Did you know that starting in the late 1970s, studios printed their own
one-sheets in addition to the NSS versions and that at around the same time
the NSS started printing some unfolded one-sheets?
As many of you surely know, studios distributed their own posters to
theaters until the end of the 1930s. In 1940, a company that had been
distributing movie trailers, National Screen Service ("NSS") was hired to
distribute the posters for the studios through giant warehoused called
"poster exchanges".
The posters used by NSS all had NSS numbers (and often a text block at
bottom on them) and once the ratings system began, they also had ratings
(the ones used in the U.S., where the movies were rated) and there were
also versions without ratings (for use outside the U.S., where they did not
use that rating system).
These posters without ratings are called the "international styles" and
sometimes they had completely different images from the "domestic"
versions. This situation existed all the way from 1940 until some time in
the mid to late 1970s, when studios began printing some one-sheets that
were *NOT* distributed through the NSS.
But first, you also likely know that with very rare exceptions, the vast
majority of one-sheets printed everywhere were folded right off the press
prior to being sent to theaters (normally once vertically and twice
horizontally, but sometimes they lacked the vertical fold, and those were
called "tri-folded"). But almost *NO* one-sheets were ever distributed
completely unfolded until the mid to late 1970s.
But when the studios started printing their own one-sheets (which can be
distinguished from the NSS versions because they have *NO* NSS info printed
on them, and they are called the "studio style"), they often left them
completely unfolded. Some speculate that these were distributed internally
to studio employees, but many of them found their way into collectors'
hands, and suddenly collectors could sometimes get completely unfolded
versions of one-sheets!
It seems quite possible that this printing of separate posters for the
studios began in 1977 after the massive success of Star Wars, because many
of those posters can be found in "studio style" versions, and after that
date, some of these posters can be found from other movies as well
(although the ones from 1977 to the early 1980s are still generally quite
scarce).
It seems likely that these "studio style" one-sheets were primarily used
for advance screenings, given to employees, sent to radio stations to give
away, and for other promotional purposes. Most "advance" one-sheets were
"studio style", and were distributed by the studios, and *NOT* by NSS.
Perhaps theater owners saw these and started requesting that NSS also
distribute unfolded one-sheets, and a very, very few unfolded "NSS style"
one-sheets started to appear in the mid-1970s. It seems that this started
around 1983 (perhaps not coincidentally, with another Star Wars title,
Return of the Jedi), where there is an unfolded style A "NSS style" known
to exist.
Some longtime collectors report that these unfolded "NSS style" one-sheets
were called "executive posters", and that they were sent to executives at
the studios for their review and their approval (of course, some of these
might have then made their way into the hands of theater owners or
collectors, but it seems clear they were *NOT* intended to be used as
"regular" one-sheets used at the theaters!).
By the mid 1980s they were being seen more and more, and by 1990 it seems
that almost all poster exchanges stopped distributing folded one-sheets
altogether, because just about all the folded one-sheets from the 1990s on
seem to have been done so by hand!
But there is that period from around 1975 to around 1985 where it is very,
very difficult to find unfolded "NSS one-sheets" (especially on top titles)
and the prices on those have continued to rise in the past few years, as
more and more collectors are becoming aware of them, and want to own these
great rarities.
There is one question yet to be decided. Should "studio style" one-sheets
sell for more, less, or the same as "NSS versions"? Generally, "studio
styles" are far more rare than "NSS styles", and they can be found
unfolded, where NSS styles from before 1985 almost never can. Over time,
the collecting hobby as a whole will decide how to value an "NSS style"
compared to the "studio style" of the same title in similar condition.
*One thing I am certain of is that collectors will continue to seek out
unfolded versions of titles that are almost never found unfolded, and will
continue to put a very high premium on unfolded "NSS style" one-sheets from
titles that are almost never found unfolded!*
*And the above is a major factor in why we just auctioned an unfolded NSS
style Jaws one-sheet for $2,109!*
--
Bruce Hershenson and the other 29 members of the eMoviePoster.com team
P.O. Box 874
West Plains, MO 65775
Phone: 417-256-9616 (hours: Mon-Fri 9 to 5 except from 12 to 1 when we take
lunch)
our site <http://www.emovieposter.com/>
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