History's 6 Most Popular Film Posters

Since the beginning of the 20th century, cinema has increasingly surpassed previous limits of creativity and technology to satisfy a demanding public. The film industry has seen many evolutions, failures and historic moments, whether we talk about the introduction of a new special effect, the unparalleled performance of an actor or a script that has shaken up society. 

Though movie buffs can still revel in the greatest films, the original posters remain the only tangible witnesses of the most memorable moments in cinema. Posters have always been an essential means of attracting the attention of spectators. Both a work of art and a promotional item, the poster has evolved according to precise codes and it is not surprising that the oldest, creative and emblematic posters are highly coveted at auction today.

In most cases, the artist is not identified on the film poster and remains anonymous. There are, however, a few special cases where artists found success for their outstanding illustrations. Here are the 6 most beloved and expensive movie posters in the world.

6. King Kong (1933, RKO)

The mythical status of the King Kong film makes its promotional posters incredibly rare. Copies can disappear into private collections for decades and only very occasionally appear on the market. 

This poster depicts Kong on the façade of the Empire State Building, clutching Fay Wray in his left paw. Another scene, below, shows Kong grappling with one of Willis O'Brien's dinosaurs on Skull Island. This B-style poster is a visual triumph and one of the rarest copies that has been described by experts as “an astonishing work of art that transcends its category and subject”.

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It was discovered in Geneva in the early 1980s, in a collection of King Kong posters. The linen backing is the same as all the other models in the collection. Selling for $388,375 at Heritage Auctions in 2012, it set a record for the auction house at the time.

5. The Mummy (1932, Universal)

Following the resounding success of Frankenstein (1931), Universal turned to actor Boris Karloff again to star in The Mummy, a horror film inspired by the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt. Karloff described the shoot as "the most trying of his life", because the make-up necessary to transform him into an Egyptian priest (Imhotep) took eight hours and was very unpleasant.

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The Mummy marked another triumph for the studio, and the poster, created by artist Karoly Grosz, is a true work of art. There are reportedly only three known copies, one of which belongs to Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, a horror movie fanatic.

This original A-style poster set a world record in 1997 when it was auctioned at Sotheby's for an incredible $435,500. The entire production of the film itself only cost $196,000 at the time. 

4. London After Midnight (1927, MGM)

London After Midnight was directed by Todd Browning, who went on to direct the classics Dracula (1931) and Freaks (1932), the latter of which was so disturbing to audiences that it ended his career in Hollywood.

This silent thriller starring Lon Chaney, a detective disguised as a vampire to solve a murder, is one of Hollywood's most legendary 'lost' films. The last-known reel was destroyed in 1967, when a fire swept through the MGM Studio in California. The film exists today only through photographs and the original screenplay.

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The only existing copy of the feature film's US poster fetched $478,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2014, the most expensive poster at the time.

3. Casablanca (1946, Warner Brothers)

The only survivor of the Italian version, this large 4-sheet Casablanca poster is considered by collectors to be the most beautiful ever made, despite the many versions designed internationally.

The classic 1942 film didn't appear in Italian cinemas until 1946, and it was artist Luigi Martinati who signed this '4-fogli' poster, the very first Italian version. Martinati co-founded Studio BCM and produced dozens of stunning film posters during the 1940s, '50s and '60s.

This Casablanca poster is the only one to survive to this day, and although it has minor flaws and a few pinholes (generally taboo among high-end collectors), it still managed to land an incredible $478,000 at auction in July 2017 at Heritage Auctions, tying the London After Midnight record.

2. Dracula (1931, Universal)

This poster, featuring a striking portrait of the Austro-Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi, is one of only two known copies. Designed for the iconic 1931 film Dracula, this A-style poster spent over half a century in the private collection of a San Diego cinematographer and film historian, before being discovered by experts in 2017.

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Described as "one of the most desirable horror movie posters ever produced," the work entered the auction room with an estimate of $150,000-300,000 in November 2017 at Heritage Auctions. Sold for $525,800, it became the most expensive film poster to ever sell at a public auction. Actor Nicholas Cage sold his copy in 2012 for $310,000.

1. Metropolis (1927, UFA)

The most coveted poster of all, Metropolis only has four existing copies of the original international version. Two are in the collections of MoMA and the Austrian National Library Museum in Vienna, and a third in the possession of actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

In November 2005, the Reel Poster Gallery in London sold a copy to an American collector for $690,000, a record price for an individual film poster that is still held today.

In 2012, following a legal battle with his investors, the owner of the record-breaking poster was forced to part with it in an auction imposed by the U.S. commercial court. The poster was sold in a group lot with other rare posters for $1.2 million. For many, the amount is mostly (if not entirely) due to the Metropolis poster. Ralph DeLuca, a famed collector and cinephile, won the bid against three other competitors. “For a poster that I really want, I'll pay a lot of money,” he said.

Directed by Fritz Lang in 1927, Metropolis is the costliest silent film ever made. This German blockbuster, with its special effects and futuristic plot, is considered a major milestone in the history of cinema.

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Let's Talk Posters: For major film releases, some studios produced more than one 'style' of poster. Each style was listed and had its own work of art. The studios believed that having two versions attracted two different segments of the audience. Because of this, one style could represent the romantic side of a movie, while another could emphasise the action or adventure scenes.

While most studios only released two versions, some released up to four different styles at a time. Styles were normally classified as 'Style A' or 'Style B'. These markings (A and B) were used by the majority of studios, but some, like MGM, would prefer to use 'Style C' and 'Style D'. During the 1930s, some Universal posters were branded as 'Style X' and 'Style Y'. The style annotation is usually found on the bottom border of the poster. The style, if it has survived with only a few copies, can dramatically increase the value of the poster, while other more widespread styles will be less popular.