Film
Dial Rat for Terror
1972
UK Quad (30" x 40") Single Sided
UK / British
Very Fine plus – Near Mint minus / Originally rolled (as issued)
Larry Cohen
Andrew Duggan, Jeannie Berlin, Joyce Van Patten, Yaphet Kotto
An incredibly eye catching retro style horror blaxploitation poster from the early 70’s for Larry Cohen’s “Dial Rat for Terror”. A movie that struggled for its identity as it was also released as “Bone, Beverly Hills Nightmare, Housewife”. This is a very rare UK quad film poster from the movie’s first British release in 1972 featuring some fantastic horror artwork that certainly grabs the attention. Our hero (Yaphet Kotto) grabs a large rat by the throat whilst the heroine screams into an old ‘ring dial’ telephone. All rendered in stark black & white offset agains a bright orange background with bright dayglo red (almost luminescent) lettering used for the title. This scarce, rolled (as issued) example displays and presents to excellent effect and represents an extremely collectable piece of 1970’s horror cinema memorabilia that doesn’t come to the market very often.
…more detailVintage Movie Posters Grading Criteria... read more +
Larry Cohen, the man who brought us such schlock fests as “It’s Alive“, “Q: The Winged Serpent“ and, of course, “The Stuff“, made his movie directing debut with “Dial Rat for Terror“ (AKA “Bone”), and it is easily the best thing the man ever created. I saw this movie based on some of the positive reviews, thinking that it was yet another goofy so-bad-its-good Larry Cohen movie, and I was absolutely blown away. In spite of some small flaws, “Dial Rat for Terror” is both beautiful and poignant.
Starring Yaphet Kotto as Bone it follows the story of an aggressive, impoverished black man who breaks into the home of a middle-aged, upper class white couple in Beverly Hills in an attempt to rob them. After finding no money in the house, Bone forces Bill (Andrew Duggan) to go into town to close his bank account while holding his wife, Bernadette (Joyce Van Patten) hostage in their home, with threats to rape and kill her if Bill fails to return with the money. Nothing, however, goes as planned, and the plot makes several unexpected twists and turns while becoming more and more abstract. I don’t want to say any more, however, as I feel I owe any potential viewers of this movie the opportunity to see for themselves. Anybody and everybody who enjoys obscure movies from the 1970’s, sexploitation and blaxploitation cinema, or off-beat, low-budget independent films needs to see this movie.
It is unfortunate that so few people have seen “Dial Rat for Terror”, as I am quite sure that this movie has the potential to draw a much larger audience. Perhaps the biggest problem that this movie faced was that it failed to meet the expectations of its original theatrical audience. Although it does have some violent and intense scenes, this movie isn’t nearly as exploitive as people likely expected. Instead, it draws on themes from racism to differences in economic classes and scene after scene presents the idea that nothing is what it appears to be, without pulling the punches that the Politically Correct crowd typically does.
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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.
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 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 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
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.
