A FISH CALLED WANDA (1988) Movie Poster, Daybill, Original Vintage
Condition Very Fine / Near Mint (9.0)
Size AU Daybill Post 80's (33 x 66 cm)
A FISH CALLED WANDA (1988) Movie Poster, Daybill, Original Vintage, Starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and is Directed by Charles Crichton, is in Very Fine/Near Mint Condition. ...
A FISH CALLED WANDA (1988) Movie Poster, Daybill, Original Vintage, Starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and is Directed by Charles Crichton, is in Very Fine/Near Mint Condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This Original Daybill, Movie Poster is presented in Very Fine/Near Mint condition, 2 Daybill folds as issued, in excellent condition and is in a colourful clean presentation. This is an original Australian Daybill movie poster for the hugely successful 1988 British comedy A Fish Called Wanda, starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin. No poster artist has been identified for this example. The exceptionally clean presentation, vibrant colours and strong overall condition make this a desirable piece of vintage comedy movie memorabilia, particularly for collectors of original Australian film posters, British cinema and classic 1980s comedy. The traditional Daybill format also makes this an excellent collectible for fans seeking an original theatrical poster from the film's initial release.
Movie Synopsis
A Fish Called Wanda (1988) is one of the most celebrated British comedies of the late twentieth century, combining an elaborate diamond-heist plot with outrageous character comedy, misunderstandings and some remarkably dark humour. Directed by veteran filmmaker Charles Crichton and written by John Cleese, the film stars Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin. The production became an international success and earned widespread critical acclaim for its intelligent screenplay, superb comic performances and unforgettable characters.
The story centres on a group of criminals who plan an ambitious diamond robbery in London. The gang is led by George Thomason, played by John Cleese, who is intelligent but hopelessly awkward and finds himself caught between his criminal ambitions and his growing attraction to Wanda Gershwitz, portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis. Wanda is an American con artist who has joined the scheme with her brother Otto, played by Kevin Kline. Otto describes himself as an intellectual and sophisticated man, although his extraordinary ignorance and inflated ego make him one of the film's funniest characters.
Michael Palin plays Ken Pile, a shy and extremely nervous animal lover who is involved in the robbery. Ken develops an unfortunate obsession with Wanda's brother's unusual circumstances and is particularly fascinated by the possibility of communicating with animals. Palin's performance adds another layer of eccentric British humour to the increasingly chaotic plot.
After the diamond robbery succeeds, the criminals immediately begin betraying one another. Wanda secretly intends to take the diamonds for herself, while Otto attempts to manipulate the situation to his own advantage. George discovers that the diamonds have been moved, setting off a complicated chain of deception, romantic manipulation and criminal double-crossing. The story becomes even more complicated when George is arrested and seeks the assistance of barrister Archie Leach, also played by Cleese.
The film's comedy comes not only from the elaborate criminal plot but from the extraordinary personalities of its central characters. Jamie Lee Curtis brings a sharp American sensibility to Wanda, who is clever, seductive and relentlessly opportunistic. Kevin Kline gives an unforgettable performance as Otto, a character who confidently quotes philosophy while routinely misunderstanding the most basic concepts. His performance won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, making him one of the relatively few actors to win an Oscar for a comedy performance.
The film also has an unusual production history. Director Charles Crichton had been working in British cinema for decades before making the film, with credits stretching back to the 1940s. John Cleese was instrumental in developing the screenplay and the project became a remarkable meeting of generations, combining Crichton's experience with Cleese's distinctive comic writing and the talents of a younger international cast.
A Fish Called Wanda was produced by Michael Shamberg and incorporated the talents of the team associated with the British comedy tradition, while the screenplay's intricate structure allowed the film to move smoothly between farce, romance, crime and black comedy. The film also features the memorable recurring motif of Ken's fascination with animals, which eventually contributes to one of its most famous and outrageous sequences.
Released in 1988, the film became a major box-office success and has remained a favourite among enthusiasts of classic British comedy, John Cleese, Monty Python-related cinema and 1980s movies. Its mixture of clever dialogue, physical comedy and elaborate plotting has helped it remain remarkably entertaining decades after its original release. This original Australian Daybill movie poster is therefore an excellent collectible representing one of the most enduring comedies of the 1980s. With its exceptional Very Fine/Near Mint condition and colourful clean presentation, it would make an impressive addition to a collection of original comedy posters, British cinema memorabilia or classic movie art.
To find out more about A Fish Called Wanda (1988) 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.