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The Omen

£495.00

Film

The Omen

Additional information

Year

1976

Size/Type

US One Sheet / (27" x 41") / Single Sided

Country of Origin

British / UK

Condition

Very Fine plus; originally folded (as issued) now Conservation Linen Backed

Director

Richard Donner

Actor/Actress

Billie Whitelaw, David Warner, Gregory Peck, Harvey Stephens, Lee Remick, Martin Benson, Patrick Troughton, Robert Rietty

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“Mysterious deaths surround an American ambassador. Could the child that he is raising actually be the Antichrist? The Devil’s own son?”

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Designed by Tom Jung this advance teaser for Richard Donner’s 1976 horror classic “The Omen” is a stunning example of horror art. The ominous wording YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED and the film’s title (the 666 featured in the O of OMEN is a great touch) are prominent when placed upon the deep black background with Damien illustrated in silhouette with his shadow depicted as that of a jackal. It’s such a simple design but so, so clever and perfectly suited to the portrait format offered here. From first year of release, 1976 this US one sheet presents to excellent effect, benefitting from conservation linen backing, with the original fold lines touched in to give a rolled impression. A personal favourite and an impressive item of original cinematic movie memorabilia from one of the defining horror movie’s of the genre.

Trivia: Harvey Stephens, as Damien, was largely chosen for this role from the way he attacked Richard Donner during auditions. Donner asked all the little boys to “come at him” as if they were attacking Katherine Thorn during the church wedding scene. Stephens screamed and clawed at Donner’s face, and kicked him in the groin during his act. Donner whipped the kid off him, ordered the kid’s blond hair dyed black and cast him as Damien.

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Film Description

The Omen Movie Poster

“Robert and Katherine Thorn seem to have it all. They are happily married and he is the US Ambassador to Rome, but they want nothing more than to have children. When Katharine has a stillborn child, Robert is approached by a priest at the hospital who suggests that they take a healthy newborn whose mother has just died in childbirth. Without telling his wife, he agrees. After relocating to London, strange events – and the ominous warnings of a priest – lead him to believe that the child he took from that Italian hospital is evil incarnate.”

When I first saw “The Omen” I just could not believe how well it had been put together by director Richard Donner. Harvey Stephens was the perfect choice to play Damien – cute but evil. The Scene where he looks at the dog and waves is just a classic, and then there is the score…Jerry Goldsmith won a well deserved Oscar for this movie in which he created two excellent themes “Ave Satani” and “Piper Dreams” which carry this movie along with brilliance.

People seem to always compare this movie to “The Exorcist”….why???, The Exorcist is a classic all on its own. “The Omen” deals with a completely different subject, while The Exorcist deals with possession, The Omen deals with the child of the devil – ‘the antichrist‘.

The film opens with the silhouette of a young boy, the shadow of which gradually turns into a cross. It’s simple, yet very chilling, and sets the tone. We then meet Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck). It’s Rome, and it’s 6am, on the 6th day on the 6th month. His wife Kathy (Lee Remick) has just given birth to a child, which died almost immediately. At the hospital a priest named Spiletto convinces him to secretly adopt a child, whose mother died during childbirth. Thorn agrees and keeps it a secret from his wife. They name the child Damien. Thorn is then promoted, from American Ambassador to Italy to Ambassador to Great Britain. We see the happy family in London, the perfect life. It however all starts to go wrong at Damien’s fifth birthday party and to make matters worse Damien’s adopted father Robert Thorn eventually learns that he is actually the devil’s son (The Antichrist).

This movie is a horror classic and will remain a classic for many year to come.

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.