BEVERLEY HILLS NINJA (1997) MOVIE POSTER, AUSTRALIAN ONE SHEET, FARLEY
Size AU One Sheet (27" x 40")
Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) Australian One Sheet Movie Poster starring Chris Farley, Nicollette Sheridan, Chris Rock, Robin Shou and directed by Dennis Dugan Movie Poster and Condition Condition: This Australian...
Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) Australian One Sheet Movie Poster starring Chris Farley, Nicollette Sheridan, Chris Rock, Robin Shou and directed by Dennis Dugan
Movie Poster and Condition
Condition: This Australian One Sheet Movie Poster presents in Very Fine condition. Fold wear is present together with some cross fold wear, edgewear on right and left top hand side and a 3cm tear on the left hand top side (see photo for more info). This Poster is currently stored folded and will be shipped in an acid free polyprop bag with acid free backing board.
This is an authentic theatrical release poster from the 1997 Australian cinema distribution, making it a genuine piece of Chris Farley memorabilia and a treasured artefact from what would tragically become the comedy legend's final film released during his lifetime. The Australian One Sheet format was the standard theatrical size used in cinemas throughout Australia during the mid-1990s, and this particular poster captures the distinctive marketing campaign that introduced audiences to Farley's hilarious portrayal of the bumbling ninja Haru.
Movie Synopsis
Beverly Hills Ninja is a 1997 American martial arts slapstick comedy directed by Dennis Dugan and written by Mark Feldberg and Mitch Klebanoff. The film stars the beloved Chris Farley in one of his most memorable and physically demanding roles, alongside Nicollette Sheridan, Nathaniel Parker, Chris Rock, and martial arts legend Robin Shou. Released on 17 January 1997, this would become a bittersweet milestone in cinema history as the last film starring Farley to be released during his lifetime, as the comedic icon tragically passed away in December 1997, just eleven months after the film's premiere.
The film's premise centres on Haru, played brilliantly by Chris Farley, a white American baby discovered washed ashore in Japan inside an abandoned treasure chest by a secretive clan of ninjas. According to ancient ninja legend, a white foreigner would one day arrive and become the Great White Ninja, a master warrior like no other. The clan raises Haru with the expectation that he will fulfil this prophecy, training him rigorously in the ancient art of ninjitsu alongside the other young warriors. However, as Haru grows into adulthood, it becomes painfully clear that he is not the graceful, stealthy warrior of legend. Instead, he is clumsy, overweight, and spectacularly inept at basic ninja skills, failing to graduate with his classmates and becoming a source of embarrassment to his adoptive clan.
Left alone to guard the temple while his fellow ninjas embark on an important mission, Haru gets his chance to prove himself when a mysterious American woman calling herself Sally Jones (played by Nicollette Sheridan) arrives seeking assistance. Disguising himself as a skilled ninja, Haru agrees to investigate Sally's boyfriend, Martin Tanley (portrayed by Nathaniel Parker), whom she suspects of foul play. During his investigation, Haru discovers that Tanley and his menacing bodyguard Nobu (played by Keith Cooke) are running a sophisticated counterfeiting operation in league with the Yakuza, and witnesses Tanley commit murder. Before he can warn Sally, she disappears, prompting Haru to embark on a fish-out-of-water adventure to Beverly Hills, California.
Unbeknownst to Haru, the clan's wise sensei (played by Soon-Tek Oh) has secretly dispatched Haru's adoptive brother Gobei (portrayed by martial arts star Robin Shou, known for his role as Liu Kang in the Mortal Kombat films) to shadow and protect the bumbling ninja during his dangerous mission. Upon arriving in Beverly Hills, Haru checks into a luxurious hotel where he befriends enthusiastic bellboy Joey Washington, played with perfect comedic timing by Chris Rock. The interactions between Farley and Rock provide some of the film's most hilarious moments, with Haru attempting to teach Joey the ways of the ninja despite his own obvious incompetence.
As Haru tracks Tanley through the glamorous streets of Beverly Hills and the seedy underworld of Little Tokyo, he becomes entangled in gang warfare, mistaken for a murderer by authorities, and discovers that Sally's real name is Alison Page, and she's been dating Tanley under false pretences to gather evidence that he murdered her sister. The film builds to an action-packed climax involving counterfeiting plates, rival gangs, and Haru finally having the opportunity to prove that heart and determination can sometimes triumph over skill and grace.
Chris Farley's performance in Beverly Hills Ninja showcases his signature brand of physical comedy, with the comedian executing numerous pratfalls, crashes through walls, collisions with lampposts, and elaborate slapstick sequences. His portrayal of Haru is both hilarious and surprisingly touching, as beneath the bumbling exterior lies a good-hearted character desperate to live up to his potential and help those in need. Director Dennis Dugan, who would later become famous for his eight-film collaboration with Adam Sandler, brings perfect comedic timing to the film's elaborate physical gags.
The film was produced by Brad Krevoy with a budget of approximately $18 million and featured cinematography, editing by Arthur Coburn, and a musical score by George S. Clinton. Despite receiving largely negative reviews from critics, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 16% approval rating, Beverly Hills Ninja proved to be a modest commercial success, grossing nearly $38 million worldwide at the box office. Critics like James Berardinelli called it "essentially a one-joke film" about Farley's clumsiness, whilst Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle offered a more favourable view, praising Dugan's timing and Farley's execution, noting that audiences "laughed harder" despite knowing the gags in advance.
Over the years, Beverly Hills Ninja has developed a devoted cult following, with fans appreciating it as a showcase for Chris Farley's unique comedic genius. The film represents an important moment in 1990s comedy cinema and stands as a poignant reminder of Farley's immense talent and the joy he brought to millions of fans worldwide. For collectors of 1990s comedy memorabilia and admirers of Chris Farley's legendary career, this Australian One Sheet poster represents an essential piece of cinema history from one of comedy's most beloved performers.
To find out more about Beverly Hills Ninja (1997) 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.