Information and Images By: Nils Luehrmann’s http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/207017/1933-king-kong-in-november/210
The most anyone has ever paid for a King Kong poster at auction was none other that Cecelia Presley, the granddaughter of the legendary Director & Producer Cecil B. DeMille. She paid $244,500 for a 41×81 RKO, style A three-sheet, lithograph by McCormick & Sisk at an auction at Sotheby’s on April 16, 1999. Although it wasn’t easy due to a bidding war which lasted well past the estimated value $100,000-$150,000.
The most anyone has ever paid for a movie poster at an auction was $453,500 for an original style A three-sheet for The Mummy (1932). It happened on March 1, 1997 at Sotheby’s, but there is still a great deal of skepticism as to the validity of the auction. Many in the art world believe that the seller, the buyer, and the other bidder pre-arranged for the ‘bidding war’ in order to inflate the value of the poster for a future sale. In fact, it was later sold, but for under $120,000.
Here are some of the different King Kong posters that have sold for ~$50,000 or more (click on any pic to enlarge):
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$244,500 (4/99) Sotheby’s |
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$98,900 (12/94) Christie’s |
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$87,000 (10/00) Sotheby’s |
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$80,500 (12/99) Sotheby’s |
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$57,200 (12/91) Christie’s |
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$46,000 (12/96) Sotheby’s |
In addition, there are about a dozen or more international King Kong posters, as well as a few theatrical posters from the film’s worldwide re-release between 1952-1962 that have sold anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000. Here are samples of some of them (click on any pic to enlarge):
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