There are a lot of misidentified "posters" in the galleries on site -- I've been trying to correct them where possible, but I think a general thread on the subject is warranted.
First of all, there is a distinct difference between "movie posters" and other "advertisements." Posters are advertisements, but not all advertisements are movie posters. Sometimes they can be easily confused, especially online, where the original physical dimensions of the ads are obscured. (Movie posters, regardless of country of origin, come in a variety of standard sizes. If you were to look at an original physical movie poster and a newspaper clipping from the same film, you would be able to easily ID which is which based on size alone. Again, this distinction isn't so obvious when both have been scanned and shared online in the same approximate size.)
This is a classic example of an American movie poster. Some easy ways to identify it as such, listed from most general to most specific:
- The printed language is English; it should be obvious that if it was another language, it wouldn't likely be an American poster.
- At the bottom left, "Printed in U.S.A." -- this only indicates that the poster was printed in the U.S., so it doesn't necessarily mean it was intended for use in the U.S.
- Credits for an Americanized version of a film don't necessarily mean the poster is for an American release. (So, for example, a Godzilla, King of the Monsters! poster crediting Raymond Burr wouldn't necessarily be American, since that version was seen in England, Australia, and New Zealand.) However, a great indication that this is an American poster is the text "A DCA Release." We know that DCA released the film in the U.S. but not in England (for example). Admittedly, this usually requires some further reading and research, but if you know the companies that released these films in the U.S. (and also in the UK), it's a
- At the bottom right is a numerical code, 57 \ 510. That's what's called a "National Screen Service (NSS) number." This is a terrific read on the National Screen Service, but in summary, the NSS printed and distributed most movie posters for American use from 1940 to the 1980s. Each film was given a code number for business purposes, thus the NSS number. In short, if a poster has "National Screen Service" and one of those numbers, it is an American poster.
On the other hand, despite being classified as such in the Rodan gallery, this is not a movie poster.
- It's not in color. Technically speaking, the original image could have been scanned and saved in b&w, but generally speaking, a black and white advertisement isn't going to be a movie poster. Use your best judgement.
- Text tells us that the film "starts today! in 26 So. California theaters!" Most NSS posters were printed for nationwide use, so text of this sort is unusual in movie posters. The more specific theater locations and such printed at the bottom are another dead giveaway that this is not a poster. It's a newspaper clipping.
The NSS also distributed pressbooks, which were intended for theater owners to clip ready-made advertisements from for use in local papers (theater owners or the newspaper staff would then add the pertinent local information before the ads were printed). The full ad art here is what's typically referred to as an "ad mat." Although the art is usually derived from that used in the posters, these are not posters.
Some excellent resources:
Heritage Auctions' Movie Poster Size Guide
Auction History - eMoviePoster.com - Really good resource for identifying film-specific posters. If you find a poster online that you can't identify, I'd suggest searching for that film here. Odds are one has sold, and the archived listing will provide you the country of origin (not always correct, especially for posters of foreign origin) and its original physical dimensions, along with other important information.
