My old boss at Fox from Exhibitor
Relations will know the whole story of how many were printed, if I can
track her down and she remembers. But I do recall the REVENGE
title was changed because of another film coming out around the same time. STAR TREK 2: THE
WRATH OF KHAN. Paramount had another title for it THE REVENGE OF KHAN and THE VENGENCE OF
KHAN. The story I remember hearing back at my days at Fox in the
early 90’s was the Jedi title was changed to prevent confusion in the market place.
But, with Lucas, who knows….
He could have just changed his mind. And Sue is right, supply
and demand will always set the price on Movie Memorabilia, however
you classify it. From a studio, from a theatre or from somewhere else…..
Happy Holidays everyone!
Ira
-----Original Message-----
From: MoPo List
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Susan Heim
Sent: Saturday,
December 11, 2004 8:22 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [MOPO] MoPo Revenge
of Jedi pricing - 3 more questions
As for the total of non dated Revenges out there, I was just making the point
of how rare they were when one NSS division only received 25 copies. That is
not normal. I believe you are correct in assuming there were probably close to
2000 of the undated versions printed. The posters were printed at Gore Graphics
here in Los Angeles and even 2000 seems like a small run for a 20th Century Fox
order, but who knows on that one. You are correct about the "Revenge"
title. The word at the time was that Lucas decided, since most of his audience
were young kids, that the word "Revenge" was too strong and sent the
wrong message and that is why he changed it to "Return". So,
sounds like your thinking is on track. As for the "Revenge" fan club
posters. These posters were originally printed and intended for theatrical
release. The only reason they eventually were not released theatrically is
because Lucas changed the name. You have to remember, we as collectors have a
whole different mentality about these posters. They were meant for advertising,
not collectables (even though you are correct in assuming Lucas knew they would
be in demand as a collector himself). Most of the studio's still consider
collectors a nuisance. Believe me, I hear it everyday!! Many times runs of
posters are done, then recalled and destroyed for various reasons. I do the
framing for a major distribution house for Disney and I have stood and watched
them put a pallet of movie posters on the ground and turn a garden hose on
them. Those destruction orders come right down from the studio. They are
like a huge brick when they dry and they are smashed up and thrown away. That's
how much the studio's don't want material getting into the hands of the public.
Go figure, why not give it away or use it as a promotional, it just more
advertising for your product. I guess, though, if they did that it would
diminish the value of the relatively few that do make their way out to the
public.
Anyway,
the bottom line is that if someone will pay "X" amount of dollars for
something, then I guess it doesn't really matter to them if it came from the
studio, theater or a fan club. Supply and demand, that's it!!
-----
Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, December 10,
2004 11:24 PM
Subject: MoPo
Revenge of Jedi pricing - 3 more questions
Great
info, everyone, but I'd like to resolve a few questions that these reports
bring up:
1) Am I
correct in interpreting Sue's post to say that there were only 25 authentic
undated posters ever printed -- total? Everyone else has ventured guesses of
anywhere from 500 to 2000. If there were only 25 authentic undated REVENGE OF
THE JEDI printed, then I would think that would make a genuine one very
rare and valuable. Also, since 2 of these posters were actually sent to
theaters before being recalled, than that makes the undated version
an actual "theatrical" poster, yes? Just as obviously, if there
were only 25 authentic undated posters ever printed, then the vast majority of
the undated ones floating around out there are bogus. How certain is that
number of only 25 total of the undated posters ever being printed? Is there any
known way to identify a reproduction of the undated poster from an authentic
one?
2) If
there were about 8,000 of the dated version sold through the fan club, that
means the dated version of the poster is a limited edition, but not
really all that rare -- and since it was never released to the
theaters at all (not even one of them) -- then that means that the dated
version is NOT a theatrical poster at all and is, in fact, a fan club
item. Under those circumstances, doesn't the $300 to $600 that these dated
fan club posters go for seem kind of high?
3) Come
to think of it, I've always wondered how Lucas could have made such an
apparently bone-headed mistake in printing up "REVENGE" posters
at all, when as the writer of STAR WARS he clearly understood from day one
that Jedi do not take "revenge" and must have known that the film
would never be released under that title. Was this whole name-switcheroo a
simple con-and-advance-publicity job, deliberately calculated to create a
"collector's item" and create a little extra buzz in the media prior
to the release? Seems to me that Lucas reportedly keeping a couple
hundred of the REVENGE posters for himself lends a bit of credence to such a
hypothesis. Lucas was, after all, a fan and collector himself in the beginning
and probably still considers himself one and thinks like one.
-----
Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, December 10,
2004 17:58
Subject: Re:
[MOPO] MoPo Revenge of Jedi pricing
Here is the official word on the Revenge. This info comes straight from
Lucasfilm. The first version of the poster, the undated one, was released at
Christmas in 1982. At the NSS in Dallas, of the 25 copies the service received,
only two ended up going to theaters and the other 23 were stolen. The second
release with the date May 25, 1983. Since both variations of this poster were
pulled so quickly, most of the copies were never used. The fan club offered the
rest for sale. The run of the second version was 8800, 8000 of them being
sold through the fan club and sold out in 3 days. As I heard it Lucas kept a
few hundred of this version for himself. The posters sold through the fan club were
$10 each and you were allowed to order a maximum of 10 posters. I know as I did
so, under many friend's names. I have seen posters on this title both
tri-folded and NSS folded with the date. It is rare to see one without a date
and I have probably framed under 10 of those in 20 years. So, that's the scoop.
Hope the info helps.
-----
Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, December 10,
2004 5:07 AM
Subject: Re:
[MOPO] MoPo Revenge of Jedi pricing
Sharon - How does one identify a fan club issue to one that came
from a theatre, other than possible signs of theatre use?
Phil
Edwards Cinema Arts Pty Ltd
26 Vista Avenue
Soldiers Point
NSW 2317
AUSTRALIA
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone/Fax (International Dial) 0011 61 2 49847233
Phone/Fax (Domestic Dial) 02 4984 7233
Website: www.cinemarts.com
-----
Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, December 10,
2004 9:20 PM
Subject: Re:
[MOPO] MoPo Revenge of Jedi pricing
In my experience, the theatres were sent
folded one sheets. The fan club posters were rolled. Don't think
I've ever seen a tri-fold on this title. There seem to have been some
rolled one sheets that did not go thru Screen or thru the fan club. Have
absolutely no idea on quantities (in 25 years I've handled about 10 of
them, some theatrical and some fan club).
Sharon Herndon
Remember When Shop
Dallas, TX
rememberwhenshop.com
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