BILLY JACK (1971) Original Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
BILLY JACK (1971) Original Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, Starring Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, Clark Howat and Directed by Tom Laughlin is in Very Fine- condition. Movie Poster and Condition....
BILLY JACK (1971) Original Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, Starring Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, Clark Howat and Directed by Tom Laughlin is in Very Fine- condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This poster is presented in Very Fine- condition with 2 Daybill folds as issued, with a couple of 5mm tear at the top and some edgewear along the top and some minor handling wear. This authentic Original Vintage Daybill movie poster from BILLY JACK (1971) remains a highly collectible example of Australian cinema exhibition material from the early 1970s. Displaying the classic vertical Daybill format that collectors actively seek, this piece captures the rebellious energy and counterculture spirit that made the film an enduring cult favourite. Despite light age-related wear noted above, the poster retains excellent visual presentation and would make a standout addition to any serious movie poster collection, film memorabilia display, or vintage cinema archive.
Movie Synopsis
Billy Jack (1971) became one of the most unexpected and influential independent film successes of the 1970s, combining action, social commentary, romance and counterculture themes into a unique cinematic experience. Directed by Tom Laughlin, who also stars in the title role, the film developed a passionate following and eventually became one of the defining cult films of its era.
The story follows Billy Jack, a half-Native American former Green Beret who prefers a peaceful life but finds himself repeatedly drawn into conflict while protecting vulnerable people from corruption and violence. Billy lives near a progressive school known as the Freedom School, an alternative educational community run by Jean Roberts, portrayed by Delores Taylor. The school embraces individuality, creativity and equality, creating tension with local authorities and conservative members of the surrounding community.
When the students and staff become targets of harassment and escalating intimidation from wealthy landowners and local power figures, Billy attempts to resolve matters peacefully. However, his strong moral code and refusal to tolerate injustice eventually force him into direct confrontation. What unfolds is a powerful mix of drama, social protest and memorable action sequences that helped establish Billy Jack as an iconic screen anti-hero.
The film’s supporting cast includes Clark Howat, Victor Izay, Tommy Lee and Teresa Kelly, each helping create the memorable small-town atmosphere and social tensions central to the story. Tom Laughlin’s performance became particularly celebrated for presenting an unconventional hero who blended philosophy, restraint and explosive action.
One of the most famous moments in the film became a cultural phenomenon and remains frequently referenced in discussions of 1970s cinema. The movie’s themes surrounding civil rights, environmental awareness, personal freedom and standing against injustice resonated strongly with audiences of the era and continue to attract new viewers decades later.
Interestingly, Billy Jack initially struggled to find mainstream success upon release before building momentum through word of mouth and later re-releases. Its eventual box office performance surprised industry observers and demonstrated the power of independent filmmaking during a changing period in American cinema. The film’s popularity later led to additional entries in the Billy Jack series and cemented Tom Laughlin’s reputation as both filmmaker and cultural commentator.
Today, original cinema material from this title has become increasingly sought after by collectors due to the film’s enduring cult status and historical importance within independent American filmmaking. An original BILLY JACK (1971) Daybill movie poster represents both a striking display piece and an authentic connection to a landmark moment in cinema history.
To find out more about Billy Jack (1971) 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.