1958 US 40x60 Snow White Poster

Can't get enough of big movie posters and this 1958 Snow White 40x60 is one that leaves a nice impression.

Buena Vista re-release (R-1958). Movie Poster (40" X 60"). Sold for $227 (USD) March 2010.
Image via Heritage Auctions.

1958 US 30x40 Snow White Poster

Buena Vista also issued this fresh-looking 30" x 40" Snow White poster during the 1958 campaign. It's the same size as a British Quad, though it runs in a vertical direction rather than horizontal.

The first Snow White re-release to be distributed by Buena Vista.

1958 US Snow White Six Sheet

A six-sheet movie poster is large--very large--and square. It's assembled from four individual sections. This 1958 Buena Vista Snow White re-release measures 84" x 84".

Image via Heritage Auctions.

1958 US Snow White Three Sheet

Buena Vista's 1958 three-sheet for Snow White. Measures a wonderfully large 41" x 81".

Buena Vista re-release (R-1958). Folded Three-Sheet (41" X 81").

Image via Heritage Auctions.

'Snow White' Movie Poster from Russia

Disney's Snow White screened in Russia back in 1955. The non-standardized character design seen on the movie poster is both interesting and refreshing. Measures 27" x 19". Folded format. "Белоснежка и семь гномов" (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs).

Image via Russian Art and Books.

A news service photo from July 1955 was shot in Moscow and shows a Russian theater screening the film. The poster is seen in the left display window.

The "Wide World Photo" blurb on the backside, dated July 12, 1955, the movie was dubbed in French and subtitled in Russian. It goes on the say that the film was captured by the Russian army in Germany.

Press Photo via rfleetjr Historic Photos.

1952 US Snow White Half Sheets

Meant for lobby exhibition, the half-sheet is just one of the many promotional items that would be sold to theatres for display. Measuring 22" x 28", these posters were approximately "half" the height of the traditional one-sheet, hence the name. RKO issued two Snow White half-sheets for the 1952 US re-release.


Poster Style A...

As with all of the other RKO material from the 1952 reissue, this poster was actually copyrighted 1951. The lower left corner also denotes the style "A" poster.

"R-51" is printed in the right corner along with the National Screen Service information.

Style "A" image via Heritage Auctions.

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Poster Style B...

Lower left corner "B".

Style "B" images courtesy of the Michael Filippello Collection.

Serbian & Czech Snow White Posters

A rare movie poster from former Yugoslavia, dates from the late 1940s. The Serbian Cyrillic script variant reads Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Format is approximately 19" x 27" (48 x 69cm.), a standard size for Yugoslav posters.

Image and info via Burning Feelings.

A folded Czech half sheet from circa 1973. Measures 20" x 27.5". Walt Disney Productions.

Image via Kymar's Stuff.

1944 US Snow White Three Sheet

Much of the material produced for the RKO 1944 re-release of Snow White was actually copyrighted 1943, this three-sheet poster included.

RKO re-release (R-1943). Three-Sheet (41" X 81"). Sold for $418.25 (USD) January 2007.
Heritage Auctions.

Italian Snow White Posters

The first general release of Biancaneve ei Sette Nani in Italy occurred on December 8, 1938. This would be followed by numerous post-war theatrical runs, beginning with the January 1, 1950 re-release.

About Italian movie posters:

They typically come in one of five sizes. The most common is a 2 Fogli (a one-panel or "two-sheet"). It measures 39" x 55". There is also the 55" x 78" 4 Fogli (two-panel poster or "four-sheet"). It's printed in two sections. A third size, the Foglio ("Italian one-sheet") is not actually widely used. Measures 28" x 39".

Then there are Photobustas (fotobusta) which are similar to US lobby cards, except they're printed on thinner glossy paper, and they tend to be much larger (from slightly bigger up to nearly the size of a US one-sheet). They almost always come in sets of eight but this can vary too. Finally, there are Locandinas which resemble US inserts and are printed in different sizes. SOURCE: EMOVIEPOSTER.COM

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Releases by RKO Radio Pictures...

• August 8, 1938 (Venice Film Festival)
• December 8, 1938 (general release)
• January 1, 1950
• April 16, 1953 (16mm release)

1938 Premiere. RKO/Generalcine 2 Fogli, 100 x 140cm (similar to the North American 40 x 60). Generalcine was the "host" distributor that rented all the RKO films to Italian theatres.  "Un Film Fuori Classe" translates to "An Outstanding Motion Picture" and the bottom text reads "Winner of the Great Art Trophy at the Venice Film Festival". The artist was a painter named Carlo Ludovico Bompiani.

R-1950. RKO horizontal 2 Fogli, 39" x 55". Text across top reads: "Returning to Italian screens the most delicious tale of the world."

R-1950. RKO locandina, 9.45" x 13.4" (24 x 34cm). It was designed by poster painter Niso Ramponi who used to sign his works as "Kremos".

Image via Benito Medela Internacional Movie Poster.

R-1950. RKO photobusta, 13" x 17" (34 x 49cm). Across the bottom, "Walt Disney's Immortal Tale returns!"

Image via Benito Medela Internacional Movie Poster.

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Distributed by Rank Films...

• December 13, 1962

R-1962. Rank folded 2 fogli, 39" x 55". The 1962, 1972, 1980 and 1987 posters were all created by a well-known painter, Bruno Napoli, who made all the Disney posters for Italian cinema from the '60s to the '80s.

Image courtesy eMoviePoster.com.

R-1962. Rank folded 4 fogli.

4 fogli images courtesy of Nunziante Valoroso at the 2013 Napoli ComicCon.

R-1962. Rank folded Soggettone, approximately 27.5" x 39" (70 x 100cm). It's a double fotobusta (nearly a "one sheet" un foglio size) that was distributed with the photobusta series.

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Distributed by Cinema International Corporation*1 (CIC)...

• December 20, 1972 (first complete Italian redub)
• December 19, 1980

R-1972. CIC folded 2 fogli, 39" x 55". The tag "Un film immortale!" can be translated as "A motion picture that will live forever!"  This line comes from the 1958 USA trailer which was used in Italy for the 1962, 1972, 1980 and 1987 reissues. In it the tag "A motion picture that will live forever" was translated as "Un capolavoro immortale".

Image via Heritage Auctions.

R-1972. CIC locandina, 13" x 27" (33 x 70cm).

Image via Benito Medela Internacional Movie Poster.

R-1980. CIC folded 2 fogli, 39" x 55".

Image courtesy eMoviePoster.com.

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Distributed by United International Pictures*2 (UIP)...

• April 17, 1987 (50th anniversary; one day/free admission)
• December 1987

R-1987. UIP locandina.

Image via iVid.

R-1987. UIP quads (seen in earlier 50th anniversary post).

Images via disneylicious.

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Distributed by Warner Bros...

• March 27, 1992

R-1992. Warner Bros. folded 2 fogli, 39" x 55". Euro Disney Park logo in upper right corner.

Image via International Poster Gallery.

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Distributed by Buena Vista*3 International...

• April 1, 1994

R-1994. Buena Vista rolled 2 fogli, 39" x 55".

Image via FilmUp.com.

FOOTNOTES:
*1 - CIC was founded by Universal and Paramount to distribute films outside the US. In Italy, Universal picked the Disney catalog beginning in 1969.
*2 - UIP was formed by CIC and United Artists international after MGM bought UA in America.
*3 - Buena Vista's Italian agency was established in 1993.


Special thanks to Nunziante Valoroso for his valuable assistance with this Archive entry.

1938 UK Standee Set

This 9-piece set of promotional standees dates from the original 1938 theatrical release of Snow White in the United Kingdom. Made of hand-painted plywood, the figures are in remarkably good shape considering their age. The Prince stands approximately 60" tall, the Dwarfs around 30".

Standee images via Profiles in History.

The set was up for auction in December of 2011.

1993 Dwarfs Bus Stop Poster

This Seven Dwarfs poster was recently sold online by Matt of Vintage Disney Alice in Wonderland. He was thinning down his collection and listed a few cool items on ebay. I took a shot at it but was outbid in the end.

The poster dates from the 1993 US theatrical release of the film. Measures approximately 4' x 6'. Here's what Matt had to say about it...

These were strictly issued for display in bus shelters. They are made of a very thick coated paper that is weather resistant. The image may have been used on other promotional material, but this specific poster style and size only appeared in shelters.

I got mine in LA in 1993, I had a friend who worked for the maintenance company that services the shelters in Los Angeles County, and he would get posters for me when they were switched out.

July 2. At Theatres Everywhere...

This same Dwarf illustration reappeared in 2001 on one of the DVD home video Gift-With-Purchase pins.

1938 US Snow White Insert

An original 1938 movie insert from the RKO release of Snow White. Measures 14" x 36". This particular poster was rolled, never folded.

Image via CineMasterpieces.

Insert description from CineMasterspieces...

A vertical format American movie poster, measuring 14"x36", generally issued rolled and on thicker stock paper. Their smaller size makes them popular with collectors. Inserts from the 60's and before were often issued folded. Generally much rarer than a one sheet. Studios stopped issuing these in the early 1980's.