
ELVIS THE MOVIE (1979) MOVIE POSTER, DAYBILL, ELVIS PRESLEY
Condition Very Fine / Near Mint (9.0)
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
Elvis The Movie (1979) Starring Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters and Bing Russell, Directed by John Carpenter is in Very Fine/Near Mint Condition. Movie Poster and Condition Condition: This Original Daybill...
Elvis The Movie (1979) Starring Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters and Bing Russell, Directed by John Carpenter is in Very Fine/Near Mint Condition.
Movie Poster and Condition
Condition: This Original Daybill is presented in Very Fine/Near Mint condition, folded as issued. This rare poster is currently stored folded and will be shipped in an acid free polyprop bag with acid free backing board. The original daybill poster represents an exceptional piece of Australian cinema memorabilia from this landmark biographical television film. This poster format was specifically designed for Australian cinema distribution, making it a highly sought-after collectible for both Elvis Presley fans and vintage movie poster enthusiasts.
Movie Synopsis
Elvis is a compelling 1979 American made-for-television biographical film that originally aired on ABC, directed by legendary filmmaker John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell in his breakthrough dramatic role as the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. This remarkable production marked the first collaboration between Carpenter and Russell, launching one of cinema's most enduring actor-director partnerships.
Written by Anthony Lawrence, the film chronicles the extraordinary life of Elvis Presley from his humble beginnings through his meteoric rise to international stardom. The screenplay focuses particularly on Elvis's career during the pivotal period of July 1969, capturing the essence of the man behind the legend. Russell delivers a powerhouse performance that earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Special, whilst the film itself received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture Made for Television.
The stellar supporting cast includes Shelley Winters as Elvis's beloved mother Gladys Presley, delivering a moving portrayal of the woman who shaped the future icon. In a fascinating piece of casting, Kurt Russell's real-life father Bing Russell portrays Elvis's father Vernon Presley, adding authentic family dynamics to the production. Season Hubley, who was engaged to Kurt Russell during filming and later became his wife, plays Priscilla Presley with remarkable sensitivity and depth.
The film explores Elvis's complex relationship with fame, his deep connection to his music, and the personal struggles that accompanied his unprecedented success. Carpenter's direction brings his signature visual style to this intimate portrait, creating a television movie that transcends the typical constraints of the medium. The production featured extensive research into Elvis's life, with Lawrence's screenplay drawing from interviews and documented accounts of those closest to the performer.
Following its tremendous success on American television, a shorter re-edited version of Elvis was released theatrically throughout Europe and Australia, bringing this exceptional biographical drama to international cinema audiences. The film's Australian theatrical release makes this daybill poster particularly significant for collectors, representing a unique moment when a television production crossed over to cinema exhibition.
Behind the scenes, the production was notable for its attention to authenticity, with Russell spending months studying Elvis's mannerisms, voice, and stage presence. The film featured carefully recreated concert sequences and intimate personal moments that provided audiences with an unprecedented glimpse into the private world of one of music's greatest icons. John Carpenter's involvement in this project showcased his versatility as a filmmaker, demonstrating his ability to handle intimate character drama alongside his renowned work in horror and action genres.
To find out more about Elvis (1979) click here to go to IMDB.com.
Special Notes
Images may have a small 'MPA' digital watermark and this does not appear on the poster. Posters are being held by magnets in the corners to take photographs, so you may see some magnet and shadows from the magnets in these areas. The magnets are not included in the sale of the item.
Postage, Insurance & Your Country Taxes
Postage costs are quoted for this item, include insurance up to AUD$100, but if you reside outside of Australia, the price does not include any import taxes/fees that you may be required to pay when the item reaches your borders. Please check with your local authorities for any additional taxes or fees. If you would like full insurance coverage for your purchase, please message me and I would be happy to quote the additional cost (estimate is AUD$2.50 p/AUD$100 or 2.5% of the item value, up to a maximum item value of AUD$5,000).

FAQ
At Movie Posters Australia, the love and conservation of movie posters comes first, and we like to share this passion. Our commitment to quality means we will provide high quality memorabilia to our customers. Posters are carefully chosen and authenticated to ensure originality and value. We want our customers to trust MPA, so we always try to be as open and transparent as we can, provide detailed condition information and images, to ensure customers are comfortable and confident in their purchase.
While the industry does have a few condition rating standards, there is no movie poster condition rating system that has become the accepted standard world wide. This unfortunately makes condition terms vary from movie poster dealer to movie poster dealer. Terms like Mint, Near Mint, Very Fine, Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, seem to be universal to most condition rating standards, but most standards still lack definition about what and how many flaws/defects/damage defines a specific condition level. For more information on how Movie Posters Australia grades the condition of its movie posters, daybills, lobby cards and other ephemera please see out Movie Poster Condition and Grading page.
In the early days of cinema, posters were primarily hand-drawn and printed in various sizes, often tailored to fit the available space in theaters or promotional areas. In the United States, the "One Sheet" size (some times called '1 Sheet' or '1SH' approximately 27" x 41", became the standard during the 1930s. This size was manageable for theater display and suited the needs of a growing film industry.
Different countries developed their own poster sizes and styles, which also changed sometimes over the decades, and were influenced by local preferences and practical considerations, like available paper sheet sizes and how many posters could be printed on one sheet.
In Australia, the most popular size, the Daybill, has evolved over the decades. Australian Daybills sizes in chronological order are:
- Long Daybills (15" x 40"), from 1920's to pre-WW2 or pre-1941, were printed two to a sheet, longer than current Daybill versions. There were size variances in width from 14.5" to 15" and in height from 39.5" to 40".
- War Time Daybill (10" x 30"), during WW2, for a short time to conserve paper during a war time shortage, four Daybills were printed on one sheet. Information from Press Sheets also referred to these War-Time sizes as "New Size Daybills".
- Post-War Daybill (13" x 30"), this 13" x 30" Post-War size carried through until the 1980's, but also varied in size from 13"-14" x 29.75"-30.25".
- Post-80's Daybill (33cm x 66cm, or 13" x 26"), over a few years in the late 80's, the size changed again to a metric 33cm x 66cm, although these have also varied from 32-33cm x 64.5-66cm. New sizes from the late 80's were created, sometimes called a Mini Daybill or Mini Poster, in 9" x 12", 11" x 17" and 13" x 20".
In the UK, the somewhat unique 'Quad' poster, measuring 30" x 40", became popular, offering a larger landscape format that allowed for more elaborate designs.
In Japan, movie poster sizes were smaller, such as the "B2" (20" x 28"), which suited the more compact living environment of larger cities, smaller advertising spaces, and unique aesthetic sensibilities.
The 1970s and 1980s, witnessed the rise of the "six-sheet" (81" x 81") format, reflecting a trend towards larger and more visually impactful advertising.
Overall, the variation in movie poster sizes across different countries and decades highlights the interplay between technological printing advancements, paper resource availability, paper sheet size changes, cultural preferences, and the evolving nature of movie marketing.
At Movie Posters Australia we tag each poster we sell with a 'size' and 'condition' description at the very top of the page for our customers to easily see. There may however be some slight variations to sizes by up one inch due to variations in production and guillotine methods by printers over the decades.