Theatre of Blood

£475.00

Film

Theatre of Blood

Additional information

Year

1973

Size/Type

UK Quad (30" x 40") Single Sided, Printed in England by Lonsdale & Bartholomew (Nottingham) Ltd

Country of Origin

UK / British

Condition

Very fine / originally folded (as issued)

Director

Douglas Hickox

Actor/Actress

Arthur Lowe, Coral Browne, Diana Rigg, Eric Sykes, Harry Andrews, Ian Hendry, Michael Hordern, Milo O'Shea, Robert Morley, Vincent Price

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“Vincent Price has reserved a seat for you in the ‘Theatre of Blood’…as he gives his critics a bloody and violent taste of their own medicine !”

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Vincent Price hams it up with gusto as the Shakespearean actor driven to attempt suicide by the mocking cat-calls of an unsympathetic Critics’ Circle in Douglas Hickox’ masterful horror film “Theatre of Blood”. Taking revenge on his detractors using methods outlined in the Great Bard’s timeless plays, Price cuts a bloody swath through these self-centered buffoons, keeping a clueless police force at arm’s length as the bodies pile up in grisly fashion and it is from this first year of release 1963 that this rare original country of origin UK quad film poster comes. Vic Fair provides some fantastically inventive horror artwork featuring a great image of Price, Diana Rigg & the rest of the ensemble cast in superb stylised caricature all depicted as puppets on a makeshift stage. This scarce, unrestored, folded (as issued) example displays and presents very well and represents an extremely collectable item of 1970’s horror cinema memorabilia.

For a superb, in-depth and detailed interview with the artist Vic Fair checkout Eddie Shannon’s Film On Paper website.

 

 

 …more detail

Vintage Movie Posters Grading Criteria... read more +

Film Description

Theatre of Blood Movie Poster

“Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price) stars as an actor overlooked for a critics’ acting award, despite producing a season of Shakespeare plays. After confronting the Critics’ Circle, an attempted suicidal dive into the Thames results in Lionheart being rescued by your typical paraffin/meths/turps swigging tramps. Lionheart then (presumed dead) exacts his grizzly, and quite amusing revenge on the critics who denied him his finest hour.”

Vincent Price, the star of countless B-Movies from the fifties to the seventies, in his perhaps best role ever. This movie is wicked fun; a failed Shakespeare-actor brutally settles the score with all his critics – but they all meet their demise by having to “act” a part in the plays of the great bard. Very creative death scenes, gory and funny – and absolutely beautifully acted by Price and an ensemble of many greats of British cinema and theatre.

Funny enough, there are many parallels between Price’s own career and his character’s (maybe that’s exactly why the director chose him for this part), for Price also failed to get the recognition he deserved until very late in his life and felt unfairly treated by critics. Although many of his films are now regarded as classics, for the most part of his life his films and his (indeed rather Shakespearian) approach to his roles was often ridiculed. Around the time of this film though, critics started to take Price seriously.

But this film is also interesting for another reason: despite the obvious black comedy it looks almost like a blueprint for a certain style of horror films to come, and films like ‘Seven’ and ‘Saw’ owe perhaps more than a little debt to Theatre of Blood.

 

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.