Freeman sounds entirely possible. brilliant deductions watson !
On 2014-10-31 00:37, Freeman Fisher wrote:
Ben and Mopoers
I’m doing deductive detective work here regarding An Enemy of the
People because its initial release was one year prior to my getting
into exhibition. But it mirrors what happened with a film I was
involved which was also distributed from Warner Brothers in 1979.
First here is what Wikipedia mentions and this sounds absolutely
right.
Warners were at a loss at how to promote the film. McQueen was nearly
unrecognisable, performing the role with a beard and long hair. The
wordy period film was not what the studio were expecting from an
established action star and the film only had a very limited
theatrical release. For a year after it was completed _An Enemy of the
People_ sat on the shelf before it was given a tentative release in
college towns in March 1978; it performed poorly and was quickly
withdrawn. The poster issued to promote the film surrounded the image
of McQueen, as Stockmann, with artwork of his better known previous
roles, including 'Doc' McCoy from _The Getaway_, Jake Holman from _The
Sand Pebbles [3]_ and Frank Bullitt from _Bullitt [4]_; a lobbycard
[5] was also issued featuring no images from the film but instead used
positive reviews from test screenings. McQueen himself promoted the
movie with an hour lecture at UCLA [6] titled _The Genius of Ibsen_,
but the slated October 1978 national release was cancelled.
McQueen moved back to more familiar territory for his next (and it
would prove final) two films, the Western _Tom Horn [7]_ and action
movie _The Hunter [8]_.
Even after its short cinema run the film would remain highly obscure,
not being released on home media until 2009 when Warners issued it on
DVD through their burn-to-demand Digital Distribution [9] arm.
This would most certainly explain no NSS information. These few
playdates were obviously serviced directly by Warner Brothers as it
would have proved foolish to print up a large paper run to service all
the regional NSS depots and from there to the limited engagements when
in fact it was quite likely they were very aware they had a
commercially dubious film on their hands with a handful of dates. Also
it mentions college towns and that was very much the norm at the time.
Heck even my college, TEXAS A&M, and "on campus" would get test films
(much to the objection of a Bryan/College Station exhibitor) and many
times the posters were 27 x 41 but there were also smaller version,
like 28” x 22” from whichever studio testing just to put on
posting columns throughout campus. Again not from NSS nor in anyway
printed on them.
Then on its re-release, again, limited after McQueen’s death the
same would likely apply. This exactly mirrors a situation with a film
that was Matt Dillon’s debut film OVER THE EDGE…………a quite
extraordinary film based on a real-life youth gang situation. It
opened in New York very limited, if I recall only one house, then of
all places the second engagement tested was in San Antonio with the
theater circuit I worked with at the time. The camera stats for the
print ads, the radio spots, and the one-sheets all came directly from
Warner Brothers in Burbank for our (I think) 5 theater run a test to
take it "wider". It did great business, and we had no “problems”
with fights/commotion at our engagements. But so worried was WB in
light of what happened with other gang-themed film like Paramount’s
THE WARRIORS and other films they still pulled it to avoid backlash.
We were stunned because it did very decent business and the film was
quality. So evidently was the critic at the time of THE VILLAGE VOICE
who called me to get the information because he too thought it an
important film and took Warner’s to task. It was the first time my
name was in print besides the post office…..
Anyway OVER THE EDGE did get a release much later, but know the
material we had was slight and exclusively printed for our engagements
with no NSS information or for that matter were the newspaper stats
from the usual Kater Litho Company because they came direct from the
studio. In fact if I recall correctly I kept getting separate
shipments prior to engagement as if the materials were being sent just
as soon as made. A very independent vibe given Warner Brothers.
Another coincidence, Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema, a
repertory house just down the street from me he now outright owns and
personally oversees is presently showing a 35 mm print of ENEMY OF THE
PEOPLE likely from his own collection.
Anyway not having NSS information in no way means paper used
exclusively for international use. Not saying it couldn’t be both.
But studios printed poster runs for wild posting, promotional use for
give-aways,
every imaginable use. Many if not most did not have any NSS
information printed on them when used in this fashion.
Hope this anecdotal but personally lived experience is of help.
freeman
On Oct 30, 2014, at 4:23 PM, Ben Wadley <[email protected]>
wrote:
Hello Freeman...are you there??? Can anybody contact him, would love
to get
his valuable input on this. I have 3 lobby cards of the type that Zeev
speaks of along with a rolled International USA printed one sheet from
the
1978 release. Hence why I am keen to get more info on the origins of
what
actually happened with the marketing material and how you should
identify
it.
Any other McQueen experts, please chime in....
Regards
Ben
All About Movies Pty Ltd (retailers of Vintage Movie Posters and Lobby
Cards)
Website: www.allaboutmovies.com.au [10]
Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AllAboutMoviesAu [11]
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-----Original Message-----
From: MoPo List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Richard
Halegua Posters + Comic Art
Sent: Friday, 31 October 2014 9:01 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [MOPO] NT Steve McQueen's An Enemy Of the People Lobby
cards
no becaus eyou can have ratings on them.
usually, studio one sheets are for LA-centric showings, freebies for
executives, promo items for theatre owners, premieres and the like
again,
Freeman would know much better
At 01:54 PM 10/30/2014, Zeev Drach wrote:
But isn't the lack of NSS # the difference between international and
domestic 1SH?
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Halegua Posters + Comic Art
[mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: October 30, 2014 2:41 PM
To: Zeev Drach; [email protected]
Subject: Re: [MOPO] NT Steve McQueen's An Enemy Of the People Lobby
cards
no NSS generally means it is studio-produced paper that did not go
through
NSS distribution channels
At 07:52 AM 10/30/2014, Zeev Drach wrote:
I have a single LC(normal 11x14) in my collection(#3), and it
appears to
be
for international release, since it has no NSS number(if that's
the
tell-tale sign...?).
Other markings that can help:
A First Artists presentation A SOLAR PRODUCTION
From Warner Bros.
A Warner Communication Company(plus logo)
G-General Audiences
Copyright 1978 First Artists Releasing
LITHO. IN U.S.A. (plus GAU logo)
Hope this sheds any light
Zeev
-----Original Message-----
From: MoPo List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Richard
Halegua Comic Art
Sent: October 30, 2014 1:13 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [MOPO] NT Steve McQueen's An Enemy Of the People Lobby
cards
At 07:16 PM 10/29/2014, Ben Wadley wrote:
Hi to you all
Can anybody shed some light on when a full set of 8 USA lobby cards
were released for the theatrical release of McQueen's 'An Enemy Of
The
People' ? Some research says cards were released at the time of test
screening but only with text reviews on them and no images. Other
research articles say cards were released as normal with images but
in
very short supply because of the very limited screening by Warner
bros
due to the inability to market the film. I understand a USA one
sheet
was released with images of McQueen from his past movies but was
this
at the time of the film's production 1978 or at a re-release - after
his death and the same for the lobby cards? Also what is the
original
classification between the 1978 and post 1980 release? To anybody
that
may have original 1978 lobbies, I have been told a hit squad is on
its
way to secure them from a certain mopoer...
Ben and I have been chatting about this subject the past few days.
IMDB says the film was not released domestically in 1978 but that it
was
released internationally
however, a scan of Heritage archives shows 2 one sheets, both of
which
have
a G rating on them and a 1978 date.
Also some lobby cards are known to exist with the
1978 printing, but they are not traditional lc's and are the 11x14
litho
styles commonly used for international distribution
It is possible the one sheets are 1982 posters with an original
production
date on them, however it is also possible that the posters were
printed
for
an original release and never distriobuted.
I suspect Freeman Fisher may be able to shed some light on the
issue, if
he
sees this email
Rich
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