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The Time Machine

£2,495.00

Film

The Time Machine

Additional information

Year

1960

Size/Type

UK Quad (30" x 40")

Country of Origin

British / UK

Condition

Very Fine plus; originally folded (as issued)

Director

George Pal

Actor/Actress

Alan Young, Rod Taylor, Sebastian Cabot, Tom Helmore, Yvette Mimieux

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

“The Time Machine whirls you to a world of amazing adventure in the year 800,000 !”

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A magnificent original 1960 British UK quad film poster for George Pal’s sci-fi time travel masterpiece for H G Wells’ “The Time Machine”…Beautiful Reynold Brown artwork for one of the best film’s of the genre features ‘George Wells’ battling it out against the cannibalistic Morlocks…a truly classic movie poster; lovely deep rich unfaded colours, fantastic imagery and perfectly complemented by the horizontal landscape design of the British quad. Unrestored and presented in original folded (as issued) condition this superb example presents & displays to impressive effect. An incredibly rare example of a personal favourite film & movie poster that represents an incredible chance to own a corner stone piece of hugely collectable original movie memorabilia; highly recommended.

Trivia: The original time machine was sold at the MGM studio auction in 1971, the same auction that originally sold the Ruby Slippers (see trivia for The Wizard of Oz (1939)). The winner of the auction was the owner of a traveling show. Five years later the prop was found in a thrift store in Orange, CA. Film historian Bob Burns purchased it for $1,000. Using blueprints his friend George Pal had given him years earlier, he and a crew of friends restored it. The restoration crew included D.C. Fontana script consultant and writer on Star Trek (1966) and Michael Minor art director on Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Please see www.hollywoodlostandfound.net/props/timemachine.html for further info on this amazing prop.

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Vintage Movie Posters Grading Criteria... read more +

Film Description

The Time Machine Movie Poster

“On January 5, 1900, a disheveled looking H.G. Wells – George to his friends – arrives late to his own dinner party. He tells his guests of his travels in his time machine, the work about which his friends knew. They were also unbelieving, and skeptical of any practical use if it did indeed work. George knew that his machine was stationary in geographic position, but he did not account for changes in what happens over time to that location. He also learns that the machine is not impervious and he is not immune to those who do not understand him or the machine’s purpose. George tells his friends that he did not find the Utopian society he so wished had developed. He mentions specifically a civilization several thousand years into the future which consists of the subterranean morlocks and the surface dwelling eloi, who on first glance lead a carefree life. Despite all these issues, love can still bloom over the spread of millennia.”

“You Will Orbit into the Fantastic Future !”…Based on the novel by H.G. Wells, The Time Machine (1960) is quite simply the best movie of its kind. Victorian inventor H.George Wells (Rod Taylor) has built a time machine and travels into the far future where the Human Race has divided itself into two species – the Eloi ( who are beautiful and who live on the surface ) and the Morlocks ( who are grotesquely ugly and live underground ). The latter are also cannibals, and are breeding the Eloi for food purposes. When Weena (Yvette Mimieux), an Eloi whom George has become fond of, is taken to their lair, he breaks in and sets about rescuing her, causing a revolution along the way. The film ends with him helping the Eloi rebuild civilisation…Producer George Pal was also responsible for War Of The Worlds ( another Wells adaptation ). While ‘Time’ lacks the book’s political and social allegory, it is still a thumping good adventure story, with some of the best special effects from that period (by Wah Chang). The time machine’s travels evoke a sense of wonder missing in many of today’s C.G.I. jamborees, boasting superb stop-motion photography ( the changing fashions on a shop window dummy are used to denote the passing of time ). The machine itself is a wonderful creation; basically a chair on a sled with a spinning disc behind it. Even the control panel with the date rolling away furiously looks marvellous…As ‘George’, Rod Taylor acquits himself well ( his best moment is when he loses his temper on finding the Eloi library consists of nothing more than a few rotting books ) even though he is fundamentally miscast as a Victorian gentleman. Ditto Alan Young as his close friend James Filby. On the other hand, Yvette Mimieux is breathtakingly beautiful, and her scenes with Taylor are touching…The Morlocks themselves are horrific, ape-like creatures with eyes that glow in the dark! When one dies just as George activates the machine, we see it decompose to nothing ( the eye rolls out of the skull ), a sequence that must have frightened many children back in 1960. Russell Garcia’s music too fits the film perfectly…Any flaws? Well, George is able to rouse the Eloi from their centuries-long apathy with remarkable ease, and if there was a nuclear war in 1966 I must have missed it! These are trivial concerns though. ‘The Time Machine’ is an unalloyed classic. Printed in England by Charles & Read Ltd. London & Harlow

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.