Bond style , in fact the producer is Harry Saltzman in charge of OO7 production. Emotive musical score including sensible leitmotif by Richard Rodney Bennett. Colorful cinematography reflecting splendidly the freeze outdoors by Billy Williams. The motion picture is well directed by Ken Russell,who adds his peculiar style in some frames.

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.